Accreditation – Australia’s system

Assoc Prof Peter HendicottHead, School of Optometry and Vision Science

Queensland University of TechnologyBrisbane Australia

Deputy Chair, OCANZ

Accreditation in Optometry

• State based boards – no formal system for approving or accrediting courses– varying approaches to international applicants

• 1990’s – discussion re entry level examination• formation of the Optometry Council – Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand

(OCANZ)– course accreditation– assessment of overseas trained optometrists

National Law for Health Professionals• prior to 2010, State based registration boards for health

professions• Federal Government proposed a national system in 2008,

commenced in July 2010 after period of consultation• initial enabling legislation in Queensland in 2009

– The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (2009) – subsequently in other States and Territories

• National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS)• Australian Health Practitioners Regulatory Authority (AHPRA)

– accreditation functions – requirement to facilitate high quality education and training and

protection of the public

AHPRA• 10 health professions initially

– Medicine– Dentistry and dental technology– Nursing – Physiotherapy– Optometry– Pharmacy– Psychology– Podiatry– Chiropractic– Osteopathy

• 4 professions included in 2013– medial radiation practice, occupational therapy, Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander Health Practice, Chinese Medicine

Accreditation

• discipline specific boards required under National Law • to approve qualifications leading to registration • responsible for accreditation of training programs– individual profession based councils to undertake

accreditation– sub-committee of the discipline board under AHPRA

• pathways for non-Australian trained practitioners

Accreditation - context

• accreditation processes are evaluating whether programs have prepared students for entry-level practice and registration on graduation

• entry level professional competencies

Optometry Australia entry-level competencies for Optometry 2014Kiely PM, Slater J. Clinical and Experimental Optometry 2015; 98: 65-89

OCANZ - accreditation

• the curriculum for optometry programs is not prescribed• set of Standards for the development of optometry programs

– allows each optometry school the flexibility to develop its own curriculum within the quality assurance mechanisms of the particular university.

• curriculum design and implementation is the responsibility of the schools– processes and procedures that monitor the effectiveness of the

curriculum in achieving outcomes that are consistent with the OCANZ Standards

– formal mechanisms for program review and for implementing changes to the curriculum and methods of teaching where required

OCANZ accreditation

• processes document (reviewed 2012)• review of existing courses• review of major changes to existing courses• accreditation of new courses• standards document (under review in 2015)• post-graduate courses in ocular therapeutics• www.ocanz.org

OCANZ accreditation

• 10 standards• educational goals and objectives• program development and management• program curriculum• teaching and learning methods• clinical training and settings• student assessment• teaching and support staff• students• physical resources

Accreditation standards review 2015

• review to replace the 2006 OCANZ accreditation standards with new OCANZ accreditation standards which:– reference the latest entry level competency standards

developed by Optometry Australia (2014) and Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board (2010)

– meet the requirements for review of program accreditation standards by AHPRA

– take account of relevant regulatory changes in the education sector • (e.g. Australian Qualifications Framework, other health professions’

accreditation standards, the threshold learning and teaching academic standards for health, medicine and veterinary science).

Accreditation standards review

• addresses the objectives required by AHPRA that:– Standards meet relevant Australian and international

benchmarks– Standards are based on the available research and evidence

base– Stakeholders are involved in the development and review of

standards – there is wide ranging consultation– In reviewing and developing standards, the accreditation

authority takes account of AHPRA’s Procedures for development of accreditation standards and the National Law.

Accreditation standards review

• five Domains – accompanying Standard statement describing the

threshold standard to be met by the education provider

• set of Criteria for each Domain – describe outcomes required for achievement of the

domain standard– all criteria must be met to meet the relevant

domain standard– criteria are threshold and measurable

Proposed domains

• patient safety• academic governance and quality assurance• the program of study• the student experience• assessment

Domain Standard statement Criteria

2.Academic governance and quality assurance

Academic governance and quality assurance processes are effective.

2.1 The provider has robust academic governance arrangements in place for the program of study that include systematic monitoring, review and improvement. 2.2 Quality improvement processes use student and other evaluations, internal and external academic and professional peer review to improve the program. 2.3 There is relevant external input to the design and management of the program, including from representatives of the optometry profession. 2.4 Mechanisms exist for responding within the curriculum to contemporary developments in health professional education.