Outcomes, accreditation, interprofessional education, and the Tower of Babel

ABSTRACT

Effective education necessitates a shared mental model of what and how learners should be taught. Students in various healthcare professions education programs learn together most effectively when programs have a shared mental model for education. Because healthcare professions education programs must satisfy their respective accreditation standards, the terminology of those standards reflects that body’s shared mental model for education. Thus, interprofessional education (IPE) would be facilitated by common educational lexicon across accrediting bodies. In this study, the terminology used in the accreditation standards from several healthcare professions educational programs was measured. An analysis was conducted to illustrate whether terms used by accreditors were internally consistent and whether there was consistency across professions. Counts of learning outcomes terms used revealed little internal consistency within each set of standards. Additionally, the terms in the various standards documents used to describe educational outcomes were not consistent across accreditors. Individual healthcare professions educational programs find IPE difficult to implement and maintain for pre-professional students. This study suggests that these programs’ learning outcomes, which are regulated by accreditation standards, probably conflict with implementation of IPE initiatives. Strategies to normalize learning outcomes language and develop shared mental models for IPE are needed.

KEYWORDS:

• Accreditation of educational programs
• healthcare professions education
• interprofessional education
• learning outcomes
• shared mental model for education

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hugh A. Stoddard

Hugh A. Stoddard is the Assistant Dean for Medical Education Research and Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine.

Theodore M. Johnson

Theodore M. Johnson II is the Chair of the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, and Paul Seavey Chair and Chief of the Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics at Emory University School of Medicine. He is also Atlanta Site Director and Associate Director of the Birmingham/Atlanta VA Geriatrics Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC).

Erica D. Brownfield

Erica D. Brownfield is the Associate Dean for Medical Education and Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine.