Implementing Outcome Measurement in O & P Education

The current state of health care has seen a shift towards outcome-based assessment for the purpose of determining effective quality health care. Cost, patient satisfaction, and improved quality of life represent outcome measures that in turn provide evidence for the effectiveness of different treatment protocols. This paradigm shift, also evident in medical education, takes on greater meaning as the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs moves towards outcome-based standards in the year 2007. Because O & P educational programs fall under the auspices of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, outcome based assessment is quickly becoming a reality that cannot be overlooked. In this paradigm, assessment of the learner to determine program effectiveness is emphasized rather than institutional structure and function. While this does not necessarily signify a departure from the latter, it does place a greater focus on learner performance. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to describe and examine outcomes as a means of assessing O & P educational programs.