title: Quality assurance in gerontological and geriatric training programs: the European case.
abstract: Quality assurance (QA) in gerontological and geriatric education programs is regarded as essential to maintain standards, strengthen accountability, improve readability of qualifications, and facilitate professional mobility. In this article the authors present a summary of international developments in QA and elaborate four international trends, including the pros and cons of QA. Furthermore, the authors focus on accreditation and credit transfer opportunities in vocational and academic education programs for primary care practitioners, including nurses, home care workers, social workers, physiotherapists, and family doctors involved in the care of older people in nine European countries and highlight changes that have occurred over the last decade. Vocational education and professional training in elderly care at the basic and postgraduate specialization level remains extremely diversified, reflecting the lack of standardization for programs outside the higher education sector. The situation is ripe for the implementation of the European Qualifications Framework, which is intended to promote transparency, comparability and portability of qualifications at different levels and the introduction of a credit transfer system for vocational education to be established in 2012.
authors.affiliation: Department of Philosophy and Human Psychology, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland. bpolitynska@wp.pl
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Politynska
authors.forename: René J T
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: van Rijsselt
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lewko
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Philp
authors.forename: Daniella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.forename: Lilliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Sousa
mesh_terms: D000068:Accreditation / Q000592:standards*; D002322:Career Mobility; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards*; D004522:Educational Status; D005060:Europe; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards*; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000193:education; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D012947:Social Work / Q000193:education