Understanding and evaluating the impact of dental program accreditation

Katherine I. Morley
Bok · Engelsk · 2022

Utgitt	RAND Corporation , 2022
Opplysninger	This project is the first step in a longer process being undertaken by the Australian Dental Council (ADC) to develop a framework for understanding and evaluating the impact of ADC's program accreditation work. ADC accredits education and training programs for the purposes of registration as a dentist, dental hygienist, dental therapist, oral health therapist, dental prosthetist and 13 recognised dental specialities. Professional accreditation provides an assessment of the quality of training delivered by education providers and a mechanism for accountability against professional standards. It ensures that education providers produce graduates who are sufficiently competent to join the workforce and, within the healthcare sector, ensures graduates can perform their roles safely and effectively. Although approaches, the ultimate goal is always to ensure the public receive safe and high-quality care from practitioners who graduate from accredited programs. However, despite the widespread implementation of professional accreditation, there is a limited evidence base regarding its impacts and how to enhance these. ADC commissioned RAND Australia and RAND Europe to develop a framework that will help ADC to identify and measure whether its accreditation activities are effective in producing competent and safe dental practitioners. In a broader sense it will help to assess the overall impact of accreditation on the oral health of the Australian population and identify potential strategies that may enhance the effectiveness of professional accreditation. The work is intended to support ADC in analysing the ways in which its accreditation activities effectively deliver against its aims.