HERMES criteria for accreditation of European Training Centres: overcoming challenges of accreditation

Accreditation has been defined as a process whereby a professional association or nongovernmental agency grants recognition to a school or healthcare institution for demonstrated ability to meet predetermined criteria for established standards 1

Accreditation within the medical arena is longstanding throughout history. In 1910, the Joint Commission was established with the primary mission of continuously improving healthcare for the public by evaluating healthcare organisations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective treatment of the highest quality and value. In the past 100 years, accreditation has extended to medical education and more specifically the implementation of standards in the training of medical specialists. This article focuses on the accreditation of training centres in adult respiratory medicine.

The foundation of the EU directive 75/362/ECC in 1975 produced guidelines for medical training institutions across Europe which was believed would open access to the job market for European specialists in respiratory medicine while also producing documentation for training institutions to follow in order to achieve high-quality education. The implementation of such standards has by no means mirrored the reality of medical training of respiratory specialists in Europe today. Stark differences exist in the training duration, the sitting of exit examinations and accreditation of training centres 2. Consequently, despite such regulations, mobility across Europe continues to be a challenge for some doctors. Considering the unsystematic process of respiratory medicine training across Europe, there is most certainly scope to improve quality in patient care and to fortify adult respiratory medicine.