Program evaluation on health professions education: basic concepts

Abstract

The concept of evaluation in programs of health profession education (HPE) is relatively unknown to many teachers and educational managers responsible for higher education. Often, it is misunderstood with students’ assessment. The importance of evaluation in the HPE has grown in recent decades due to the pressure of society but also because structured and formal mechanisms have been required for accreditation and re-accreditation of HPE courses. The growing interest in HPE in Brazil follows a global trend of certification and accreditation programs. The objective is to ensure high quality standards for graduate health professional programs. This article presents the basic concepts and models of evaluation in HPE programs that may be used for health/educational professionals in order to better understand the essence of this broad and challenging topic.