Health economist program assessment of the MNUMS

Abstract

Background: Advances in the medical education and research in the 21st century is that schools have started to conduct their training based on evidence-based medicine, which has become the most authentic evidence-based medicine. Evidence-based medical education methodology presents evidence regardless of whether the medical knowledge is good or bad. The evaluation of medical education will be based not only on the results of actual research, but also on how well the students understand the accessibility of the curriculum they are participating in1. Regular evaluation of the implementation of the curriculum by any educational institution is one of the foundations for the successful program implementation. Assessment conducted in two ways, and formative assessment method is done during the learning process in order to support and motivate the students to help them in their learning activities, which has a feedback effect on the learning activities. But the final (summative) assessment is done to determine the level of knowledge and skills acquired by the student after the training has passed and to answer whether to implement, improve or stop the program2. In 2000, the Department of Health Policy of SPH of the MNUMS started implementing the health economics program. There is a high need and demand to conduct process and final assessment of the health economics program, and to determine whether the knowledge and skills acquired by the program meet the needs of the workplace after the graduates enter the workplace. Therefore, this research work has chosen in order to determine what knowledge and skills in lack improvement of the program, conduct a needs assessment of the program content in the context of employers, and reform of the program on evidence-based information. Aim: Assessing health economics program. Materials and Methods: The study conducted using a cross-sectional study design. In order to determine the satisfaction given to the program prepared by the specialist and the factors affecting it, questionnaires collected from graduates, doctors and employers according to the questionnaire covered its total content. A summary statistical analysis has performed to calculate student, faculty, employer, and graduates ratings of training satisfaction. Results: A total of 92 executives from 29 organizations and employers included in the study. 89.1% of the management staff of the health care organization asked if the organization needed a health economist. 85% of health economist graduates between 2006 and 2017 rated the health economics program as moderately effective. I-IV students evaluated the learning activities, and 91% of IV students, 89.3% of III students, 80% of II students, and 87% of I students considered it satisfactory. Also, 79% of the students of the I-IV courses evaluated the connection between courses as above average or satisfactory. Conclusion: Health economist graduates rated the effectiveness of the health economics program as 4.1±0.78, 89.1% of employers asked that graduates need a health economist in their organization. When evaluating the health economist bachelor’s program in the context of students studying health economics and teachers implementing the program, the students participating in the research evaluated it as 4.36±0.14 or above average effectiveness. Teachers rated it moderately effective or 4.14±0.66 when evaluating content, management, and organization.