Setting an agenda for collaborative research in medical education in Indonesia

Introduction: Collaborative research in medical education has been proposed as part of the education collaboration activities among three medical faculties (Universitas Indonesia, Universitas Sebelas Maret and Universitas Andalas) under ―Development of Medical Education and Research Centres and Two University Hospitals Project in Indonesia‖. This paper describes the development of medical education research priorities among three medical schools with consideration of different resources and capabilities in the three settings.

Methods: A two-day working group meeting held in October 2011 was attended by representatives of the three medical schools and the Directorate of Higher Education of the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture. Participants were divided into two groups to develop a list of research areas and topic priorities. A rating system was employed to select the most prioritized topics among those listed. Each participant was then asked to score each topic according to pre-determined criteria.

Results: The first five research priorities in medical education were (1) learning environment, (2) Evidence Based Practice (EBP) in medical education, (3) medical education and patient safety, (4) students assessment in clinical stage, and (5) involvement of residents in clinical teaching.