Volume 83 - Winter 2003	Download

NAACLS to Accredit Cytogenetic Technology Programs by Lucille Contois, MA, MT(ASCP) Vice President, NAACLS Board of Directors

In 1987 NAACLS began to review cytogenetic technology programs and to grant approval to those that met specified Standards. The purpose was to identify educational programs that were structured to assure that graduates possess appropriate career entry-level competencies. The competencies were established with national input from various professional groups. They specified the minimum requirements in knowledge and skills for effective functioning within the profession.

Both approval and accreditation are processes of external peer review in which public recognition is conferred upon a program of study that meets established standards. Both processes are conducted by volunteers and include numerous checks for objectivity, fairness, reliability and completeness. However, they are differentiated in that the approval process does not include a site visit. Because of this, much of the documentation that would be reviewed on site in an accreditation visit is actually submitted with the Self-Study Report for approval. The result is that, in the approval process, a large amount of material is evaluated by the paper reviewers but there is no opportunity for actual verification of that documentation that is so useful in accreditation.

Over the years, the certifying body expanded requirements for eligibility and the cytogenetic laboratories incorporated more sophisticated and complex operations. During this same time period, NAACLS revised Standards and competencies to better reflect the work world. In lieu of extensive documentation, the need for site visits to educational programs became apparent.

As a result, a task force of the Programs Approval Review Committee (PARC) studied the need for and the possibility of including a site visit in the process, thereby accrediting rather than approving the programs. The issue was discussed with other constituencies and their input was invited. The task force sent a report to the NAACLS Board of Directors recommending that cytogenetic technology programs be accredited. At its Fall 2002 meeting the Board concluded that these programs should be accredited.

As a consequence of the Board action and effective in April 2003, initial and continuing programs for cytogenetic technology will go through the accreditation process and will be site visited. Existing approved programs are now considered accredited and will be site visited when they come up for their regularly scheduled renewal date. All approved programs have been apprised of these changes.

A committee is working on a new Guide to Accreditation for Cytogenetic Technology using the Standards that were revised in 2001. The Board will consider financial issues related to site visits and attempt to reduce costs in every way possible. Site visits to multiple programs at one institution will be encouraged, and staff will work with program directors to plan ahead for them.

Comments or questions related to this new policy are invited and may be addressed to Dr. Olive Kimball, NAACLS CEO, or to Daniel Tice, Program Coordinator for Cytogenetic Technology Programs.

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