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Many students are
facing graduation at this time of year - some
from colleges and universities, and others from
high schools. Collegiate students in allied health
professions will be facing the starting point
of their career, while high school students may
be considering which allied health career path
to follow.
These allied health careers are made up of the
professions that function in support of medical
personnel, primarily physicians. Examples of allied
health professions include physician assistants,
medical assistants, perfusionists, medical illustrators,
surgical technologists, blood bank technologists,
diagnostic medical sonographers, EMT-paramedics,
respiratory care specialists, and many others.
Both college and high school graduates should
be concerned about what impact accreditation of
specialized programs in allied health education
has on their educational preparation.
This is intended to provide an overview of accreditation
and its importance, as well as the structure of
allied health education programs. Please remember
that just as the allied health professions are
different in their responsibilities and function,
so are the educational programs.
What is an accredited program?
In order to understand what an accredited program
is, you must have an understanding of what accreditation
is. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation
(CHEA) says: "Accreditation in higher education
is a collegial process based on self- and peer-
assessment for improvement of academic quality
and public accountability." Although the
process is continuous, there is usually a review
of each program or institution that occurs every
five to ten years. This process includes preparation
of a self-study by a team of peers, and finally
a judgement by an accrediting agency, based on
a predetermined set of standards, and communicated
to the institution or program. That judgement
includes not only decisions on compliance or non-compliance
to the defined set of standards, but recommendations
for improving the program.
Why is this process important? As American higher
education has evolved over its 350-year history,
it has emerged as a diverse, competitive, decentralized
educational system with rather high autonomy.
Accreditation allows for this diversity and autonomy,
while at the same time assuring quality through
the peer review process.
Benefits
A basic philosophical base for accreditation
in any field of study is the nurturing of quality
education in an effort to serve the public interest.
The concept of providing quality service to the
public is especially true in the allied health
care professions, where the health of the patient
is the responsibility of the practitioner.
First then, what are the benefits of accreditation
to the profession? Accredited programs provide
a supply of qualified professionals. Since accreditation
is based on a set of 'standards', employers and
professionals in the field are assured that a
student graduating from an accredited educational
program has a basic knowledge base that provides
them with the skills to function as an entry-level
professional within the given profession.
Second, what are the benefits of accreditation
to the public? Similarly, the public can be assured
that a graduate from an accredited program has
been trained to perform the tasks necessary for
an allied health profession. Accreditation provides
accountability to the public sector, as one can
assume that an accredited program produces students
who are qualified to perform as safe and knowledgeable
professionals in the field.
Finally, what are the benefits of accreditation
to the student entering or graduating from an
accredited allied health education program? They
are also assured to learn the knowledge and skills
necessary to become a quality professional. Schools
that meet accreditation standards are held to
a higher measure than those not accredited. Professional
credentialing and state regulatory agencies (certifying
and licensing boards) recognize graduates from
accredited programs, and many require graduation
from an accredited educational program as the
only way to qualify for their credential.
Structure
The structure of allied health education in the
United States is as varied as the professional
roles. Programs are housed in four-year colleges
and universities requiring baccalaureate or masters
degrees, or in two-year community colleges requiring
an associates degree. Some are hospital-based,
or in proprietary institutions that offer certificate
programs with no degree. Each discipline determines
the appropriate educational level relevant to
their program.
Some allied health programs are profession-based,
and some are skill-based - the difference being
that some disciplines have a distinct 'body of
knowledge' that is separate and different from
other allied health professions. These programs
stand by themselves, producing professional practitioners
within that field. Other disciplines have skills
that may be incorporated as a part of another
profession, usually taught individually as a stand-alone
skill. At the completion of training, the student
receives a certificate, indicating completion
of the training for that skill.
Although the programs vary in content, there
are certain structural components that are similar.
Being health- and medical-related, the programs
have a strong science base; in some instances,
that science may be anatomy and physiology, in
others it may be chemistry and/or physics. Some
degree of math is also included as a component
of the program, as well as a clinical education
component and the traditional classroom activities.
Clinical education is a vital part of all allied
health education programs, since that is where
'hands-on' training occurs. The ability to transfer
classroom knowledge to clinical action and decision-making
is critical to the student's education - therefore
the programs are task-oriented, teaching both
the intellectual knowledge of the discipline and
the practice of the profession.
Accreditation respects the core value of institutional
autonomy while assuring academic quality. It is
an expense to the institution and the profession
that both voluntarily choose to accept. Although
accreditation has been criticized in recent years,
it continues to be the primary mechanism through
which institutions, professions, government regulatory
agencies, students and the public are assured
quality of both educational programs and the professionals
that these programs produce.
Author
Larry J Leverenz, PhD
President, Commission of Accreditation of Allied
Health Education Programs
Clinical Associate Professor of Kinesiology
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
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