Jun. 1, 2016

Washington, DC (April 20, 2016) In a significant achievement for the athletic training profession, the Strategic Alliance participated as a first-time Member-Sponsor of the Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education. The Global Forum is an ongoing activity of the National Academics of Science, Engineering and Medicine, (recently renamed from the Institute of Medicine) that brings together stakeholders from multiple nations and professions to network, discuss, and illuminate issues within health professional education. Dr. Mark Merrick, CAATE President, represented the Strategic Alliance at this forum by participating in the Global Forum Planning meeting and the Workshop, “The Role of Accreditation in Enhancing Quality and Innovation in Health Professions Education”. The presence of athletic training as member-sponsors of the event is significant in that Athletic Trainers are now sitting with leaders of other health professions and are planning the future of health professional education together. The topics for the member meeting on April 20 included discussing the activities of the Forum currently underway and considering future areas for exploration for the Forum. This members-only meeting was followed by a 2-day public workshop to explore global shifts in society, health, health care, and education, and their potential impact on general principles of program accreditation across the continuum of health professional education (foundational, graduate, and continuing professional development). Dr. Merrick lead a Marketplace of Ideas discussion titled “Setting, implementing, and acting on a bright-line outcome standard for program pass rates on a national board exam” that fostered good discussion and was well received. An abstract from that presentation is below: The call for transparency and accountability in accreditation has never been greater and the focus for the public and government is squarely on educational outcomes. Accreditation standards that set clear and understandable expectations for student outcomes and that establish accountability for educational programs are in demand. As a specialty accreditor, we noted a sharp disparity in performance of graduates of some programs on our profession’s credentialing examination. In response, we examined metrics related to program performance, and in 2012, we implemented a bright-line standard that delineated a minimum 3-year aggregate first-attempt pass rate on the credentialing exam. In 2016, once programs had graduated three cohorts under the standard, we placed 26% of our accredited professional programs on probation for non-compliance with this standard. We also created and shared a decision algorithm for accreditation actions relative to this standard that clarifies how decisions for probation, show cause, and withdrawal of accreditation for non-compliant programs are reached. Our experience in creating, implementing, and now enforcing the Standard includes some difficulties and successes that may be informative to both accreditors and education associations when considering potential brightline Standards. The workshop engaged health professional educators, accreditors, and others to explore such topics as:

• Improving the efficiency and cost of accreditation (e.g., harmonization of competencies across professions, joint accreditation, etc.)
• Engaging new partners in accreditation (e.g., individuals, communities, and populations)
• The role of accreditation as an element in achieving quality health care delivery and quality health professions education
• Challenges and opportunities for accreditation (e.g., accrediting “non-traditional” educational models, countries with no or inadequate accreditation systems)

The CAATE is excited and proud to continue to promote the profession of athletic training and to have represented the AT Strategic Alliance at this prestigious event that will help shape the future of health professional education.