The College of Dietitians of Ontario (CDO) has a duty to serve and protect the public interest, and accreditation is an important part of public protection.
What is Accreditation?
Accreditation is an ongoing process of assessing health care organizations against standards of excellence to identify what is being done well and what needs to be improved. Health education accreditation is a quality improvement process. It supports health education programs in ensuring that graduates are ready to deliver quality care at entry to practice.
In the context of dietetic education, accreditation has two primary purposes, to:
- Assess program compliance with national standards, and
- Encourage programs to strive for quality improvement.
Completion of accredited dietetic education programs provides assurance to regulators that applicants have met the educational requirements to practise safely as a dietitian in Canada. Accreditation expedites the process for CDO to issue certificates of registration, as further assessment of an applicant’s education is not required.
Accreditation Canada, under the EQual program, is the healthcare accreditation body approved by the Board of Directors of CDO. Accreditation Canada is a national, independent organization that accredits dietetics education programs across Canada. Click here to view Accreditation Canada’s list of educational programs (accredited and registered).