25 February 2016
IN THIS NEWS BULLETIN
The Board is aware of discussion in some segments of the profession about perceptions of the direction the College has taken. The Board supports and encourages healthy discussion of policy issues among the profession; however, it is clear that serious misconceptions still exist, and that outright misinformation is being distributed by some registrants. The Board provides clarity in an open letter to registrants at the link below.
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The Board has decided to
table the proposed amendments to Bylaw Part 2 (College Board) and will not move
forward with them at this time. This is the bylaw that deals with succession of
executive board officers as well as eligibility requirements for board members.
Vice-President and Governance
Committee Chair Dr. Erik Hutton wrote a letter to registrants to explain why we
are holding off on the proposed changes.
Despite the tabling, you are still welcome to comment on the proposed bylaw change by email to consultation@cdsbc.org before the consultation close date on 20 March.
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"This has been a hot issue for registrants and we have been working behind the scenes with government and other health regulators to address it. I am pleased to announce that at our February meeting, the Board approved a motion to remove spousal treatment from the sexual misconduct provisions of the Health Professions Act and the Bylaws."
-- Dr. David L. Tobias, CDSBC President
The
introduction of the Health Professions Act and the CDSBC Bylaws in 2009
defined any sexual relations with a patient as professional misconduct of a
sexual nature. The Ministry of Health recently shifted its thinking and has
advised all health regulators that the government will not impose the specific
contents of a patient relations program. The Ministry expects health regulators
to deal with this as an ethical issue.
With this in
mind, the Board is seeking to amend CDSBC’s patient relations bylaw so that
spousal treatment would not be included in the definition of “professional
misconduct of a sexual nature.” The proposed wording to be added to Bylaw Part
13 (Patient Relations) reads:
13.03
(5)
It
is not professional misconduct of a sexual nature to provide dental services to
one’s spouse; rather, that is a matter of professional ethics involving
(a)
patient autonomy;
(b)
free, full and informed consent by the patient; and
(c)
objectivity of care on the part of the practitioner.
The proposed
amendment to Bylaw Part 13 (Patient Relations) will be posted for a 90-day
consultation period ending 27 May 2016. Registrants, partner
organizations and the public are all invited to comment. The Board will review
and consider all submissions. If approved, the amendment will be filed with the
Ministry of Health.
Will this
amendment mean that dentists can treat spouses?
Practitioners
must continue to use their professional judgment in determining whether
treatment is appropriate on a case-by-case basis and in consideration of the
ethical factors set out in the new guideline document Boundaries in the Practitioner-Patient Relationship
(see announcement below). The College has defined this as an ethical issue and
is providing guidance to registrants in the Boundaries guideline. For this
reason, it would be inappropriate for the College to make a statement one way
or the other.
If approved,
the amendment to the Patient Relations Bylaw would mean the simple fact that a
dentist has treated their spouse will no longer constitute professional
misconduct of a sexual nature. If a complaint were received, it would be
analyzed by the Inquiry Committee as a question of ethics, patient autonomy,
and informed consent, as discussed in the Boundaries guideline.
More
information about the consultation and instructions for submitting feedback are
available at the link below.
To submit your feedback now, email consultation@cdsbc.org.
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The guideline
document, Boundaries in the Practitioner-Patient Relationship
was revised last fall and approved by the Board at the February meeting. The
guideline considers the question of when it is appropriate to enter into a
practitioner-patient relationship and sets out the ethical obligation of
registrants to ensure the treatment is appropriate.
The document
– which has been endorsed by both the BC Dental Association and the
College – provides guidance to registrants to help recognize conflicts and
gives advice on how to resolve these conflicts.
Read the joint letter of support.
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About 60 people – including registrants,
representatives from the BC Dental Association, Certified Dental Assistants of BC,
and dental component societies – gathered with CDSBC committee members, board
members and staff on 20 February for a workshop on how to use engagement to
develop better policy.
This highly participative workshop was facilitated
by Susanna Haas Lyons, an engagement specialist who develops strategy
and provides training for better conversations that lead to decision-making. This was the first
step in our work to change the way we develop policy and to engage our
registrants and other stakeholders. To read more about the workshop purpose and
objectives, view the agenda at the link below.
Photo from L to R: Dr. Rob
Staschuk, BCDA President-Elect; Dr. Erik Hutton, CDSBC Vice-President; and Dr.
Chris Hacker, CDSBC Complaint Investigator
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The deadline to renew your registration or certification is 1 March 2016. Log into your account on the online system to complete your renewal and make your payment.
Once you have
completed the renewal process online, payment can be made online by Visa, MasterCard
or Interac from your bank account. You can also mail a cheque or money order
payable to CDSBC or pay in person at the CDSBC office in Vancouver during
business hours (Monday-Friday from 8:00am-4:30pm.)
Note: If you do not renew
on time, you are not permitted to practise until you have reinstated, and an
additional reinstatement fee will apply.
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"Proper communication between dentists in the office is critically important"
Read tips and observations straight from the desk of CDSBC staff dentists. In practice tip #3, Dr. Sujay Mehta shares a case of miscommunication between a principal dentist, associate dentist and patient. Read his recommendations to encourage communication in your practice.
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CDSBC regularly leads
presentations and holds workshops for registrants around the province. Visit
the College's events page for an up-to-date listing of where we will be in the
coming months.
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Our office will be closed Friday, 25 March and Monday, 28 March for the Easter holidays. We will reopen at 8:00am on Tuesday, 29 March 2016.
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This
Contact News Bulletin is distributed to registrants for the College of
Dental Surgeons of BC. It is one of CDSBC's official methods of
notification to its registrants. Registrants are responsible for
reading College publications to ensure that they are aware of current
standards, policies and guidelines.
