Registrar's Report October 2021 Registrar's message
Dear Colleagues,
Thank you to the regulated members who recently participated in the ThoughtExchange on the template style of the Standards of Practice. The thoughts you shared on which templates worked well and which didn't will help the College understand what communication will be the most meaningful to regulated members in the application of the Standards of Practice. My message today serves to notify regulated members that the following Standards are currently being developed:
Bill 46 requires the transition of requirements from the Chiropractors Profession Regulation into the Standards of Practice. The Standards for Use of Title, Performance of Restricted Activities, and the Competence Program represent work to accomplish those requirements. Concluding a Patient Relationship is intended for recommendations and direction of the requirements for the end of a patient relationship.
What are standards of Practice?
The Health Professions Act requires that a Council adopts the Standard of Practice, and once adopted, the Standards apply to the practice of all regulated members. Prior to that adoption, there is significant work to develop those Standards, including the opportunity for the complete membership of that profession to review and comment on the Standards -- an opportunity that will be available in the near future. It is anticipated that all regulated members of the College will be consulted for review and comment of these four Standards starting in January.
For now, your action is to prepare for the consultation in January. We are committed to transparency in the development of all Standards and anytime that a Standard is approved for revision or development, a notice to regulated members will be provided. Beyond the notice, all regulated members will have an opportunity to provide “review and comment” whenever a Standard is revised or created.
If you have any questions about the development of Standards of Practice, please send me an email at registrar@albertachiro.com.
Sincerely, Dr. Todd Halowski Registrar
Phase one of our member consultation on College Regulatory framework complete Thank you to the over 150 members who shared their thoughts during the first step of our consultation on the Standards of Practice. Your input is currently being reviewed by the Registrar and a determination will soon be made as to what template will be used to present the College’s future Standards.
What we’re doing next
Phase two: Content review – launching soon Over the next year, the Registrar will review, revise, or draft Standards of Practice for chiropractors operating in Alberta. These Standards will be based on a variety of inputs, including legislated requirements through the Health Professions Act and Chiropractors Profession Regulation, best-practices in other provinces, and input from regulated chiropractic members and government. Regulated members will be asked to share their thoughts, suggest edits, and provide feedback on the draft Standards of Practice.
Please keep an eye on your inbox for the launch of phase two in the coming months.
Do you own or operate x-ray or laser equipment? There are upcoming changes to Alberta’s Radiation Protection Program related to the passing of the Ensuring Safety and Cutting Red Tape Act, 2020. The Radiation Protection Act will be merged with the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act. Though the effective date of this change has not been determined, it is expected to occur in late 2021.
The following is a high-level outline of the proposed changes:
Owners and employers are well advised to start the development for your occupational health and safety manual on your operational plan for radiation emitting devices such as lasers and x-rays. If OHS conducts an inspection, they will want to see your written policies as part of your OHS manual. The role of the ACAC is not to advise you on what is in your manual, but to advise you that you are required to develop a manual unique to your working environment.
Compliance corner: Standards of Practice When a health profession is self-regulated there are a number of expectations that must be established such as Standards of Practice, Codes of Ethics, policies, directives and more to provide for how the profession will hold itself accountable to achieve their mandate to protect the public.
The role of the College is outlined in section 3 of the Health Professions Act (HPA). When drafting legislation, the use of the word “must” when directing actions means that these are requirements and are not optional.
Section 3 (1)(c) says that “A college must establish, maintain and enforce standards for registration and of continuing competence and standards of practice of the regulated profession”. There are other requirements, and obligations, a self-regulated profession must provide for today our focus is on the Standards of Practice.
Simply put, the Standards of Practice are the minimal requirements of professional behaviour and conduct required of all chiropractors in Alberta to ensure that practice is done both safely and competently. You are encouraged to review the Standards to ensure you are complying with these during each day in practice.
When complaints or concerns are received or identified by the College, one of the questions asked is "Do the actions of the member comply with the Standards of Practice?" If they are deemed not to be compliant, then the College is mandated to act. This can range from communication and coaching, to investigation, to various levels of discipline or other actions that are appropriate to the incident of non-compliance.
Compliance with the Standards is also part of the reporting expectations that is provided to Council, Government and various reporting provided to membership. Part of the privilege of self-regulation is to demonstrate how members are conducting themselves in line with the Standards of Practice.
From new members, to those that have been in practice for years, regularly reviewing the Standards if a positive step in regulating your own practice and behaviours and ensuring you are compliant at all times. Remember that self-regulation is not just about the actions of the College it is how each, and every, member of any medical health profession consistently reflects on their professional behaviour and conduct and identifies any areas to improve compliance.
It can be a lot to take in and one of the better ways to proceed is to review one Standard each week. Review the Standard and then look for any opportunity during that week to identify areas of success and opportunities to improve.
If you ever have questions or wish to discuss the Standards, or any other legislative requirement, contact the Registrar at any time.
Highlights: Discipline View discipline decisions and members with conditions on our discipline webpage. Email for CC submissions If you have earned a certificate of completion from an eligible CC seminar or from mandatory training such as Standard First Aid with CPR-C/AED or trauma-informed training, we strongly encourage you to forward it to the ACAC office now. Fax: 780-425-6583
Certificates are normally processed within 10 business days. CC credits will appear in your profile once processing is complete. Diagnostic image viewing AHS will stop providing CDs of diagnostic images. In order to view these images, you will need Netcare access.
If you already have Netcare access, please stop requisitions for CDs and start to use the Netcare portal to view all diagnostic images.
MVA and DTPR: Diagnostic and treatment protocols The ACAC has developed information materials to assist you and your patients in treatment and processing as result of a MVA. With the availability of COVID-19 vaccines for Albertans, please remember vaccination and immunization are not within the scope of practice.
The ACAC directs members to refer all patient questions, consultation and education regarding immunization and vaccination to the appropriate public health authorities and/or health professional whose scope of practice includes vaccination.
We continue to screen members’ web and social media for compliance with the Advertising Directive.
Please ensure you are regularly reviewing your website and social media accounts and removing any content in contravention. |