Certification, Recertification and Accreditation in Family and Community Medicine in Iberoamerica

Abstract

Objective: To determine the status of the Certification, Recertification and Accreditation in the countries of the region of Latin America as a follow up to the first survey in the V Ibero-American Summit Family Medicine in 2014 inQuito, Ecuador. Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive. The population consisted of 10 countries: Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, Brazil, Paraguay, Colombia, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica. To the presidents of associations of family medicine, they were sent by e-mail a structured survey of twelve questions about certification, recertification and accreditation; the response was received by the same route. Descriptive statistics and simple and relative frequencies was made. Results: Certification is carried out in 60% of the surveyed countries; this process is voluntary in 40% and performs scientific societies. The recertification is installed and is operational in 30% of the participating countries, this process is voluntary in 80% and running different organisms among which are scientific societies. 50% of countries conduct the accreditation of family medicine programs through universities. Conclusions: Certification not yet instituted in some countries in Latin America, continues to be voluntary, and only half of the countries make the accreditation process. Therefore, we must work more in each of the countries in the region to achieve certification, recertification and accreditation to ensure the quality of specialists in Family Medicine.