Credentialing Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 1502
Galesburg, Illinois 61402-1502
* Phone 309-343-1202

The concept of recognition of excellence has been associated with the learned professions for centuries.  Although specific objectives of competency assessment varied over the years, twentieth century endeavors focus on transforming patient care professions to the doctoral level.  For the AFA program, capabilities evaluation is a vehicle for documenting practitioner accomplishments.

The parameters for recognition of excellence of practicing audiologists focus on skill and performance. Capability, as an outcome of training and experience, is of greater importance than the method by which it was obtained. Thus, it is far more critical to determine whether or not a practitioner has doctoring skills than it is to examine the route of learning traveled.

The identification of audiology practitioner capabilities entailed developing a psychometric construct and then matching individual sets of skills to the criterion. This was accomplished by assembling a doctoral level reference group, researching its attributes and characteristics, and setting the co relational levels. Applicants for evaluation are compared to the reference group standard. The inventory of applicant data requires documents, valid references, applicant declarations, and task/frequency scores. The process is rigorously controlled, and it is as secure as other doctoral level board certification mechanisms.

Strict quality assurance parameters with checks and balances are employed in reviewing an audiologist?s portfolio. The grading mechanism consists of comparing applicant frequency marks to a confidential key, within multiple hurdles format. An internal consistency formula is applied to identify persons who inadvertently exaggerate responses and/or present questionable response patterns. The probability of obtaining a ?false positive? is extremely remote. Coupled with the nonparametric criteria, it is highly improbable for an applicant to achieve a false reading.

To upgrade the practitioner?s level of patient care delivery, it is important to obtain a reading of what skills an audiologists possesses and what skills need to be acquired through further educational study. Accomplishments could be translated into course credits. The level of measured achievement could be used to assign applicants to educational modules. To further these educational objectives, the EPAC program was developed to assist doctoral level audiology institutions to integrate applicants into their programs.

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