Glossary of medical education terms: Part 1

Accessibility A measure of the ease with which a specific population can obtain appropriate health services and be served by facilities within the healthcare system. This concept is used to detect inequity in the availability of health services for different populations defined geographically, socially or in terms of their race, ethnicity, gender or clinical condition. Accreditation A self-regulatory process by which governmental, nongovernmental, voluntary associations or other statutory bodies grant formal recognition to educational programs or institutions that meet stated criteria of educational quality. Educational programs or institutions are measured against certain standards by a review of written information, selfstudies, site visits to the educational program, and thoughtful consideration of the findings by a review committee. Whereas programs or institutions are accredited, individual physicians are licensed or certified.