What overall change to the accreditation process will result from the Outcome Project?
A4: At present, GME accreditation utilizes a “minimal threshold model” by which programs are judged according to how they comply with minimum standards established by the Residency Review Committees (RRCs) and the ACGME. In the competency-based model toward which the Outcome Project is directed, programs will be asked to show how residents have achieved competency-based educational objectives and in turn, how programs use information drawn from evaluation of those objectives to improve the educational experience of the residents. Stated another way, the minimal threshold model identifies whether a program has the potential to educate residents; the competency-based model examines whether the program is actually educating them.
