Anesthesia services in dental facilities
Licensees providing anesthesia care in community-based dental settings may be required to participate in Practice Enhancement Program (PEP) assessments. These include peer assessments and practice environment assessments at various career stages.
Does CPSBC have the authority to assess an anethesiologist or family practice anesthesia (FPA) on their clinical practice?
Yes. The Health Professions and Occupations Act and section 10-3 of the CPSBC Bylaws outline the requirement for participation in a quality assurance program. Practice Enhancement Program is a quality assurance program administered by CPSBC.
CPSBC assesses the professional performance of an anesthesiologist or FPA for the purposes of quality assurance.
What you can expect for the assessment
The following components are part of the assessment process for an anesthesiologist or FPA practising in a dental facility.
The pre-assessment questionnaire (PAQ) is an opportunity for the anesthesiologist or FPA to describe their scope of practice, practice location, and other practice descriptors within the community-based dental facility.
Anesthesiologists or FPAs can also use the PAQ to seek support and education on any aspect of their practice.
The practice environment assessment reviews the key areas related to the delivery of anesthesia services, including:
- all aspects of preoperative, intraoperative and post-operative care
- the storage, use, and record keeping of medications, anesthesia monitoring equipment, appropriate resuscitation equipment and medication
- post-operative monitoring and discharge
The assessment is based on the Non-Hospital Medical and Surgical Facilities Accreditation Program (NHMSFAP) accreditation standards, guidelines and policies as they relate to the provision of anesthesia care.
A peer assessment is the review of an anesthesiologist or FPA's medical record by an experienced peer assessor. A review of records allows the peer assessor to develop a picture of the assessed anesthesiologist or FPA's quality of practice and approach to patient care.
Anesthesiologists and FPAs practising in a community-based dental facility are asked to provide copies of some of their recent patients’ anesthesia dental records to CPSBC for a peer assessor to review. Instructions for selecting an appropriate chart and tips for assembling a chart submission are provided.
The goal of the peer assessment is to empower the participant with meaningful feedback that can be used to improve individual performance.
The assessment follows the Non-Hospital Medical and Surgical Facilities Accreditation Program (NHMSFAP) accreditation standards, guidelines and policies as they relate to the provision of anesthesia care.
The peer interview offers a valuable opportunity for the anesthesiologist or FPA and the peer assessor to engage in a thoughtful, two-way conversation about the results of the peer and practice environment assessments. This is designed to foster reflection, share insights, and identify opportunities for continuous quality improvement in a supportive and collegial environment.
The peer assessor conducts the peer interview with these key areas in mind:
- understanding the anesthesiologist or FPA's context and giving an opportunity to bring up issues, concerns, or questions
- clarifying any issues which may have arisen during the patient chart review
- gathering further information which cannot be accessed through the review of the patient charts
- highlighting opportunities for practice improvement, including continuing professional development
Peer assessors are trained to use a facilitated feedback model (R2C2) to conduct the feedback session. Over the years, survey responses from participants have consistently indicated that the peer interview is considered one of the most valuable components of the program.