Can educational accreditation drive interdisciplinary learning in the health professions?

Accreditation in higher education serves as a means of assuring the public of academic program quality and of promoting continuing review and self-improvement by educational units. Educational program accreditation is a means of seeking continuous improvement in the academic activities of programs and institutions. Discussions of interdisciplinary education raise questions about the responsiveness of accreditation to such approaches.

Some health professions accrediting agencies have followed the lead of industry and have adapted their approach and philosophy of evaluation to a continuous improvement philosophy, while others continue to perpetuate an "inspection" mentality. The perpetuation of such an approach limits the value of the accreditation process. Accrediting agencies need to focus attention instead on stimulating professional preparation to develop in students the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed for health professions practice. Since such practice frequently occurs in team or interdisciplinary settings, the accreditation evaluation can support practice by incorporating an interdisciplinary perspective.

As models of interdisciplinary education are developed in the health professions, accreditation will be challenged to evolve in its effectiveness to evaluate interdisciplinary learning experiences. The accrediting community will need to recognize the barriers posed by interdisciplinary learning, as well as the special skills and situations needed to offer effective interdisciplinary experiences. Without this perspective the usefulness of accreditation will be diminished.

Standards and procedures for accreditation will need to be revised to address the unique characteristics of interdisciplinary education. A set of mock accreditation standards to guide the evaluation of interdisciplinary health professions education learning experiences is proposed. Finally, questions are posed about the role of accreditation in the context of interdisciplinary health professions education.