FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mina Larson,
March 25, 2010 Director of Public, Professional and Regulatory Affairs
703/314-2908 or mina.larson@nccaom.org
NCCAOM® Announces Results of the Nationwide Job Task Analysis for
the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AOM) Profession
(Jacksonville, FL) - The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM®), with assistance from Schroeder Measurement Technologies, has just released the results of its recent milestone national Job Task Analysis (JTA) survey, the 2008 Job Task Analysis: A Report to the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AOM) Profession which is available via the NCCAOM website, www.nccaom.org. The primary purpose of the JTA is to provide a blueprint for the development of the NCCAOM certification examinations, which serve as gateway and prerequisite for entry-level practice of AOM in 43 states, plus the District of Columbia. The JTA survey identifies the importance and frequency of tasks performed by NCCAOM Diplomates from various regions of the country, in different practice settings, as well as at different points in their AOM career. These results serve to validate the knowledge, skills and abilities, i.e., competencies, performed by an entry-level AOM practitioner in the United States.
The AOM profession is evolving all the time; therefore, it is extremely important to continually review and update the content of the NCCAOM certification examinations. Best practices in validation of examination content is to perform a JTA a minimum of every five years. This report serves to provide the examination content validity verification for the years 2009 though 2013.
In addition to assuring that the content for NCCAOM certification examinations is based on current practice, the results of the 2008 JTA also provides a snapshot of the AOM profession as it is being practiced today. The NCCAOM gathered additional demographic and practice data to assist with efforts to promote the recognition of “Acupuncturists” as an independent occupation by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS). Currently, “Acupuncturists” is being tracked by the BLS’s O*NET as a new and emerging profession.
One of the outcomes of the 2008 JTA was the launch of the new 2010 NCCAOM® Examination Study Guides in January 2010. These guides provide information on the examination development process, as well as all the necessary information needed to properly prepare for all of the certification examinations for each certification program.
According to Dr. Kory Ward-Cook, Chief Executive Officer of the NCCAOM, “the foundation of a valid, reliable, and legally defensible professional certification program is first the result of a well-constructed JTA. Additionally, the JTA report serves as a useful resource for AOM community leaders and for policy makers concerned with public safety in the realm of AOM.” Some potential uses for validation of these competencies are as follows:
- To track changes in the job tasks performed by professional acupuncturists and practitioners of Oriental medicine, Chinese herbologists and Asian bodywork therapists over time.
- To provide information on competencies to AOM educational institutions as their faculty plan and develop curricula for entry-level and advanced professional training.
- To inform state association leaders and regulators who enter into discussions concerning changes in state regulations and scope of practice.
- To provide the AOM community leaders, federal agencies and the public with a snapshot of current demographic parameters and practice characteristics of Diplomates of Acupuncture, Chinese Herbology, Oriental Medicine and Asian Bodywork Therapy.
The complete JTA Report can be accessed by clicking link below. Please address any comments or questions regarding the 2008 JTA report to executiveoffice@nccaom.org.
"The mission of the NCCAOM is to establish, assess, and promote recognized standards of competence and safety in acupuncture and Oriental medicine for the protection and benefit of the public."
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