Systematic Review: Process of Forming Academic Service Partnerships to Reform Clinical Education

The aim of our systematic review was to retrieve and integrate relevant evidence related to the process of formation and implementation of the academic–service partnership, with the aim of reforming the clinical education program. Despite a plethora of research evidence about implementing the academic– service partnership, no one to date has undertaken a robust systematic review about its process. An electronic search was performed to identify published studies between 1995 and 2008. Search strategies adapted from the University of York’s Centre for Reviews and Dissemination were used. Fifteen papers were accepted based on the inclusion criteria and assessed for quality. Data were summarized thematically. Four main stages emerged: Mutual Potential Benefits, Moving From Being Competitors to Collaborators, Joint Practice, and Beneficial Outcomes. This study’s findings can provide practical guidelines to steer partnership programs within the academic and clinical bodies, with the aim of providing a collaborative partnership approach to clinical education.