Accreditation of emerging oral health professions: options for dental therapy education programs.

OBJECTIVES: The study explored the options for accreditation of educational programs to prepare a new oral health provider, the dental therapist. METHODS: A literature review and interviews of 10 content experts were conducted. The content experts represented a wide array of interests, including individuals associated with the various dental stakeholder organizations in education, accreditation, practice, and licensure, as well as representatives of non-dental accrediting organizations whose experience could inform the study. RESULTS: Development of an educational accreditation program for an emerging profession requires collaboration among key stakeholders representing education, practice, licensure, and other interests. Options for accreditation of dental therapy education programs include establishment of a new independent accrediting agency; seeking recognition as a committee within the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs; or working with the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) to create a new accreditation program within CODA. These options are not mutually exclusive, and more than one accreditation program could potentially exist. CONCLUSIONS: An educational accreditation program is built upon a well-defined field, where there is a demonstrated need for the occupation and for accreditation of educational programs that prepare individuals to enter that occupation. The fundamental value of accreditation is as one player in the overall scheme of improving the quality of higher education delivered to students and, ultimately, the delivery of health services. Leaders concerned with the oral health workforce will need to consider future directions and the potential roles of new oral health providers as they determine appropriate directions for educational accreditation for dental therapy.

La acreditación, un indicador de calidad: [editorial]

Quizás una de las palabras más empleadas en el mundo moderno y especialmente en las diferentes organizaciones, independientemente del aspecto a que se dediquen, es “calidad”. Y de esto no son ajenas las organizaciones educativas, quienes, algunas solo en el papel y otras como la nuestra, desde su propia convicción, promulgan la calidad como uno de los principios básicos en los que se fundamenta la formación de seres humanos, bien sea para ejercer una profesión o simplemente para desempeñarse como ciudadanos del mundo.

Propuesta de un Panel de Control en Dermatología: su aplicación para la acreditación de hospitales en la formación de especialistas / Proposal for a follow-up control board in Dermatology: its role on the accreditation of specialist-teaching hospitals

En esta propuesta se analiza el problema de la toma de decisiones y la información que se dispone a la hora de hacerlo. Es sabido que un panel o tablero de control es ampliamente aplicado y reconocido como herramienta que organiza y provee información en el ámbito empresarial, pero también se reconoce la resistencia a aplicarlo en la labor docente y académica. En esta propuesta se expone la idea de que esta labor docente podría beneficiarse si se aplicara un panel de control, y se desarrollan una serie de ítems para acreditar calificadamente a los hospitales en la formación de especialistas, así como otros indicadores que sirven para la propia autogestión de un servicio de Dermatología

Propuesta de un Panel de Control en Dermatología: su aplicación para la acreditación de hospitales en la formación de especialistas / Proposal for a follow-up control board in Dermatology: its role on the accreditation of specialist-teaching hospitals

En esta propuesta se analiza el problema de la toma de decisiones y la información que se dispone a la hora de hacerlo. Es sabido que un panel o tablero de control es ampliamente aplicado y reconocido como herramienta que organiza y provee información en el ámbito empresarial, pero también se reconoce la resistencia a aplicarlo en la labor docente y académica. En esta propuesta se expone la idea de que esta labor docente podría beneficiarse si se aplicara un panel de control, y se desarrollan una serie de ítems para acreditar calificadamente a los hospitales en la formación de especialistas, así como otros indicadores que sirven para la propia autogestión de un servicio de Dermatología (AU)

Variability in cytologic-histologic correlation practices and implications for patient safety.

CONTEXT: The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 require that laboratories perform cytologic-histologic correlation, although the optimal methods and the value of performing correlation have not been determined. OBJECTIVE: To determine the similarities and differences in how laboratories perform cytologic-histologic correlation. DESIGN: One hundred sixty-two American laboratories were sent a letter requesting copies of the materials they used in the cytologic-histologic correlation process. The returned materials were classified into the categories of forms, logs, and tally sheets. A checklist (derived from the College of American Pathologists Laboratory Accreditation Cytopathology Checklist) was developed to classify the "minimum expected" (15) and "additional" data points that laboratories collected when they performed a correlation. PARTICIPANTS: American pathology laboratories. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Measures were percentage of laboratories that recorded minimum expected and additional data points and the frequency with which specific minimum expected data points were recorded. RESULTS: The response frequency was 32.1%, and a total of 84 cytologic-histologic correlation materials were obtained. The only minimum expected variables recorded on forms or logs by more than 50% of laboratories were cytology case number, sign-out cytology diagnosis, surgical pathology case number, and sign-out surgical pathology diagnosis. Nine (17.3%) laboratories did not record data on forms, logs, or tally sheets. The mean number of minimum expected and additional variables recorded on forms was 6.5 and 8.7, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Laboratories record data from the cytologic-histologic correlation process in a number of ways, indicating the lack of standardization of the data collection process.

Relationship between accreditation scores and the public disclosure of accreditation reports: a cross sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between accreditation scores and the disclosure of accreditation reports. DESIGN: A cross sectional study. SETTING: Hospitals participating in an accreditation programme in Japan. PARTICIPANTS: 547 of the 817 hospitals accredited by the Japan Council for Quality Health Care (JCQHC) by January 2003. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data on participation in public disclosure of accreditation reports through the JCQHC website were obtained from the JCQHC database. Comments on the disclosure were obtained using a questionnaire based survey. RESULTS: A total of 508 (93%) of the participating hospitals disclosed their accreditation reports on the JCQHC website. Public hospitals were significantly more committed to public disclosure than private hospitals, and larger hospitals were significantly more likely to participate in public disclosure than smaller hospitals. Accreditation scores were positively related to the public disclosure of hospital accreditation reports. Scores for patient focused care and efforts to meet community needs were significantly higher in actively disclosing hospitals than in non-disclosing hospitals. Among the large hospitals, scores for safety management were significantly higher in hospitals advocating disclosure than in non-disclosing hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: There was a positive correlation between accreditation scores and public disclosure. Our results suggest that the public disclosure of accreditation reports should be encouraged to improve public accountability and the quality of care. Future studies should investigate the interaction between public disclosure, processes and outcomes.

Accreditation for ultrasound in the world.

To assess accreditation for ultrasound (US) throughout the world, a questionnaire was sent to 34 doctors in 34 countries; 23 of them responded. Clinical specialties are approved by law in the large majority of countries, except for a few countries like the USA or Japan. The position of "Sonologist", who is a specialist for US, has not been established in any of the countries with the exception of China. In some countries, some kinds of technicians are permitted to be involved in US after training and the recipients of such accreditation are usually called "Sonographers." Accreditation systems for US in various countries were classified into three grades, namely, "Should," "Would" and "Might," according to differences in regulations, education and certification. In 19 out of 23 countries, grading fell into the "Might" grade, in which accreditation is thought to be no more than a matter of morals. It is concluded that a respective accreditation system suitable to the country would be constructed independently.

White paper: value of specialty certification in pharmacy.

OBJECTIVE: To address the value of Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties (BPS) certification, particularly as perceived by different stakeholders (pharmacists, employers, government, and academia), and to draw a parallel between specialization and certification in pharmacy and in medicine. DATA SOURCES: Electronic databases (Medline, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts), associations/health care organizations Web sites, outside reports, and clinical pharmacists involved in certification processes. STUDY SELECTION: Studies and reports that addressed the value of specialty certification were selected by the authors. DATA EXTRACTION: By the authors. DATA SYNTHESIS: Pharmacists with specialty certification report enhanced feelings of self-worth, improved competence, and greater marketability. Other values of certification include increased acceptance by health care professionals, salary increases, and job promotions. Employers have acknowledged board-certified pharmacists through public recognition, increase in responsibility, and some types of monetary compensation. In some governmental organizations, certified pharmacists receive salary raises and are granted prescribing authority. However, the overall value of specialty certification in pharmacy as perceived by the public or payers lags behind when compared with the status of specialty certification in medicine. CONCLUSION: Board-certified pharmacists appreciate the value of pharmacy specialty certification, and in a number of organizations and practice settings, board-certified pharmacists are perceived as valuable. Still, unlike board-certified physicians, board-certified pharmacists are not widely recognized outside or even within the pharmacy profession. To address this challenge, board-certified pharmacists ought to market their services to assure that other stakeholders recognize their value.

Acreditación de las carreras de medicina. Legalidad, legitimidad y consenso: principales aspectos / Accreditation of medical degrees. Legality, legitimacy and consensus: main aspects

El presente documento intenta dar cuenta del proceso iniciado en Argentina en diciembre de 1996 con el fin de establecer mecanismos de aseguramiento de la calidad en la educación superior tal como lo estableció la Ley en 1995. Como resultado del mismo se incluyó el título de médico en la nómina de títulos considerados de riesgo, se elaboraron los patrones y estándares para la acreditación de las carreras denominadas de interés público o de riesgo y se iniciaron las primeras experiencias de acreditación de carreras de Medicina. Se describen y analizan los aspectos conceptuales, metodológicos y operativos encontrados durante el proceso de trabajo conjunto por la Secretaría de Políticas Universitarias y la Asociación de Facultades de Medicina de la República Argentina en ese período, y se desarrollan los principales problemas planteados que surgen de tales experiencias. Finalmente, se plantean algunos interrogantes pendientes en esta forma de evaluación de la calidad de la formación superior en medicina (AU)

Correlación entre el manual de acreditación de hospitales para la formación sanitaria especializada en España y el Manual de la Joint Commission International Accreditation / Correlation between the hospitals accreditation handbook for the specialized healthcare training in Spain and the handbook of Joint Commission International Accreditation

En el momento actual se están desarrollando dos iniciativas que tienen como propósito la existencia de criterios homogéneos en los procesos de acreditación de Organizaciones sanitarias en el ámbito internacional que permitan la comparación de resultados entre los hospitales incluidos en ambos proyectos. Éstos son el programa ALPHA (Agenda for Leadership in Programs for Healthcare Accreditation) de la International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua), y el Manual de Estándares de Hospitales de la Joint Commission International Accreditation. Tras la aprobación en 1999 del nuevo Manual de Acreditación global de hospitales para la Formación Sanitaria Especializada en España, parece recomendable incorporar nuevos criterios que tengan su referente en las iniciativas internacionales anteriormente expresadas. En el presente artículo se realiza un análisis comparativo entre los criterios incluidos en el Proceso de Acreditación docente con los del Manual de la Joint Commission International Accreditation (Standars for hospitals), con el objetivo de observar si existe una correlación general entre los criterios de ambos manuales, y así poder realizar una propuesta de incorporación de los inexistentes al Proceso de Acreditación global de hospitales para la Formación Sanitaria Especializada (AU)

Acreditación de unidades, centros y laboratorios de sueño

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Accreditation: who's counting?

Active physician involvement and leadership in their accreditation process can produce a cubic win for patients, payors, and providers. For health care quality to improve and everyone win, physicians need to understand the accountability system, the what and why of data collection, and be involved in short- and long-term performance assessments.

Accreditation of regionalized and comprehensive nurse anesthesia programs.

Regionalized educational systems are becoming more common among nurse anesthesia programs and represented 41 out of 86 programs in a 1992 survey. Surveys were mailed to program directors of all nurse anesthesia programs accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs to determine if the directors perceived a need for three separate categories of accreditation. Responses indicated that, although most directors saw no benefit in applying for separate academic and clinical accreditations for their own programs, they did believe the additional accreditation options should be available to all programs. Most directors also indicated that they preferred the Council to continue offering only one category of accreditation while 33 (38%) indicated they were interested in separate accreditation categories.