Transforming and Supporting Patient Care - Health Professions ...

40Chapter 2 – Excellence in Health Profession Regulation: Raising the Bar in OntarioA New Way of Doing Business: Enforceable Standardsof PracticeHPRAC’s recommendations for an enabling regulatory framework balancethe need for colleges to develop enforceable standards of practice in realtime and the need to involve other professionals in the development ofthose standards. The standards of practice under the enabling frameworkwould cover: education; training; continuing competency; mandatorydiscussion, consultation and transfer of care; and standards, limitations andconditions relating to the performance of an act authorized to theprofession.Standards of practice are critical elements in what health colleges do toregulate their members. HPRAC has found that the current process fordeveloping and approving these standards of practice does not work welland does not reflect the evolution in practice and the increasing prevalenceof interprofessional care teams.HPRAC is proposing a new way for standards of practice to be developedand approved. Fundamental to this new approach is the recommendationthat standards of practice need no longer go through the regulation-makingprocess to be approved or enforceable in law. Accordingly, HPRACrecommends that the RHPA be amended to authorize health colleges toadopt standards of practice that would still be enforceable in law but wouldbe developed outside the regulation-making process, according to aprescribed process as detailed in HPRAC’s legislative implementationproposals that are presented in Chapter four of this report. The clearauthority for the implementation of the college’s standards of practicewould be recognized in statute.This flexibility is balanced with the new requirement for health colleges toestablish interprofessional standards committees to assist and take part instandards development. The committees would provide a forum for inputfrom other professions that share the authorized acts or have an interest inthe quality of their performance. The interprofessional standardscommittees would examine and discuss the standards in-depth, andcarefully hone them to meet the most exacting requirements of professionswho share the same responsibilities.Committee members would be selected on the recommendation of healthcolleges whose members share the same or similar controlled acts, andbring particular expertise to the deliberations. The council of the collegeappointing the committee would benefit from its advice, representing thejudgment and experience of its own members along with that of membersof colleges who share the same or similar authorities. The college councilwould consider the committee’s recommendations and would continue tohave the power to accept, alter or reject the committee’s advice. HPRACbelieves that this approach represents a key first step toward fulfilling thecolleges’ new objects under the HSIA, and provides a measured approachwith the appropriate checks and balances to protect the public.HPRAC Critical Links January 2009