The Articulator

Volume #3, Journal #1 July 1998

Internship Changes

The Registration Committee has completed an in-depth review of the internship and recommended to the Board of the College that the length of the internship be reduced to "not less than 450 hours". At its meeting of April 5,1998 the Board approved the recommendation.

Currently the Bylaws require a student registrant to complete an internship in excess of 2500 hours. The length of the internship was established by the Dental Technicians and Denturists Board. The review found that the internship was educationally invalid for a number of reasons. In determining the proposed length of internship the Registration Committee considered the mandate of the College - to serve and protect the public, the improvements to the licensure exams, and the ability of the College to oversee an internship.

The change in the length of the internship will not take effect until the modified Bylaw is approved by Cabinet.

Logo Design Selected

The College is pleased to present its new logo. In 1996 the Board of the College began the task of developing a logo. Initially registrants were asked to submit designs for a panel to review. One design was submitted however it was not accepted. Subsequently a graphic artist presented a number of different designs. Over the past six months the Board considered the designs and approved the selected one at its meeting of April 5,1998.

All registrant will be receiving a new licensure certificate by the end of the year..

The Board

Jim Connolly

Doug Hengel

Frieda Home

Peter Jensen

Ron Postings

Doug Smith

Gary Stewart (Chair)

Erna Swan

Betty White (Vice Chair)

Registration

Registration renewal for the 1998-1999 year is complete. Registrants in all categories have a registration certificate for display.

It is the responsibility of Active Registrants to ensure that Student or Temporary Registrants are in fact registered. There is no longer a requirement for assistants to be registered and therefore cannot provide any intra-oral services or release any denture or repair with prior examination by an Active Registrant.

Practitioners with two or more offices should contact the Registrar to have duplicate registration certificates and Public Information Certificates sent to them.

Executive Committee

Gary Stewart (Chair)

Jim Connolly

Betty White

Discipline Committee

Betty White (Chair)

Ron Postings

Gary Stewart

Inquiry Committee

Jim Connolly (Chair)

Gary Feldman

Doug Smith

Quality Assurance Committee

Frieda Home (Chair)

Peter Jensen

Erna Swan

Jim Connolly (non voting member)

Patient Relations Committee

Ron Postings (Chair)

Doug Smith

Betty White

Registration Committee

Doug Smith (Chair)

Betty White

Peter Jensen

College Memo to Registrants

The Ombudsman has suggested that the Board's memo to registrants , dated January 12,1998, may leave the impression that her office has approved the College's consent order procedure when, in fact, it hasn't.

Legal Counsel for the College feels that the procedure satisfies principles of administrative law, due process and natural justice.

Nicky Hagel has suggested that the memo may leave the impression that her committee, the Patient Relations Committee, was aware of specific details involving two complaints of alleged professional misconduct of a sexual nature when in fact it wasn't. The entire Board did discuss the nature of the alleged conduct but only in general terms.

The Articulator is the Newsletter of the College of Denturists. Information is meant to be as accurate as possible. In the event of a disagreement the Act, Regulation, and/or Bylaws will prevail.

Letters to the Editor are welcome.

John Mayr

Editor

The Articulator

#305 321 Sixth Street, New Westminster BC, V3L 4A5

Patient Records

All registrants must keep patient records in accordance with the Bylaws of the College. The requirements apply regardless of a registrant's practice situation. For example, a registrant who practices in association with a dentist or other related health professional must keep his/her own records or have unrestricted access to those records. Section 74 of the Bylaws states that all registrants must keep, for each patient, records which include:

· Name and address;

· Case history, findings obtained, treatment provided,

instructions given;

· Regular progress reports;

· A record for each date on which the patient was seen and;

· Records for each financial transaction.

Further, all registrants must ensure adequate security to ensure the confidentiality of records. If a patient requests his/her records a registrant must release, to the patient or his/her designate, a complete copy of the record.

Internal Trade Agreement

The Internal Trade Agreement is federal/provincial legislation designed to eliminate barriers to the movement of goods and services across provincial boundaries. Chapter Seven deals with labour mobility including denturists.

The guidelines set forth the main obligations:

Eliminate Residency requirements. The College of Denturists does not have any residency requirements.

Competency Based Testing The College of Denturists uses a variety of competency based testing methods.

Materials Published All materials are published and available to the public.

Recognition and Reconciliation of Occupational Standards. The College will participate in the development of a national examination which would qualify successful candidates to practice in any Canadian jurisdiction without having to complete further examination.

Barriers permissible subject to four conditions:

1. The objective must relate to :

Public security, safety, and order;

Protection of human, animal, or plant life or health and,

Consumer protection.

(* There are 10 categories listed within the Guidelines. Only the three above relate to professional regulation)

2. The measure does not impair unduly the access of workers who meet that legitimate objective.

3. The measure is not more mobility-restrictive that necessary to achieve the legitimate objective.

4. The measure does not create a disguised restriction to mobility.

Guidelines are available from the Ministry of Labour, Government of BC., 818 Broughton St., 3rd Floor Victoria British Columbia V8V 1X4 Attention Mr. S. Clark.

Inquiry Committee

Section 59(4) of the Bylaws requires that a summary of consent orders be published in the Newsletter.

"Mr. Raoul Anderson acknowledged that he failed to establish office policy which would eliminate the incorrect completion of insurance claim forms and/or having patients sign incomplete forms"

This statement is a result of an agreement between legal council for the College and Mr. Anderson.

Objectively Structured Clinical Exam

The Registration Committee and the Board approved the use of a new exam format. An eight station Objectively Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) will be delivered in July. The OSCE is in addition to the usual theory and practical examination formats. OSCE format exams are used by a variety of professions requiring clinical evaluation of candidates.

Candidates will proceed through a number of timed stations. Each station is either a patient model or technical situation. Patient models are scripted to ensure that all candidates are tested in the same way. Technical situations require candidates to assess, analyse, evaluate, and judge a situation. The examiner scores how the candidate responds to each situation based on objectively determined criteria. Candidates are not aware of the nature of each situation prior to entering the station.

The Registration Committee invites interested registrants to participate in assisting with further development of stations. This process includes the development of a situation that a registrant may encounter in practice, a script for a patient model (if required), and the scoring criteria. Those interested in participating as either an examiner or in the development process are asked to call the Registrar at 515-0533.

The College wishes to establish a database of patient models for use in OSCE's. These "patients" may have physiological, psychological, and/or pathological features. If you have a patient in your practice that may be interested in participating please contact the patient and ask them to contact the Registrar.

Expenses and a small per diem are paid for participating as either a developer or patient model. Continuing education credits area also available to developers.

A Policy Statement for the selection of Clinical Examiners is inserted in this Newsletter. Please review the policy to determine if you are eligible to participate.

Registrant's Handbook

A handbook for registrants of the College is in the final stages of preparation. The handbook will be resource guide for registrants and will include the latest Health Professions Act, Bylaws, and guidelines related to the practice of Denturism.

Once completed a copy will be sent to all registrants.

Other Committee Activities

Quality Assurance

· Reviewing method of qualifying and assigning Continuing Education credits.

· Developing a way to compare quality, over time, with other bodies (Quality Indicators).

Patient Relations

· Finalize the Patient Relations Program pamphlet - Professional Misconduct of a Sexual Nature.

Executive Committee

· Ongoing review and update of annual budget.

Discipline Committee

· Finalize results of discipline survey.

If you wish to participate in committee activity, or have any questions please call the College Office.