Stakeholder Participation and Cross-Sectoral Cooperation in a Quality Circle on Community-Based Teaching: Results of a Qualitative Interview Study

INTRODUCTION: Community-based learning in family medicine practices is an increasingly important part of the medical curriculum internationally. It is widely regarded as one solution to healthcare system needs, such as training and retaining a workforce willing to work in primary care. However, the perspectives of community-based medical educators and representatives from university-based medical education are rarely integrated. To improve teaching quality and promote exchange between those two sectors of medical education, the Institute for General Practice and Interprofessional Care at Tübingen University started a quality circle in family medicine teaching involving stakeholders from both sectors in 2018. The study aims to describe how the participants of this specific QC describe the cross-sectoral cooperation and participation of stakeholders in the quality management of community and university medical education. METHODS: After an observed meeting of the quality circle, semi-structured interviews were conducted with n=12 participants of the quality circle. Interview transcripts were analyzed using grounded theory. RESULTS: According to the participants, the quality circle provides a dynamic continuity which allows participants to navigate known barriers to transsectoral collaboration in the quality management of community-based medical education. The quality circle is perceived as an instrument for quality improvement that offered continuity and direction. At the same time, it allows for enough freedom and flexibility for the involved stakeholders to creatively work together on quality management and be inspired by their experiences. DISCUSSION: The quality circle has the potential to facilitate collaboration between the two teaching settings, form a creative community, and give medical students an active role in educational quality management.