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- Cytotechnologist Name Change Moves Forward Despite CAP Opposition and Risks
The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) Board of Directors voted at its September 15 meeting to approve the revised Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Educational Programs in Cytology. Within the new standards and guidelines, they approved a name change and softened educational requirements compared to what had been previously proposed. Of specific concern, the name change moves forward despite the objections and strong opposition from the CAP.
According to these CAAHEP guidelines, a cytotechnologist is now referred to as cytologist, and cytotechnology is now referred to as cytology. In addition, there were changes to the education requirements. Cytotechnologists will be required to acquire a master’s degree. The cytotechnology program must now be sponsored by an education institution that offers master’s degrees at minimum, and the director of an educational program must possess a master’s degree in a relevant discipline. The CAP supported this change to the program which provides several years for programs to transition to a master's degree.
It is well documented that name changes are often the first step in scope of practice expansions. The AMA and the CAP have both prioritized fighting scope of practice expansion of non-physician providers, which can confuse and ultimately endanger patients. Since August 2020, the CAP has communicated its opposition to the name change citing a lack of baseline data that independently validated the necessity for the change. Furthermore, the impacts of the name change on the medical community have not been evaluated.
In a joint statement, the American Society of Cytopathology (ASC), American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), and American Society for Cytotechnology (ASCT) had fully endorsed the name change and cited efforts to expand the scope of practice expansion for the profession.
The new standards will be posted on the commission’s website with an effective date of January 1, 2025. Per commission policy, the standards must be reviewed at least once every 10 years. The next review is due by September 2033.