Highlights

We’re excited to bring you another update in our series about the new, improved Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS), scheduled to launch this summer. 

We’ve modified the evaluation questions to offer more options. In the current PARS, providers are asked to identify whether activities were designed and analyzed for changes in competence, performance, or patient outcomes. In the new PARS, you’ll be asked which of the following outcomes will be measured:  

• Learner Competence  

• Learner Performance  

• Patient Health  

• Community/Population Health  

• Learner Knowledge  

You’ll be able to select all that apply. In addition, you’ll have the option to choose what type of measurement was used:  

• Objective, such as observation or tests 

• Subjective, such as self-reported change 

We’re making these modifications to better align with outcomes models that are used in research. The modified questions continue to align with our Core Accreditation Criteria, as well as our criteria for Accreditation with Commendation. Please note that although measuring changes in knowledge alone is not sufficient for compliance with our accreditation requirements, we have included knowledge measurement as an option to align with outcomes models and support research. Our goal is to improve the value of the data for providers, researchers, and other stakeholders. 

The data you enter now or have entered previously to answer the evaluation questions in PARS will be mapped to the modified questions in the new PARS — you will not need to reenter your data. The system will also map the current questions to the new questions if you continue to use the existing batch templates or web service. If you want to change how the system maps the data, you will be able to edit that information in PARS. 

Please visit the New PARS webpage for more information and updates.