Accreditation systems for midwifery training programs worldwide: A scoping review.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality
• Medical Education
• Global Health

Background:

• Accreditation of midwifery programs is crucial for enhancing education and patient care standards.
• Existing accreditation systems exhibit significant global variations, impacting midwifery practice.
• Understanding these differences is key to improving international midwifery education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To diagnose worldwide midwifery program accreditation systems.
• To identify their characteristics, standards, and variations.
• To inform strategies for global enhancement.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review was conducted following Arksey and O'Malley's framework.
• Extensive searches of databases, grey literature, and accreditation websites were performed.
• 47 relevant articles and websites focusing on midwifery program accreditation were selected.

Main Results:

• The International Confederation of Midwives' global system is underutilized.
• Accreditation systems are heterogeneous, with higher-income countries showing more developed frameworks.
• Lower-income countries often lack robust systems and rely on international aid.

Conclusions:

• Diversity in accreditation reflects varied local needs, resources, and cultural contexts.
• Standardization and improvement of global accreditation are necessary.
• Adapting the International Confederation of Midwives system locally can advance midwifery recognition.