Background

The BC Public Advisory Network (BC-PAN) is a collaborative effort between 12 BC health regulators that aims to foster meaningful public engagement by bringing together a diverse group of public advisors to discuss issues pertinent to health care regulation.

Achievements

During the 2023-24 year, the BC-PAN:

• Held its annual meeting on October 25 and 26, 2023
• Welcomed two new college partners: The College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals and the College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia
• Hosted a booth at the 2023 BC Health Quality Forum
• Successfully completed the terms of eight public advisors
• Onboarded eight new public advisors
• Held multiple college-specific engagements

College Actions

BC-PAN ANNUAL MEETING

The BC-PAN annual meeting focused on improving access to health care without discrimination. College partners and public advisors convened to discuss opportunities for increasing access to equitable and non-discriminatory care. College partners presented on active initiatives such as board diversification, mandatory training, developing accessible public resources, and the development of culturally relevant standards. Public advisors raised critical questions and provided their feedback on public-facing resources. Public advisors recommended that health care providers prioritize understanding patient needs, address existing power dynamics, and promote effective communication when providing care.

KEY LEARNINGS

BC-PAN public advisors shared the following recommendations.

• Commitment to anti-racism and non-discrimination
  • Health regulators should ensure that their employees have a holistic understanding of their commitment to anti-racism.
  • Health regulators should take a leading role in educating their registrants on how to provide health care without discrimination.
  • Specific guidelines for acknowledging food culture in a patient’s overall health should be considered.
• Quality of patient care
  • Health regulators share a commitment to increasing the quality of patient care, especially regarding key aspects of mental and emotional health, as well as cultural safety.
  • Health care providers should adopt a “plain language approach” in all communications with patients to ensure that crucial information is easily understood.
• Access and transparency
  • Health regulators should increase access and transparency regarding public resources that address how to submit concerns and complaints.
  • To strengthen the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia’s (CPSBC) public resource related to accessing medical care without discrimination:
    • Use more graphics, bullet points, larger fonts, and lines to divide sections for a more readable document.
    • Include tips on how to initiate the conversation of misconduct with the physician, how to bring an advocate, how to make an appointment, and how to navigate conversations when feeling discomfort.
    • Provide an option to discuss concerns with the College first instead of submitting a complaint or speaking to their physician.

Additional engagement opportunities

AMALGAMATING COLLEGES BRAND CONSULTATION

The Ministry of Health has mandated the amalgamation of 11 existing health profession regulatory colleges by June 28, 2024, as part of its multi-year initiative to modernize British Columbia’s health profession regulatory framework. The amalgamating colleges have engaged the BC-PAN to identify and develop the visual identity, and messaging for the two new multi-profession colleges.

KEY LEARNINGS

• The public is not fully aware of the functions of a regulatory college.
  • Public-facing resources and communication on what the amalgamation process will mean should be a priority.
  • Accessible materials like posters, brochures and newsletters would be helpful in raising awareness, particularly in rural areas of BC.
• Public advisors were concerned that the amalgamation of these colleges would:
  • increase bureaucracy,
  • reduce administrative support,
  • and create tensions for health-care professionals.
• A transparent amalgamation process that increases accessibility is necessary in garnering the public’s trust in these new multi-professional colleges.

INDIGENOUS ANTI-RACISM CHANGES TO THE COBC COMPLAINTS PROCESS

The College of Opticians of British Columbia (COBC) invited the BC-PAN to participate in a safe knowledge sharing experience on their Indigenous anti-racism changes to its complaints system. As part of their commitment to cultural safety and humility, the COBC has been working to identify barriers in the dismantling of colonialism in opticianry care. The COBC aims to create significant changes that incorporate Indigenous perspectives. It also aims to and support the development of a complaints system that is culturally relevant, accessible, and safe for Indigenous people in BC who report safety concerns related to opticianry care.

KEY LEARNINGS

• In the past Indigenous patients have experienced a disproportionate degree of prejudice, and limitation when accessing health care, or health-care information.
• Public advisors shared that their indigeneity has created additional barriers in accessing a clear line of communication.
  • Colleges should prioritize developing strategies to enhance accessibility to information for Indigenous people seeking to file a complaint, or access additional mental health resources throughout the process. 

INDIGENOUS CULTURAL SAFTEY, CULTURAL HUMILITY, AND ANTI-RACISM

The CPSBC engaged the public advisors to provide input on its draft patient resource, which outlines key expectations set out in the Indigenous Cultural Safety, Cultural Humility, and Anti-racism practicestandard. To ensure the resource’s effectiveness, the CPSBC sought input from public advisors on the clarity, comprehension, and appropriateness of the content for the resource.

KEY LEARNINGS

• Use public-friendly, simplified language and ensure that the document reads at the recommended grade eight reading level for public materials.
• Condense information to be more succinct and less wordy.
• Improve the document structure by breaking down its content into smaller, more digestible sections.
• Incorporate more visuals/graphics.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR PHARMACY VISIT?

The College of Pharmacists of British Columbia (CPBC) engaged the public advisors for input on the development of principles outlining patient expectations for pharmacy care in the province. This initiative aimed to gather feedback on a one-page public-facing informational poster that will be displayed in all community pharmacies in BC. The discussion delved into the nuances of language, symbolism, and considerations for diverse communities – emphasizing the need for clarity and inclusivity.

KEY LEARNINGS

• Overusing inclusive language can inadvertently become exclusionary and potentially harmful to the original messaging.
• Public advisors emphasized the importance of intentional language in fostering accountability, particularly in ensuring positive patient experiences within pharmacy care.
• Public advisors recommended there be more efforts to clarify the distinction between health and medication records to ensure that patients are informed of their privacy and protection rights.
• Privacy and confidentiality standards within pharmacy care need revisiting, especially concerning communication in public spaces and the feasibility of private spaces in existing pharmacies.

FUTURES PROJECT INITATIVE

The College of Physical Therapists of British Columbia (CPTBC) engaged the public advisors for input on their new initiative, the FUTURES PROJECT. This initiative aimed to address the evolving challenges in health care by exploring prospective trajectories for the future of physical therapy in Canada. Objectives include identifying future health service environments, understanding patient needs, exploring the evolution of physical therapy, addressing potential disruptions, and rectifying historical inequities. The approach involved conducting a focus group session in January of 2023, where public advisors shared their diverse perspectives on expectations from the health-care system, the role of physical therapists now and in 2040, and necessary changes to enhance services over different timeframes.

KEY LEARNINGS

• Past efforts to define the future for the physical therapy profession have not led to meaningful change.
• The status quo is not an option.
• Challenges include workload constraints, lack of understanding on the role of the profession, financial limitations, and addressing health inequities.
• Collaboration among all people within the physical therapy profession is crucial for achieving a desired future state.
• Effective relationships are needed across local, regional, provincial, national, and global levels.
• Recognition of the significant role of innovation and technology, including AI, in the future of physical therapy, and regulation.