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CMTO to conduct consultation on proposed clinic regulation
The College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO) will embark on a public consultation to seek inputs from massage therapists, patients, other health professionals and businesses on the planned establishment of a clinic regulation model.
November 3, 2015 By Mari-Len De
In a letter to RMTs, CMTO registrar and CEO Corinne Flitton said the consultation – which will involve a preliminary draft of the regulation model – will assist the college in exploring the viability of a clinic regulation model in Ontario.
Last spring, the CMTO announced it was working with other health regulatory colleges to “explore options for overseeing the workings of clinics.” These colleges have since established a “working group” to explore whether pursuing a new model for clinic regulation would enhance public protection and strengthen the health-care system.
“While many clinics operate in the patients’ best interest, an increasing number of troubling cases are being brought to our attention and a model to hold clinics accountable does not currently exist,” Flitton explained in her letter. “In our view, clinic regulation would increase transparency by providing a public register of clinics, hold clinic owners accountable for acting in patients’ best interest, and establish safeguards against fraud and other inappropriate business practices.”
The CMTO outlined some of the aspects a clinic regulation model would provide:
• Clinic policies that allow the health professional to meet his or her professional obligation
• Safeguards in place to prevent professional credentials from being misused without the practitioner’s knowledge
• Billing system that accurately reflects the services provided
• Maintenance of adequate records for patients, and appropriate access by the RMT to those records to facilitate care
• The ability of a RMT to notify the regulator on concerns about practices at the clinic without fear of reprisal
“Health regulatory colleges have a mandate to protect the public. However, achieving that mandate effectively can be a challenge in a system imposing obligations only on individual professionals, rather than their workplaces,” said Flitton, explaining the rationale for the proposed clinic regulation.
According to Flitton, the consultation will take place in the fall and winter.
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