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Journal of the Medical Library... Apr 2020The authors' objective was to document the effects of evolving veterinary accreditation standards on the development of currently existing accredited US and Canadian...
OBJECTIVE
The authors' objective was to document the effects of evolving veterinary accreditation standards on the development of currently existing accredited US and Canadian veterinary school libraries in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
METHODS
We gathered historical standards that major veterinary accreditation agencies developed with respect to libraries and library services. Historical background on college libraries, their facilities, services, and personnel via surveys, literature searches, and archival documents was also collected. We then correlated the evolving standards with each library's development.
RESULTS
There was a marked correlation between the prevailing accreditation standards and library development, particularly during the post-World War II era and through the mid-1980s. These impacts-which included new and separate facilities, hiring of professional librarians, and additional open hours-affected not only the twenty new developing veterinary schools, but also the libraries of the preexisting colleges.
CONCLUSIONS
Professional veterinary accrediting standards were an important influence on the evolution of veterinary school libraries, particularly during the years of major growth in the number of new veterinary colleges in the United States and Canada. In the 1990s and beyond, both libraries and accreditation standards continue to evolve in response to changes in technology, economics, publishing methods, and more. This latter is a story yet to be told.
Topics: Accreditation; Canada; History, 19th Century; History, 20th Century; Libraries, Special; Library Services; Schools, Veterinary; United States
PubMed: 32256228
DOI: 10.5195/jmla.2020.882 -
Human Resources For Health Jul 2017In 2013, the World Health Organization issued guidelines, Transforming and Scaling Up Health Professional Education and Training, to improve the quality and relevance of...
BACKGROUND
In 2013, the World Health Organization issued guidelines, Transforming and Scaling Up Health Professional Education and Training, to improve the quality and relevance of health professional pre-service education. Central to these guidelines was establishing and strengthening education accreditation systems. To establish what current accreditation systems were for nursing and midwifery education and highlight areas for strengthening these systems, a study was undertaken to document the pre-service accreditation policies, approaches, and practices in 16 African countries relative to the 2013 WHO guidelines.
METHODS
This study utilized a cross-sectional group survey with a standardized questionnaire administered to a convenience sample of approximately 70 nursing and midwifery leaders from 16 countries in east, central, and southern Africa. Each national delegation completed one survey together, representing the responses for their country.
RESULTS
Almost all countries in this study (15; 94%) mandated pre-service nursing education accreditation However, there was wide variation in who was responsible for accrediting programs. The percent of active programs accredited decreased by program level from 80% for doctorate programs to 62% for masters nursing to 50% for degree nursing to 35% for diploma nursing programs. The majority of countries indicated that accreditation processes were transparent (i.e., included stakeholder engagement (81%), self-assessment (100%), evaluation feedback (94%), and public disclosure (63%)) and that the processes were evaluated on a routine basis (69%). Over half of the countries (nine; 56%) reported limited financial resources as a barrier to increasing accreditation activities, and seven countries (44%) noted limited materials and technical expertise.
CONCLUSION
In line with the 2013 WHO guidelines, there was a strong legal mandate for nursing education accreditation as compared to the global average of 50%. Accreditation levels were low in the programs that produce the majority of the nurses in this region and were higher in public programs than non-public programs. WHO guidelines for transparency and routine review were met more so than standards-based and independent accreditation processes. The new global strategy, Workforce 2030, has renewed the focus on accreditation and provides an opportunity to strengthen pre-service accreditation and ensure the production of a qualified and relevant nursing workforce.
Topics: Accreditation; Africa; Cross-Sectional Studies; Education, Nursing; Humans; Midwifery; World Health Organization
PubMed: 28738870
DOI: 10.1186/s12960-017-0224-1 -
BMC Health Services Research Nov 2020The number and severity of nonconformities generated during an audit of a medicine testing laboratory indicates its level of quality compliance. Quality standards are...
BACKGROUND
The number and severity of nonconformities generated during an audit of a medicine testing laboratory indicates its level of quality compliance. Quality standards are established and maintained to ensure the reliability of laboratory test reports. The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) Quality Control laboratories assess the quality of medicines used by the populace as part of their regulatory function. Although countries desire to have reliable medicine testing facilities, accrediting a national laboratory to international standards poses financial and technical challenges for many low-income countries. Sharing the benefits of laboratory accreditation could help more countries within sub-Saharan Africa overcome existing challenges to achieve accreditation and robust quality systems. This study investigated the impact of ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation on the performance of an NMRA Quality Control laboratory to provide evidence of improved quality compliance within a low-resource setting.
METHODS
Pre- and post- accreditation audits of nonconformities for management and technical requirements of the ISO/IEC17025:2005 standards were evaluated from a Quality Control laboratory in the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), located in Nigeria, West Africa. The following research questions were addressed: "does accreditation impact the adherence to quality standards?" and "does accreditation decrease the severity of nonconformities in Quality Control laboratory audits?"
RESULTS
Statistical analysis of the pre- to post- accreditation audits from the years 2013 through 2017 revealed a significant decrease in the total number of nonconformities (χ = 74, p-value = 9.99e-05, r = 0.67). Further examination of audits from the years 2013 through 2018 audits also revealed a reduction in the number of nonconformities (χ = 53, p-value = 9.99e-05, r = 0.62). A reduction in the number of major observations and a decrease in the severity of nonconformities was also observed.
CONCLUSIONS
A higher level of quality compliance was exhibited for the laboratory during the post-accreditation years. Overall, ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation of the NMRA Quality Control laboratory resulted in improved reliability of test reports and enhancement of the laboratory quality system.
Topics: Accreditation; Africa South of the Sahara; Africa, Western; Humans; Laboratories; Nigeria; Reproducibility of Results
PubMed: 33228675
DOI: 10.1186/s12913-020-05934-8 -
The Journal of the American Osteopathic... Apr 2017
Topics: Accreditation; Education, Medical, Graduate; Forecasting; Humans; Osteopathic Medicine; United States
PubMed: 28346600
DOI: 10.7556/jaoa.2017.037 -
Journal of Educational Evaluation For... 2024This study aimed to identify challenges and potential improvements in Korea’s medical education accreditation process according to the Accreditation Standards of the...
Challenges and potential improvements in the Accreditation Standards of the Korean Institute of Medical Education and Evaluation 2019 (ASK2019) derived through meta-evaluation: a cross-sectional study.
PURPOSE
This study aimed to identify challenges and potential improvements in Korea’s medical education accreditation process according to the Accreditation Standards of the Korean Institute of Medical Education and Evaluation 2019 (ASK2019). Meta-evaluation was conducted to survey the experiences and perceptions of stakeholders, including self-assessment committee members, site visit committee members, administrative staff, and medical school professors.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted using surveys sent to 40 medical schools. The 332 participants included self-assessment committee members, site visit team members, administrative staff, and medical school professors. The t-test, one-way analysis of variance and the chi-square test were used to analyze and compare opinions on medical education accreditation between the categories of participants.
RESULTS
Site visit committee members placed greater importance on the necessity of accreditation than faculty members. A shared positive view on accreditation’s role in improving educational quality was seen among self-evaluation committee members and professors. Administrative staff highly regarded the Korean Institute of Medical Education and Evaluation’s reliability and objectivity, unlike the self-evaluation committee members. Site visit committee members positively perceived the clarity of accreditation standards, differing from self-assessment committee members. Administrative staff were most optimistic about implementing standards. However, the accreditation process encountered challenges, especially in duplicating content and preparing self-evaluation reports. Finally, perceptions regarding the accuracy of final site visit reports varied significantly between the self-evaluation committee members and the site visit committee members.
CONCLUSION
This study revealed diverse views on medical education accreditation, highlighting the need for improved communication, expectation alignment, and stakeholder collaboration to refine the accreditation process and quality.
Topics: Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Reproducibility of Results; Education, Medical; Accreditation; Republic of Korea
PubMed: 38561017
DOI: 10.3352/jeehp.2024.21.8 -
Gaceta Sanitaria 2017According to Law 14/2007 and Royal Decree 1090/2015, biomedical research must be assessed by an Research Ethics Committee (REC), which must be accredited as an Research...
OBJECTIVE
According to Law 14/2007 and Royal Decree 1090/2015, biomedical research must be assessed by an Research Ethics Committee (REC), which must be accredited as an Research ethics committee for clinical trials involving medicinal products (RECm) if the opinion is issued for a clinical trial involving medicinal products or clinical research with medical devices. The aim of this study is to ascertain how IEC and IECm accreditation is regulated.
METHODS
National and regional legislation governing biomedical research was analysed.
RESULTS
No clearly-defined IEC or IECm accreditation procedures exist in the national or regional legislation.
DISCUSSION
Independent Ethics Committees are vital for the development of basic or clinical biomedical research, and they must be accredited by an external body in order to safeguard their independence, multidisciplinary composition and review procedures.
Topics: Accreditation; Biomedical Research; Ethics Committees, Research; Spain
PubMed: 28029466
DOI: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2016.08.007 -
Revista Da Escola de Enfermagem Da U S P 2016To evaluate whether accredited health organizations perform better management practices than non-accredited ones.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether accredited health organizations perform better management practices than non-accredited ones.
METHOD
The study was developed in two stages: a literature review, and a study of multiple cases in 12 healthcare organizations in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It surveyed articles comparing hospital accreditation with the EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) model of excellence in management. According to the pertinent literature, the accreditation model and the EFQM model are convergent and supplementary in some aspects.
RESULTS
With 99% confidence, one can say that there is evidence that accredited organizations scored better in the evaluation based on the EFQM model in comparison to non-accredited organizations. This result was also confirmed in the comparison of results between the categories Facilitators and Results in the EFQM model.
CONCLUSION
There is convergence between the accreditation model and the EFQM excellence model, suggesting that accreditation helps the healthcare sector to implement the best management practices already used by other business sectors.
OBJETIVO
Avaliar se as organizações de saúde acreditadas possuem melhores práticas de gestão do que as não acreditadas.
MÉTODO
A pesquisa foi dividida em duas etapas: revisão da literatura e estudo de casos múltiplos com 12 organizações de saúde, localizadas no estado de São Paulo ‒ Brasil. Foram pesquisados artigos que comparavam a acreditação hospitalar com o modelo de excelência em gestão da EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management), sendo que a literatura pertinente considera que o modelo de acreditação e o modelo da EFQM são convergentes e, ao mesmo tempo, complementares em determinados aspectos.
RESULTADOS
Com 99% de confiança, pode-se afirmar que há evidência de que as organizações com acreditação obtiveram uma pontuação maior na avaliação baseada no modelo EFQM comparativamente às organizações não acreditadas. Este resultado também se confirmou na comparação dos resultados das categorias Facilitadores e Resultados do modelo EFQM.
CONCLUSÃO
Há uma convergência entre o modelo de acreditação e o modelo de excelência da EFQM, sugerindo que a acreditação contribui para o setor de saúde implementar as melhores práticas de gestão já difundidas em outros setores de negócio.
Topics: Accreditation; Brazil; Hospitals; Models, Organizational
PubMed: 27680052
DOI: 10.1590/S0080-623420160000500016 -
Journal of the American College of... Dec 2016
Topics: Accreditation; American Heart Association; Cardiology; Hospitals; Humans; United States
PubMed: 27815103
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2016.10.027 -
The Journal of the American Osteopathic... Jul 2014
Review
Topics: Accreditation; Education, Medical, Graduate; Humans; Osteopathic Medicine; Osteopathic Physicians; United States
PubMed: 25002439
DOI: 10.7556/jaoa.2014.101 -
PloS One 2020The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredits the tertiary education programs in the areas of applied and natural science, computing,...
The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredits the tertiary education programs in the areas of applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. ABET offers accreditation in the United States and other regions in the world that lack such entities such as Gulf Cooperative Counties (GCC). Though ABET accreditation is voluntary, graduates of the ABET-accredited programs are considered equivalent in knowledge, behaviors, and attitude with global standards. The process of ABET accreditation takes months or years depending upon the gap with readiness and resources. The objective of this study is to compile and prioritize the list of critical success factors (CSFs) to commit resources optimally for sustained academic quality assurance and ABET accreditation. The triangulation research designed has been employed. Firstly, the observation of the ABET accreditation process of multiple programs at King Khalid University (KKU) helped in identifying 11 CSFs in three categories namely Program design and execution, Quality culture and excellence, and Institutional infrastructure and support. Further, these CSFs have been explored in the literature in the area of ABET accreditation. Finally, the research employs a fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (Fuzzy AHP) and full consistency method (FUCOM) to rank the relative importance of these CSFs and their dimensions for sustained academic quality assurance and ABET accreditation. The incorporation of these CSFs will help institutions in the GCC and other regions to get their academic programs ABET-accredited in an optimal manner.
Topics: Accreditation; Curriculum; Educational Measurement; Engineering; Humans; Saudi Arabia; United States; Universities
PubMed: 32941488
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239140