Research and Regulation Do They go Together

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Research and RegulationDo They go Together?
Sandra Greenberg Vice President for Research
Development and Public Service Professional
Examination Service 475 Riverside Drive New York,
New York 10115-0089 [phone] sandy_at_proexam.o
rg
Research Regulation
Professional Examination Service
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Research and RegulationDo They go Together?
The need for an organized and focused series of
empirical research projects on topics germane to
professional regulation, and on identifying ways
and venues to organize and disseminate research
results
Research Regulation
Professional Examination Service
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Research and Regulation(How) They go Together

• Defining/refining the scope of practice
• Shaping the three Es
• Defining/refining recredentialing initiativesAKA
  the question of continuing competence
• Establishing the meaning and value of the
  credential
• Telling the story to the profession and to the
  public

Research Regulation
Professional Examination Service
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Research and Regulation(How) They go Together
Practice analysis studies to determine Whats
happening in practice versus best
practice Scope of practice (frequency,
criticality, acquisition) Use of support
personnel, paraprofessionals, technicians, etc
Research Regulation
Professional Examination Service
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Research and Regulation(How) They go Together
Practice analysis studies to determine Superviso
ry ratios Contemporary procedures
(assessments, diagnostics, treatments,
procedures, therapeutic interventions) Changes
in practice overlapping scopes of practice
across service providers
Research Regulation
Professional Examination Service
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Research and Regulation(How) They go Together

• Practice analysis studies
• Conducted on a periodic basisscheduled with
  reference to changes in practice
• Large-scale studies versus small-scale studies
  (for example, surveys versus focus panels)
• Use candidate application data to judge need
  for and plan update studies

Research Regulation
Professional Examination Service
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Research and Regulation(How) They go Together

• Is there a logical basis for the elements of the
  practice act?
• Research should inform policy decisions regarding
  the three Es of credentialing.
• Education (formal degree requirements)
• Experience (How many years?, Across what
  variety of settings?)
• Examination (depth and breadth of entry-level
  knowledge, format of exam?)

Research Regulation
Professional Examination Service
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Research and Regulation(How) They go Together

• Monitor demographics and professional
  characteristics of new candidates for changes
  across time
• Monitor pass/fail performance of candidates in
  terms of demographic and professional
  characteristics
• Monitor impact of changes and requirements

Research Regulation
Professional Examination Service
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Research and Regulation(How) They go Together

• Is there a logical basis for the recredentialing
  requirements?
• High stakes versus low stakes (Whats your
  real purpose in credentialing?)
• CE (Is it directed or open-ended? Do you have
  quality indicators in place to evaluate the
  offerings?)
• Self-assessment (To direct learning?)
• Active practice (Hours? Scope?)

Research Regulation
Professional Examination Service
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Research and Regulation(How) They go Together

• What statements is your State Board making about
  the credential holder?
• Do practitioners continue to be engaged across
  the breadth and depth of practice?
• Whats the impact of years of experience and
  promotion to managerial functions?
• How do licensed practitioners keep up with
  contemporary developments? (Is there a
  downside to being out of school too long?)

Research Regulation
Professional Examination Service
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Research and Regulation(How) They go Together

• Establishing the meaning and value of the
  credential
• Changes in actual practice as a result of changes
  in the scope of practice or the requirements for
  licensure
• Changes in practice as a result of new
  collaborative relationships (Health-care teams,
  innovations in practice)
• Documenting evidence regarding activities to
  prepare for examination

Research Regulation
Professional Examination Service
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Research and Regulation(How) They go Together

• Telling the story to the profession and the
  public
• Awards for excellence in practice
• Publishing results of practice analysis studies
  and disseminating to schools
• Publishing results related to trends in
  practice
• Publishing results related to pass/fail
  performance of candidates
• Sharing information with accreditation agencies
  (for example, schools, CE providers)
• Sharing information with professional
  associations

Research Regulation
Professional Examination Service
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Research and Regulation(How) They go Together

• Whats the reason practitioners come under
  scrutiny?
• How do those reasons related to requirements for
  the initial license and for re-licensure?
• Is there a way to tie things together more
  effectively?

Research Regulation
Professional Examination Service