Ontario’s
College of Physicians and Surgeons is doing good work with its
transparency project. Too bad it’s doing most of it in secret.
It should come as no surprise that Ontario’s medical watchdog, long-criticized for protecting physicians, is working on a new transparency plan — in secret. Plus ça change.
As the Star’s Theresa Boyle reports, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario is quite rightly considering making public some additional information on doctors accused of wrongdoing. After years of Star investigations involving medical malpractice secrets, this is a welcome proposition.
The problem is, since the college began working on the proposal last summer, it has listened to the doctors’ input but patient advocates like malpractice lawyers say they were unaware changes were being considered. Once again, the public is left out.
Before September, when the college’s governing council decides whether to amend its bylaws and allow public notices for discipline cases, it should consider listening to advocates with medical malpractice expertise. Surely, their knowledge is worthwhile.
As malpractice lawyer Paul Hartre says, the college “gives far greater consideration to the interests of doctors that it is supposed to police than the public it is supposed to protect, with the result that patient safety is frequently neglected.” He has a point.
The college’s decision is an important one. It is being watched by regulatory colleges across Ontario, willing to let it take the lead on transparency and public accountability. They have a reason to be watchful.
As the Star’s Kenyon Wallace reported earlier this year, disciplinary measures called “cautions,” for mistakes or bad behaviour, are not made public by Ontario’s 21 health regulatory colleges, including those representing doctors, optometrists and physiotherapists.
While the college is now pondering how to post information on its website, doctors’ groups like the Ontario Medical Association oppose some suggestions, saying the information could harm doctors’ reputations. In September, the college will decide whether to post decisions that have allowed doctors to have their licenses reinstated and the status of disciplinary hearings. They should take those steps.
That’s just the first phase. The second, starting in 2014, has the potential to offer even more scrutiny and could include “cautions,” criminal convictions, bail conditions and findings of regulatory bodies in other jurisdictions. These are all welcome changes.
Of course, doctors’ groups will push back. It’s time patient advocates had the opportunity to push change ahead for health accountability.
Source: thestar.com Published on Wed Jul 03 2013
It should come as no surprise that Ontario’s medical watchdog, long-criticized for protecting physicians, is working on a new transparency plan — in secret. Plus ça change.
As the Star’s Theresa Boyle reports, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario is quite rightly considering making public some additional information on doctors accused of wrongdoing. After years of Star investigations involving medical malpractice secrets, this is a welcome proposition.
The problem is, since the college began working on the proposal last summer, it has listened to the doctors’ input but patient advocates like malpractice lawyers say they were unaware changes were being considered. Once again, the public is left out.
Before September, when the college’s governing council decides whether to amend its bylaws and allow public notices for discipline cases, it should consider listening to advocates with medical malpractice expertise. Surely, their knowledge is worthwhile.
As malpractice lawyer Paul Hartre says, the college “gives far greater consideration to the interests of doctors that it is supposed to police than the public it is supposed to protect, with the result that patient safety is frequently neglected.” He has a point.
The college’s decision is an important one. It is being watched by regulatory colleges across Ontario, willing to let it take the lead on transparency and public accountability. They have a reason to be watchful.
As the Star’s Kenyon Wallace reported earlier this year, disciplinary measures called “cautions,” for mistakes or bad behaviour, are not made public by Ontario’s 21 health regulatory colleges, including those representing doctors, optometrists and physiotherapists.
While the college is now pondering how to post information on its website, doctors’ groups like the Ontario Medical Association oppose some suggestions, saying the information could harm doctors’ reputations. In September, the college will decide whether to post decisions that have allowed doctors to have their licenses reinstated and the status of disciplinary hearings. They should take those steps.
That’s just the first phase. The second, starting in 2014, has the potential to offer even more scrutiny and could include “cautions,” criminal convictions, bail conditions and findings of regulatory bodies in other jurisdictions. These are all welcome changes.
Of course, doctors’ groups will push back. It’s time patient advocates had the opportunity to push change ahead for health accountability.
Source: thestar.com Published on Wed Jul 03 2013
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