The medical profession is aware of its great responsibility in relating to all of the allied health fields. All the health professions find their focus, indeed their reason for existence, in the care of the patient. Where the care of the patient is concerned, the physician ultimately has legal, moral, and ethical responsibility. As the major professional organization for physicians, the American Medical Association feels this responsibility keenly and believes that it must increasingly be involved with the collaborating organizations in coordination, guidance, and direction for the multiple, increasingly fragmented components of the health care team, through which the care of the patient is provided. The collaborative process of promoting educational standards is an important contribution in assuring competence of the individual to serve the public good.
The responsibility of the American Medical Association and the collaborating organizations to function in allied health accreditation is recognized by the National Commission