Developing a generic model of program accreditation in Iran.

INTRODUCTION: Higher education plays an important role in the development of countries in social, economic, cultural, and scientific aspects. Also, the field of healthcare is changing rapidly, and to provide better care, health professional students need to be trained at a higher level. This situation has placed demands on academic and clinical settings responsible for training professional health students. The main objectives of this research project can be defined as 1 -to investigate important issues of accreditation and assessment process of health professional education worldwide and 2-to design and develop a uniform, transparent, and scientific accreditation framework for health professional programs in Iran. METHODS AND MATERIAL: The research methodology for the design of a generic accreditation framework in health professional education is outlined by the following step-by-step (1 to 7) procedure according to the developmental research methodology and three phases considering analysis, development, and evaluation. RESULTS: The findings of the analysis phase showed that there is no specific structure and process for accreditation in Iran compared to other countries. The three most common actions of the accreditation include the following: 1. self- assessment, 2. peer-review and site visits, and 3. evaluation and reports. A review of the relevant literature and websites indicate that various assessment frameworks have been developed regionally, as well as internationally, to accredit professional health programs. However, most of these frames seem to be non-uniform, too complex, and non-transparent. In addition to these results, three themes were extracted from the interview analysis, "accreditation barrier," "theoretical foundation of accreditation," and "specific structure and process of accreditation" which indicates the need for education at various levels of educational managers and faculty members. Therefore, these issues were taken into consideration in the design of the accreditation framework of health professional educational programs. After two stages of evaluation from the point of view of specialists and experts of the educational secretariats of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, the final version of the program's accreditation framework and policy will be finalized. CONCLUSION: In Iran, despite the challenges and valuable activities in different educational secretariats, there was no coherent process that can be considered accreditation. In this study, self-study evaluation guide, external evaluation, standard development, and ethical guide for the programs accreditation were developed. The results of this study can help the educational secretariats of the Health and Medical Education Ministry that is based on the documents developed and operationalize their accreditation process and structure.

Completing accreditation during the COVID-19 pandemic: A step-by-step process for success.

Many higher-education administrative processes have transitioned to the online environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nursing program accreditation site visits were not spared from this shift. This article describes the step-by-step online, interactive, and collaborative process one nursing department used for program re-accreditation. Kotter's 8-step process for accelerating change informed this work. Positive outcomes included increased faculty engagement and knowledge in the accreditation process and an ongoing accreditation readiness team. Recommendations include forming an accreditation committee, appointing program champions, utilizing a learning management system and a cloud-based storage system, and celebrating successes. This process could be replicated by other nursing programs undergoing accreditation.

Accreditation and Certification: Do They Improve Hospital Financial and Quality Performance?

The relationship between healthcare organizational accreditation and their leaders' professional certification in healthcare management is of specific interest to institutions of higher education and individuals in the healthcare management field. Since academic program accreditation is one piece of evidence of high-quality education, and since professional certification is an attestation to the knowledge, skills, and abilities of those who are certified, we expect alumni who graduated from accredited programs and obtained professional certification to have a positive impact on the organizations that they lead, compared with alumni who did not graduate from accredited programs and who did not obtain professional certification. The authors' analysis examined the impact of hiring graduates from higher education programs that held external accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). Graduates' affiliation with the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) professional healthcare leadership organization was also assessed as an independent variable. Study outcomes focused on these graduates' respective healthcare organization's performance measures (cost, quality, and access) to assess the researchers' inquiry into the perceived value of a CAHME-accredited graduate degree in healthcare administration and a professional ACHE affiliation. The results from this study found no effect of CAHME accreditation or ACHE affiliation on healthcare organization performance outcomes. The study findings support the need for future research surrounding healthcare administration professional graduate degree program characteristics and leader development affiliations, as perceived by various industry stakeholders.

International Nursing Program Accreditation.

The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) is committed to being a supportive partner in strengthening the quality of nursing education for all levels of nursing programs domestically and internationally. With a longstanding history of accreditation dating back 66 years, the ACEN accredited its first international program in 2004 adding international accreditation to its repertoire. Recognizing geographic, cultural, and national differences, the ACEN common core of Standards and Criteria equip faculty with autonomy to embrace unique attributes of their programs regardless of location, culture, and nationality. Further, the ACEN review process fosters self-evaluation, peer review, and the promotion of educational equity, access, and mobility. As a result, the number of international nursing programs pursuing and attaining accreditation with the ACEN has increased thus validating the inclusiveness and relevance of the ACEN Standards and Criteria. The purpose of this article is to highlight ways in which ACEN Standards and Criteria apply to domestic and international nursing programs.

Programa de licenciaturas internacionais e a formação de graduandos / International licensee program and graduation formation / Programa de licenciaturas internacionales y la formación de graduandos

O objetivo deste estudo é analisar as concepções dos alunos com relação a participação do Programa de Licenciaturas Internacionais e sua formação. Através de um questionário online com os 12 alunos PLIs constatou-se que 2 dos 12 alunos não cumpriram os 120 ECTS obrigatórios na fase inicial do programa. Porém, ao analisarmos a relevância dos conteúdos aprendidos e a relevância do programa para formação, a grande maioria os classificou como próximo ou igual a muito importante, com a oportunidade de trazerem e terem deixado o seu legado. Assim, podemos concluir que a rica experiência do programa contribuiu para o desenvolvimento acadêmico e pessoal dos alunos, sobretudo de nós autores.

The objective of this study is to analyze the students' conceptions regarding the participation of the International Graduation Program (PLI) and their formation as well. Using an online questionnaire with 12 PLI students, we could find out 2 students did not accomplish the 120 ECTS required in the initial phase of the program. We analyzed the relevance of the content learned and the relevance of the program for their growth and with this analysis we noticed that the great majority of students considered it as close to or equal to very important and still with the opportunity to bring and leave their legacy. Thus, we can conclude that the experience of this program contributed to the academic and personal development of the students especially for all of us, authors.

El objeto del estudio es analizar las concepciones de los alumnos con relación a la participación en el Programa de Licenciaturas Internacionales (PLI) y su formación. A través de un cuestionario online con los 12 alumnos, se constató que 2 de los 12 alumnos no completarian los 120 ECTS obligatorios en la fase inicial del programa. Sin embargo, al analizar la relevancia de los contenidos aprendidos y la revelancia del programa para la formación, la mayoría la clasificó como muy importante, con la oportunidad de aportar y haber dejado su legado. Así podemos concluir que la buena experiencia del programa contribuyó al desarrollo académico y personal de los alumnos, y sobre todo de nosotros, los autores.

Assessing stakeholder perceptions of the american society for biochemistry and molecular biology accreditation program for baccalaureate degrees.

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) began an accreditation program in 2013. The criteria for accreditation of undergraduate programs include sufficient infrastructure - number and expertise of faculty, physical space and equipment, support for faculty and students - and incorporation of core concepts in the curriculum - structure and function of biomolecules; information storage; energy transfer; and quantitative skills. Students in accredited programs are able to have their degrees ASBMB certified by taking an exam focused on knowledge or skills across the four core concept areas. Members of the accreditation committees administered a survey to key stakeholders in the BMB community: undergraduate programs, both those that have applied for accreditation and those that have not; alumni/ae of accredited programs; graduate and professional programs; and employers. The goals of the study were to gauge the success of the program and determine necessary areas of improvement. The results indicate that the major benefits of applying for accreditation are the impetus to gather data and analysis not generally collected, and access to assessment data via the exam. However, stakeholders outside of the undergraduate community showed little awareness of the accreditation program. Additionally, the application process itself was seen to be very time consuming. This feedback will be used to improve the process and engage in further outreach. © 2018 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 46(5):464-471, 2018.

Estrategia metodológica para la acreditación de las especialidades de Nefrología, Urología y Terapia Intensiva / Methodological strategy for the accreditation of the Nephrology, Urology and Intensive care specialties

Fundamento: la acreditación de las carreras universitarias y sus especialidades garantiza la elevación continua de la calidad del proceso de formación de sus profesionales. Objetivo: diseñar una estrategia metodológica para lograr la acreditación de las especialidades médicas de Nefrología, Urología y Terapia Intensiva en el Hospital Docente Universitario "Mártires del 9 de Abril". Métodos: se realizó una investigación descriptiva en el Hospital Docente Universitario "Mártires del 9 de Abril" en el periodo de 2015-2017. Se aplicaron métodos teóricos: análitico-sintético, inductivo-deductivo e histórico-lógico; empíricos: la revisión documental, encuesta en forma de cuestionario a los profesionales y de entrevista a informantes clave y la triangulación de fuentes; la propuesta fue valorada por criterios de especialistas. Resultados: se constataron insuficiencias relacionadas con la obtención de categorías docentes y científicas principales, escaso número de proyectos investigativos contratados y publicaciones, pocos cursos de posgrados recibidos e impartidos, por lo que se diseñó una estrategia metodológica la cual fue valorada por criterio de especialistas. Conclusiones: sus objetivos se corresponden con las necesidades de los profesionales. Fue valorada por los especialistas como pertinente, factible en su aplicación y con una adecuada estructura metodológica.

Background: the accreditation of the university careers and their specialties guarantees the continuous improvement of the quality of the training process of its professionals. Objective: to design a methodological strategy to achieve the accreditation of the Nephrology, Urology and Intensive care medical specialties in the "Mártires del 9 de Abril" University Teaching Hospital. Methods: a descriptive investigation was carried out in the "Mártires del 9 de Abril" University Teaching Hospital from 2015 to 2017. Theoretical methods were applied: analytic-synthetic, inductive-deductive and historical-logical; empirical ones: the documentary review, survey in questionnaire form to professionals and interviews to key informants. And the triangulation of sources; the proposal was valued by specialists criteria. Results: there were insufficiencies related to obtaining the main teaching and scientific ranks, a limited number of research projects and publications, few postgraduate courses received and taught, that a methodological strategy was designed, which was assessed by specialists. Conclusions: its objectives correspond to the needs of professionals. It was valued by the specialists as pertinent, feasible in its application and with an adequate methodological structure.

2013 Review and Update of the Genetic Counseling Practice Based Competencies by a Task Force of the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling.

The first practice based competencies (PBCs) for the field of genetic counseling were adopted by the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC), 1996. Since that time, there has been significant growth in established and new work settings (clinical and non-clinical) and changes in service delivery models and the roles of genetic counselors. These changes prompted the ABGC to appoint a PBC Task Force in 2011 to review the PBCs with respect to their current relevance and to revise and update them as necessary. There are four domains in the revised PBCs: (I) Genetics Expertise and Analysis (II) Interpersonal, Psychosocial and Counseling Skills (III) Education and (IV) Professional Development and Practice. There are 22 competencies, each clarified with learning objectives or samples of activities and skills; a glossary is included. New competencies were added that address genomics, genetic testing and genetic counselors' roles in risk assessment, education, supervision, conducting research and presenting research options to patients. With PBCs serving as the pre-defined abilities or outcomes of training, graduating genetic counselors will be well prepared to enter the field with a minimum level of skills and abilities. A description of the Task Force's work, key changes and the 2013 PBCs are presented herein.

Monitoria acadêmica na formação em/para a saúde: desafios e possibilidades no âmbito de um currículo interprofissional em saúde / Academic monitoring in health teaching: challenges and possibilities in an interprofessional health curriculum

INTRODUÇÃO: Este artigo teve origem na pesquisa "Monitoria na universidade: um estudo no âmbito de um currículo interprofissional em saúde - experiências de estudantes do campus Baixada Santista". O referencial teórico foi constituído pelo diálogo com a literatura sobre a monitoria na universidade, bem como com o eixo conceitual de habitus de Pierre Bourdieu. OBJETIVO: Discutir a monitoria desenvolvida na Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Campus Baixada Santista, como potencial espaço de formação em/para a saúde a partir das percepções dos discentes sobre a experiência de ser monitor dentro da proposta de um currículo interdisciplinar e interprofissional. MÉTODOS: Os dados foram produzidos a partir da aplicação de questionário a 41 monitores e submetidos à análise de conteúdo do tipo temática. RESULTADOS: A monitoria contribui para o desenvolvimento pessoal do monitor, superando atitudes e posturas frente ao cotidiano acadêmico e ampliando as possibilidades de inserção nas experiências profissionais. CONCLUSÃO: O estudante que se predispõe a desempenhar a função de monitor dentro da proposta curricular do Campus Baixada Santista se depara com situações que o preparam para a prática em saúde na perspectiva da interprofissionalidade, da diversidade, do trabalho em equipe e da troca de saberes.

INTRODUCTION: This article comes from the research "Academic Monitoring: a study of monitors from Campus Baixada Santista, Universidade Federal de São Paulo". The theoretic framework was made up of the dialogue with the literature of monitoring at the university, as well as the conceptual axis habitus of Pierre Bourdieu. OBJECTIVE: Discuss the Universidade Federal de São Paulo/Campus Baixada Santista's academic monitoring as a potential health training space from the students perceptions about the experience of being monitor inside an interdisciplinary and interprofessional curriculum. METHODS: The data were produced from a questionnaire to 41 monitors and submitted to thematic content analysis. RESULTS: The academic monitoring contributes to the personal development of the monitor, overcoming attitudes and postures and expanding the possibilities of integration in professional experiences. CONCLUSION: The student who predisposes to development the monitor function acting inside the proposal curriculum of Campus Baixada Santista inevitably comes across situations that prepare them for health practice, from the perspective of interprofessional work, diversity, teamwork and exchange of knowledge.

Surgical research in the north and northeast of Brazil

PURPOSE: To evaluate the scientific production from the surgical areas from the State University of Para (UEPA), Federal Universities of Para (UFPA) and of Paraiba (UFPB), Brazil. METHODS: The scientific productions of professors in the last five years were classified according to the Qualis system of CAPES-Medicine III (http://qualis.capes.gov.br/webqualis/publico/pesquisaPublicaClassificacao.seam?conversationPropagation=begin) and it was computed the number of guidance of students scientific projects. RESULTS: Seventy-four professors were included, 31 with Master and 43 with PhD degrees. UFPA presented more publications (49% out of the total), which 32% of them in Journals B1 or higher. Otorhinolaryngology presented the greatest number of publications (29% out of the total); however, 98% of them in B3 or lower. Gastroenterological Surgery, which is responsible for 23% out of the total, had 57% of its publications in B1 or higher. The most frequent type of guidance was the one about scientific work of completion of undergraduate course (63%). Gynecology and Obstetrics presented the greatest number of student's guidance (35% out of the total) and Gastroenterological Surgery the largest number of Master's degree and PhD degree supervisions. CONCLUSIONS: The specialties Gynecology and Obstetrics and Gastroenterological Surgery from the State University of Para (UEPA), Federal Universities of Para (UFPA) and of Paraiba (UFPB) presented the greatest number of professors with academic degrees. Gastroenterological Surgery presented the largest scientific productions at higher strata of WebQualis CAPES classification and also the largest number of Master and PhD directed.

Resultado del examen de certifcación de médico pediatra de la Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría, años 2001-2010 / Performance on the Board of Pediatrics certifcation examination by the Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría, 2001-2010

Introducción. La certifcación de los profesionales garantiza su adecuado desempeño, pero el examen correspondiente debe ser periódicamente evaluado. Objetivo. Describir el resultado del examen de certifcación de médico pediatra (ECMP) de la Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría (SAP), analizando el impacto de edad y el tiempo desde la graduación de los inscriptos. Métodos. Se analizaron los examinados por el ECMP, valorando tasa de aprobación e institución formadora (2001-2010), y edad y años transcurridos desde la graduación (2001- 2005). Resultados. De 2527 profesionales pertenecientes a 138 instituciones, aprobó el 69,6%. Los aprobados presentaron edades (31,7 ± 4,1 contra 35,6 ± 6,2; p <0,0001) y años desde la graduación (6,3 ± 4,0 contra 9,0 ± 5,9; p <0,0001) menores que los desaprobados. La proporción de aprobados fue mayor en instituciones acreditadas por SAP por 5 años (78,4% contra 48,8%; OR= 3,8 IC95%= 3,1-4,7; p <0,001). Conclusión. Aprobaron el ECMP 69,6%. Los más jóvenes, con menos años de graduación y pertenecientes a programas acreditados por SAP, tuvieron mayor probabilidad de aprobar.

Introduction. Professional certifcation guarantees professional's performance, but the examination tool must be periodically evaluated. Objective. To describe the result of the pediatric certifying examination (PCE) of the Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría (SAP), between 2001-2010 analyzing the impact of the age and the elapsed time since the graduation and to describe the performance of training institutions in this period. Methods. Cross-section study. Data were ob-taind from the records of Board of Pediatrics of the SAP. The results of the PCE, were analyzed assessing examination pass rate and training institutions (2001-2010), and age and elapsed time since graduation of the examined professionals (2001-2005). Results. Of 2527 professionals from 138 institutions, 69.6% passed. Those that passed were younger (31.7 ± 4.1 vs. 35.6 ± 6.2 years; p <0.0001) and had less years since graduation (6.3 ± 4.0 vs. 9.0 ± 5.9; p <0.0001) than those who did not pass. The examination pass rate was higher in institutions accredited by SAP (78.4% vs. 48.8%; OR= 3,8 IC95%= 3,1-4,7; p <0.001). The pass rate was signifcantly higher in institutions with accredited programs for 5 years than those not accredited (78.4% vs. 48.8%, OR= 3.8 95% CI= 3.1 to 4.7, p <0.001). The pass rate at accredited institutions for 3 years (53.7%) and 1 year (48.7%) showed no statistically signifcant differences with non-accredited institutions. Conclusion. The certifying examination pass rate was 68.5%. Younger professionals with fewer years since graduation, and trained in SAP 5 years accredited programs were signifcantly more likely to pass the examination.

Outcome analysis of accreditacion processes for chilean nursing programs / Análise dos resultados dos processos de acreditação do curso de enfermagem no Chile / Análisis de resultados de los procesos de acreditación de la carrera de enfermería em Chile

The National Undergraduate Accreditation Commission has been taking care of the accreditation process in several Nursing Schools, whose results are analyzed in this article, given the limited evidence of strengths and weaknesses. The objective is to analyze the first results obtained by that commission about the current development of Nursing in the country. The strengths obtained are: experience, qualification, commitment of teaching staff; well-defined study programs; adequate clinical training fields and infrastructure. Weaknesses are: reduced number of teachers; a curricular approach emphasizing biomedicine over nursing, low use of participative teaching methods; increasing difficulty to access exclusive clinical areas, and insufficient bibliographic resources. Conclusion: It is urgent that all Nursing Schools submit to universal criteria and standards, establishing minimum graduation levels for students, as well as the real state of the quality of nursing education in the country.

A Comissão Nacional de Acreditacão da Graduação vem realizando processo de acreditação das Escolas de Enfermagem no Chile, cujos resultados são analisados neste artigo, dada à escassa evidência a respeito das fortalezas e debilidades das escolas avaliadas. O objetivo deste artigo é analisar os primeiros resultados obtidos por essa Comissão a respeito do desenvolvimento atual da enfermagem no país. Foram obtidos como fortalezas: experiência, qualificação, compromisso do corpo docente, plano de estudos definidos, infraestrutura e campos clínicos adequados. Como fraqueza obteve-se: reduzido número de docentes, modelo curricular biomédico sobrepondo-se ao modelo de disciplinas, baixa utilização de metodologias participativas de ensino, dificuldade crescente de acesso a campos clínicos exclusivos e bibliografia insuficiente. Conclui-se sobre a importância de todas as escolas de enfermagem se submeterem ao processo de acreditação, para que exista consenso sobre os níveis mínimos de qualidade, estabelecendo graus de qualificação na formação dos estudantes, como também para estabelecer a situação da profissão da enfermagem no país.

La Comisión Nacional de Acreditación de Pregrado chilena ha estado realizando la acreditación de las Escuelas de Enfermería, cuyos resultados son analizados en este artículo, dada la escasa evidencia respecto a las fortalezas y debilidades de las Escuelas evaluadas. El objetivo es analizar los primeros resultados obtenidos por esa Comisión respecto al desarrollo actual de la Enfermería en el país. Se obtuvieron como Fortalezas: experiencia, calificación, compromiso del cuerpo docente, plan de estudios definido, infraestructura, y campos clínicos adecuados. Y como Debilidades: reducido número de docentes, preponderancia curricular biomédica sobre los aspectos da las disciplinas, baja utilización de metodologías participativas de enseñanza, dificultad creciente de acceso a campos clínicos exclusivos, y, bibliografía insuficiente. Concluimos que es mandatorio que todas las Escuelas de Enfermería se sometan a criterios y estándares universales, para obtener un consenso sobre el nivel mínimo de formación para los estudiantes, como también establecer los estándares de calidad en la formación de enfermería en el país.