Benefits, Challenges, and Opportunities of LCME Accreditation: A National Survey

Accreditation is a vital component of maintaining the quality of health professions education. The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredits allopathic medical schools in the USA. There have been anecdotal expressions of dissatisfaction with the process of accreditation by faculty and staff involved with the process; however, there is no extant literature describing this. This study captures the opinions of individuals at medical schools involved in LCME accreditation and explores the perceived benefits and challenges schools have experienced.

A 23-item survey sought respondents' opinions regarding their experiences with LCME accreditation. The survey universe included members of the Accreditation Preparation and Quality Improvement listserv. Responses were summarized using univariate analyses; content analysis of open-ended responses was completed.

Complete responses were received from 131 individuals. Highlighted key benefits to accreditation include fostering a culture of continuous quality improvement, uniting stakeholders into the self-study, and identifying needed curricular resources. Conversely, highlighted challenges include the resources necessary to prepare for an accreditation review, the reliance on student satisfaction data, and a perceived lack of clarity to the accreditation standards and elements. The demands of preparing for an accreditation review are seen as significant contributors to stress.

The data highlight the benefits of the LCME accreditation review process but also suggest several areas for improvement. There is a need to share this data with the LCME and work towards an improved process that can better align the LCME with its constituent schools to support the goals of the accreditation process.