Allied health education and accreditation

Article Abstract:

Allied health personnel provide assistance or support to physicians. This group includes, for example, anesthesiologist's assistants, cardiovascular technologists, histologic technologists, medical laboratory technicians, medical record technicians, nuclear medicine technicians and numerous others. As the demand for quality allied health personnel has outstripped supply, the role of the AMA has become increasingly important. The AMA Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation (CAHEA) began in 1976 as a 14-member panel that was to be responsible for the evaluation and accreditation of allied health educational programs, to review the standards or ''Essentials'' and procedures used to accredit, to act as a liaison, and to advise the AMA Council on Medical Education on allied health education and manpower. The essentials constitute the basis of national standards for evaluating programs to train students in the allied sciences, and these are subject to constant analysis and review. In recent meetings of the AMA, resolutions were passed to study and develop programs to focus on the critical growing manpower shortage in many fields of medical technology. The present study includes a statistical analysis of the 2,821 programs that have received CAHEA accreditation. During the past academic year, a total of 79,576 students were in CAHEA-accredited programs. This enrollment represents a 5 percent increase over the preceding year. However, the number of graduates at 32,543 was nearly equal to the number graduated in the previous year. Only 41 percent of those enrolled ultimately graduate from CAHEA-accredited programs. The mean salary of entry-level allied health professionals increased approximately 8.4 percent over the prior year, yet almost half of those responding to a survey thought that salaries discouraged applicants. The number of available positions outnumbers the pool of available employees. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Training

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Allied health education and accreditation

Article Abstract:

The American Medical Association (AMA), through its Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation (CAHEA), is involved in promoting the quality of allied health professionals by teaching and participating in the accreditation process. The term 'allied health profession' includes any field or professional discipline which renders service to patients; this group is composed of technicians in radiology and laboratories, medical assistants, emergency medical technicians, paramedics and many others. CAHEA is charged with evaluating and accrediting allied health education programs, developing the standards of practice and accreditation and maintaining a liaison with medical specialties, allied health professions and institutions. CAHEA also acts to advise the AMA on allied health issues and human resources. CAHEA cooperates with 19 review committees sponsored by 49 medical specialty societies to provide the most extensive specialized accreditation network in the US. The accreditation program is initiated when the interested specialty group submits a petition to the AMA Council on Medical Education, which then reviews the organization. Once recognized by the Council, the petition is reviewed by CAHEA before being returned to the Council. From 1980 to 1985 there was an increase of accredited programs from 2,962 to 3,062. However, during the next two years there was an abrupt decline to 2,883 programs, and a drop of enrollment from 86,623 to 74,215. There is some concern about the possibility of manpower shortages in the next decade. The review process itself is a subject of constant evaluation. Two recent studies have been conducted to examine issues of reliability and validity. Statistics relating to the scope of this accreditation process are presented and the future trends of allied health workforce are also discussed.

American Medical Association, Health occupations licensing boards

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Committee on allied health education and accreditation: assessing educational outcomes and assuring quality

Article Abstract:

The American Medical Association (AMA) recognizes the critical contribution of nurses, technologists, and other allied health care professions to the quality of medical care in the US. In 1976, the AMA organized the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation (CAHEA) not only to evaluate and accredit educational programs but also to establish standards for education and to act as a liaison between different medical associations and professional groups of the allied medical field. In achieving this goal, CAHEA cooperates with 20 review committees sponsored by 51 professional associations. In the 1989-1990 academic year, CAHEA-accredited programs enrolled 83,573 students and produced 33,942 graduates representing 26 allied health professions. These people graduated from 2,845 programs at 1,525 institutions. The profession of athletic trainer has recently been recognized by the Committee and a process of accreditation for this occupation has been authorized. The CAHEA has also begun development of an accreditation procedure for occupational therapy in collaboration with the American Occupational Therapy Association. The CAHEA plays a central role in maintaining the quality of allied health education and practice in the United States. The CAHEA provides a common link among professions which are discrete but which share common goals and face common problems. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Education, Medical education

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