College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta
In all honesty, if someone asked me on Monday what the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta was, my response would have been … “duh a college”. Not my brightest moment in life I must say; however, Dr. Trevor Theman joined us on Tuesday to clarify the role of the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta [CPSA].
Dr. Trevor Theman is the Registrar of the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta. Trevor is a keen advocate of quality and measurement in medical practice and believes that the future of medical regulation is in the use of databases to proactively monitor processes and outcomes around quality patient care.
To begin, the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta is not:
· The Alberta Medical Association;
· The College of Family Physicians of Canada;
· The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada;
· Alberta Health [Government];
· Alberta Health Services.
The College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta actually regulates the practice of medicine in Alberta. Their mandate includes:
Register physicians: The CPSA reviews a physician’s education, post-graduate training and, when necessary, arrange assessments to determine whether applicants are ready to practice. Physician qualifications and practice details are reviewed annually.
Accredit health facilities: (e.g. diagnostic imaging, laboratories, non-hospital surgical services) The CPSA inspects facilities, using stringent clinical and safety standards, and approve the physicians who work in these facilities.
Provide clinical review: The CPSA looks at data (including prescribing patterns, Continuing Professional Development activity and practice demographics) to identify at-risk practices. We conduct assessments when necessary and work with identified physicians to make improvements. A College-sponsored program provides all physicians with feedback on their practice performance on a five-year cycle.
Investigate and resolve physician-related complaints
Contribute to public policy affecting health care delivery
Guide professional conduct and ethical behavior: The Code of Ethics, Standards of Practice and Code of Conduct outline the College’s expectations of Alberta physicians.