Transforming and Supporting Patient Care - Health Professions ...

33Chapter 2 – Excellence in Health Profession Regulation: Raising the Bar in Ontariothe de facto rationale for trying to ‘‘fix’’ a problem that is broader and morecomplex than the regulatory system through legislative changes that aredirected only at the regulatory system. These risks argue for an approach tolaw reform that builds on the strengths of the existing system of selfregulation.This would be an evolutionary approach to law reform thatadvances in lockstep with understandings of interprofessional practice andof its relationship to regulatory structures. 41HPRAC’s Key FindingsChallenges to Self-Regulation in Ontario: The Case for ChangeThe RHPA was introduced more than 17 years ago. Since that time, severaljurisdictions in Canada and internationally have emulated the RHPA’soverlapping scopes of practice concept. A new platform for change in Ontariohas been established with the provision of the new objects that call on healthcolleges to take action to enhance interprofessional collaboration. In essence,these objects encourage the evolution of the regulatory environment, notonly to support interprofessional collaboration but also to improve theconsistency and performance of health colleges in addressing the full rangeof their functions and responsibilities in each aspect of their mandate.HPRAC continues to endorse and support self-regulation. It has concluded,however, that stronger regulatory rigour and a higher level of excellencecan and must be achieved in the current regulatory system. There is a needfor reform to facilitate and support greater interprofessional collaboration.There is also a need to tackle more complex challenges that include:incorporating patient demands for choice and more patient and citizenparticipation in decision-making about their own health care; allowing thehealth colleges increased flexibility that results in better public interestprotection; achieving overall improved efficiency and effectiveness withinthe health regulatory system; allaying concerns that individual healthprofessions alone feel they know best and meeting the challenges thatprevent the system from adapting to changing societal needs and realitiesin a new world of health care delivery.We live in an age of accountability. Rising public expectations were recentlyacknowledged in an article by the Registrar of the Royal College of DentalSurgeons of Ontario:We are now constantly under the microscope. Governments, no matterthe party, and the public are demanding accountability from regulators.We have to prove that we are fulfilling our legislated mandate of publicprotection…We are definitely in an age where, as a regulator, we mustbe responsive to the context, culture and times in which we exist.Historically, the performance of regulators was not really evaluated.Now both governments and the public are constantly monitoring howwe do our job. 4241Lahey, W. and Currie, R.: 201.42Fefergrad, Irwin. Responsive regulation: governments and the public now constantly monitoring howwe do our job. Dispatch (Registrar Newsletter, Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario).November/December 2008: 72.HPRAC Critical Links January 2009