Gerald Kayingo, PhD, MBA, MMSc, PA-C, is assistant dean, executive director, and a professor for the Physician Assistant Leadership and Learning Academy, Graduate School, at the University of Maryland Baltimore in Baltimore, Maryland.
Karen L. Gordes, PhD, PT, DSc, is chief learning officer and an associate professor for the Physician Assistant Leadership and Learning Academy, Graduate School, at the University of Maryland Baltimore in Baltimore, Maryland.
J Physician Assist Educ. 2022 Dec 1;33(4):318-324. doi: 10.1097/JPA.0000000000000462.
The accreditation process of health professions educational (HPE) programs is an essential ingredient in preparing a qualified healthcare workforce. Accreditation ensures that minimum standards are met by educational programs and contributes to pedagogical integrity, consistency, and academic policies and practices, leading to the desired quality of graduate outcomes. In this study, we analyzed key characteristics, policies, and practices for accreditation in 5 health professions to highlight emerging trends and discern implications for the physician assistant (PA) profession. There is growing evidence of movement toward outcome-based accreditation versus process-oriented accreditation and collaborative engagements between programs and the accreditors. Agencies are providing online discussion platforms and direct mentorship and, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, offered virtual site visits. At an institution level, we observed a trend towards structured faculty development on accreditation, implementation of technology infrastructure for data collection, visualization and analysis, and the use of consultants for outsourcing certain elements of the accreditation process. There is a wide spectrum of approaches, from prescriptive to liberal, by the various accrediting agencies in enforcing compliance. A balance is desirable for the institutional-accreditor relationship to work effectively.
医疗保健教育（HPE）计划的认证过程是培养合格医疗保健人员的重要组成部分。认证确保教育计划符合最低标准，并有助于保持教学的完整性、一致性以及学术政策和实践，从而达到预期的毕业生质量成果。在这项研究中，我们分析了 5 种医疗保健专业的认证的关键特征、政策和实践，以突出新兴趋势，并为医师助理（PA）专业识别影响。越来越多的证据表明，正在朝着基于成果的认证而非基于过程的认证以及计划和认证机构之间的合作关系发展。各机构正在提供在线讨论平台和直接指导，并在冠状病毒大流行期间提供虚拟现场访问。在机构层面，我们观察到一种趋势，即对认证进行结构化的教师发展，为数据收集、可视化和分析实施技术基础设施，并使用顾问来外包认证过程的某些要素。在执行合规方面，各认证机构的方法从指令性到自由裁量性有很大的差异。对于机构与认证机构的关系来说，平衡是理想的。
