The Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP) will begin accepting applications for Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) voluntary programmatic accreditation on January 1, 2025.
We know from a survey of AEMT program directors (PDs) conducted in September/October 2023 that 59% of respondents are likely to seek voluntary accreditation.
For interested but undecided AEMT PDs, now is the perfect time to learn more about the accreditation process. And who better to comment on the accreditation experience than existing paramedic education PDs?
Paramedic education program directors report positive experience with accreditation
According to a different survey conducted by CoAEMSP in January 2024, paramedic education program directors recognize the value of accreditation for their programs and their students. Over 400 PDs rated the following elements as most valuable:
- Establishing standards that ensure high quality education
- Fostering continuous quality improvement
- Promoting a safe and effective learning environment
- Providing students confidence that the program meets national standards and NREMT eligibility
And when it comes to the accreditation process itself, between 82% and 92% report the steps of the initial accreditation experience were “very” or “somewhat” manageable.
Value of accreditation is clear
As AEMT program directors consider the options, they may ask, “is the work of voluntary accreditation worth it?” Well, for one thing, students from accredited programs appear to perform better on the NREMT certification exam.
According to data from the National Registry, only 56% of AEMTs who voluntarily took the NREMT certification exam in 2022 passed the test the first time, and 69% passed within a cumulative three attempts. In contrast, among paramedics, all of whom attended a CAAHEP-accredited paramedic education program in 2022, 71% passed the first test, and 85% passed within three cumulative attempts.
The benefits of accreditation are clear. And, beginning January 1, 2025, they will be available to every AEMT education program on a voluntary basis. That makes this the perfect time to learn more about the accreditation process, either to prepare for the application or to decide whether to pursue voluntary accreditation.
If you are an AEMT PD considering voluntary accreditation, check out the CoAEMSP website to learn more. You can also register for the upcoming webinar, Getting Ready for AEMT Voluntary Accreditation, on June 13, 2024, at 1:00 PM Central Time.
CoAEMSP is proud to provide accreditation services at the AEMT level because we know that ensuring AEMT education programs have the professional resources to meet basic education standards is essential to the quality of AEMT education and the safety and well-being of communities nationwide.
