The Patient Relations, Professional Standards and Ethics Committee (PRPSE) met on June 14, 2021 to review and discuss revisions to a number of practice standards, including: Complementary and Alternative Therapies; Leaving Practice; Medical Records, Data Stewardship and Confidentiality of Personal Information; and Primary Care Provision in Walk-in, Urgent Care and Multi-registrant Clinics.
The revised practice standards have now been approved for publication by the College’s Executive Committee. The following edits were incorporated into each practice standard.
Complementary and Alternative Therapies
- Revised to include a new section outlining registrants’ obligations when their patient is attending another provider for complementary or alternative therapy.
Leaving Practice
- Revised to change “secure email” to simply “email.” The qualifying term was removed as dictionaries define “secure” as including encryption (and the requirement of a password or other means of authentication) which could pose as a barrier to effective communication.
- To reflect more realistic expectations, the following was added to the standard: “Care must be taken to protect personal information, in accordance with privacy legislation. Messages must be limited to factual, general advice. Email distribution lists must be concealed.”
Medical Records, Data Stewardship and Confidentiality of Personal Information
- Revised to include the requirement of registrants to maintain a cumulative patient profile (CPP).
Primary Care Provision in Walk-in, Urgent Care and Multi-registrant Clinics
- Revised to include the requirement that a medical director must have a clearly identified alternate, who is also a physician, to assume their responsibilities when the medical director is unavailable.
Any questions related to the updated practice standards can be directed to communications@cpsbc.ca.