Practitioners Selling Products and Services
When health care providers engage in the sale or endorsement of products or treatments, it may constitute a conflict of interest. At the same time, some members of the public may desire access to these additional services or products. Understanding what the public may find questionable, unethical or confusing when health providers endorse or sell products or treatments will be helpful for the colleges in regulating conduct.
Practitioners Leaving Practice
Health care providers may leave their practice when moving to another location, retiring, or discontinuing care for any number of reasons. Some colleges set out clear expectations for health care providers who are leaving practice, while others do not. Colleges would like to learn what the public advisor’s expectations are of health care providers who are leaving practice to help guide practice standards, guidelines, and patient resources.
Complementary and Alternative Therapies
Public advisors gave their perspectives on the use and regulation of complementary and alternative therapies in the healthcare professions.
College Complaints Process
Regulatory colleges are responsible for ensuring that health care practitioners provide qualified, safe,
and ethical care- in part by responding to complaints from the public about health care practitioners. Colleges wanted to hear about the public advisors’ experiences, expectations, and obstacles related to filing a complaint so they can seek out ways to improve the pubic experience throughout each stage of the complaints process.
Public Support Outside the Complaints Process
Not all unsatisfactory interactions with a health care provider are appropriate for the formal complaints process. Colleges learned how they can better address questions from the public about their interactions with a health care provider so they can make informed decisions. BC-PAN members considered what the patient’s needs might be and how colleges can respond to those needs, within their mandate and capacity.
Ethical and Professional Use of Social Media by Health Care Practitioners
Health care practitioners may use social media to provide health information to the community, improve patient and public health outcomes, develop a professional network, increase personal awareness of news, and/or educate and interact with patients, caregivers, students and colleagues. Colleges asked BC-PAN for input to better understand the public’s expectations of health care practitioners who use social media and explore potential risks that may be associated with its use.
Virtual Care
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, use of virtual methods to access care has increased. The college partners are interested in the advisors’ experiences with virtual care during and prior to the pandemic, as well as the public’s expectations moving forward. College partners would like to seek guidance on how colleges can support an effective public experience with virtual care.
Modernization of Health Professions Regulation
Colleges aimed to gain insight from public advisors to help inform next steps in regards to regulatory changes in British Columbia.
What is Regulation?
The first BC-PAN meeting took place in a boardroom provided by the BCCNM. Public advisors learned about the role and mandate of regulatory colleges, the pressures colleges face, and the implications of the Cayton report.