Registrar's Report September 2020 Registrar's message
Dear Colleagues,
Last month, the ACAC conducted a ThoughtExchange with members to address concerns related to COVID-19 exposures. The intention of this ThoughtExchange is to develop a resource for our members indicating how to handle different types of exposures.
Thank you to everyone for participating and sharing your thoughts. They were insightful, thoughtful and patient-centered. I wanted to take a moment to touch on something that some chiropractors, along with many Albertans, are beginning to experience: pandemic fatigue. We are now six months into the pandemic and it’s understandable that fatigue is setting in. Many of us are tired of talking about the pandemic, hearing about it on the news and planning our lives around it. However, I implore you to continue to be vigilant in these trying times. Alberta remains under a state of Public Health Emergency, and we owe it to our patients to continue to uphold rigorous cleaning and safety standards to mitigate the threat of contracting COVID-19.
Please remember that the pandemic is not something to be made light of—just a few months ago, clinics were shut down and the future of the practice environment looked uncertain. It is through the combined effort of all practitioners taking the pandemic seriously, following strict cleaning procedures and screening protocols, that we can continue to practise through the ongoing pandemic.
Our patients depend on our care,, and trust that we are providing them a safe space to receive treatment. The only way we can continue to uphold the trust of the public is by continuing to follow Public Health guidelines as well as requirements outlined in the ACAC COVID-19 Pandemic Practice Directive. This is essential to our personal safety and the continued success of the profession.
As a result of Bill 30, in the near future, 50 per cent of ACAC governance will be occupied by public members. This shift means that chiropractors must remain unwavering in their partnership with the public. By upholding Public Health measures in the face of pandemic fatigue, you show your dedication to the public and the profession. Thank you for your continued vigilance in building public trust.
Regards,
Dr. Todd Halowski Registrar
Thank you to all Council candidates Thank you to the Council candidates who participated in the election this year. It is wonderful to see genuine interest from members to volunteer their time as leaders in the profession. Elections require bravery and vulnerability on the part of candidates to share their ideas and thoughts on the direction of the profession. The election is only the beginning of the candidates volunteering.
Per the ACAC Bylaws, the elected candidates will officially be declared at the Annual General Meeting on Sunday, September 20. Once declared, these members will begin learning their roles and the principles of good governance, as well as connecting with the membership.
Current CC Credit count CC credits must be completed by June 20, 2021.
Renew your registration by September 30 The deadline to complete 2020/2021 annual membership renewal is quickly approaching. If you have not yet completed renewal, you can do so by clicking the orange "Renew your Registration" button in your members' centre. Please do not use the green "Proceed to Pay" button at the bottom of your profile—this will only process payment, not complete your renewal forms.
A webpage has been developed to answer any questions surrounding renewal. This page has a step-by-step guide that clearly outlines all renewal requirements, including:
Failure to complete renewal by September 30, 2020, will result in a $400 late fee. Your practice permit will be suspended or cancelled, and this will result in an additional $300 reactivation fee.
Not planning to renew? If you do not intend to renew your permit, you must change your status to non-practicing by September 17, 2020. You can do this by requesting a change in status. Doing so will allow you to remain a member in-good-standing and help prevent difficulties you might otherwise encounter in future attempts at licensure in Alberta or elsewhere.
Processing your change in status can take up to 10 business days, so please keep this in mind when you submit your application.
Preparing for professional corporation renewal on October 15 Professional corporation renewal will start on October 15, 2020, and run until November 23, 2020.
In order to actively hold a professional corporation, members must hold an ACAC endorsement of their corporation. We recommend the following steps to prepare for your professional corporation renewal:
If you have reviewed the five steps above and can truthfully answer "yes" to the declarations above, then you are prepared to renew your professional corporation.
More information on completing your professional corporation renewal will be published in October.
Motivation for clean and clear SOAP notes Written by: Dr. David Opresnik
I have yet to come across a doctor of any profession that loves charting. It is typically one of those dreaded tasks that comes with the territory of doing what we do best, being in the service of others as health-care professionals. The SOAP note has evolved in its format from a one-liner on a recipe card to a digital masterpiece, resplendent with tick boxes and multi-coloured diagrams. Regardless of these changes and any future iterations, one constant should remain: the purpose of the note.
The SOAP note is the way we document each patient encounter. It lets us know what’s going well with treatment and when changes are required. When it is clear and specific, it makes it easier to provide better care to your patients. If another doctor in the clinic treats your patient, there will be better continuity of care when they don’t require a cereal box decoder ring to make sense of the cryptic message. Should third-party insurers or personal injury lawyers scrutinize your charts, an accurate description of each patient visit will be your best defense.
Regardless of the all the great reasons for documenting well, I find it a healthier choice if one is motivated to do so because they want to provide the best care they can for their patients. In our current world of uncertainty, there is more than enough fear and anxiety to go around. In my experience, fear-based motivation like lawsuit avoidance should never be a primary reason for writing great SOAP’s, but to each their own.
Keep writing the best SOAP notes you can, for the sake of your patients. If your handwriting is as horrible as mine, switch to EMR.
For more information on SOAP notes, you can read SOAP Notes: The Foundation of Demonstrating Treatment Legitimacy.
Mandatory record-keeping course to be available soon The ACAC mandatory record-keeping course will be introduced in early October. This will be an annual mandatory course and proof of completion will be required at the ACAC office no later than June 20 annually as a condition of renewal. In consideration of COVID-19, Council has approved the motion to cover the cost for this mandatory training in the first year. In subsequent years, members will be required to pay to complete the record-keeping course annually. Completion of the course will also earn each member 4 CC credits annually. For perspective, all other provinces across Canada already participate in a mandatory record-keeping course.
Resource for using social media as a practitioner
Discipline reporting
Highlights: Return to Practice feedback survey We want to hear how implementation of the Return to Practice plan is going in your clinic. Please submit your feedback to us using this survey. Email for CC submissions If you have earned a certificate of completion from an eligible CC seminar or from a mandatory Standard First Aid with CPR-C/AED training, we strongly encourage you to forward it to the ACAC office now. Fax: 780-425-6583
Certificates are normally processed within 10 business days. CC credits will appear in your profile once processing is complete. Diagnostic image viewing AHS will stop providing CDs of diagnostic images. In order to view these images, you will need Netcare access.
If you already have Netcare access, please stop requisitions for CDs and start to use the Netcare portal to view all diagnostic images.
MVA and DTPR: Diagnostic and treatment protocols Now is a good time to brush up on your knowledge in the processing and handling of MVA. In light of COVID-19, please remember vaccination and immunization are not within the chiropractic scope of practice.
The ACAC directs members to refer all patient questions, consultation and education regarding immunization and vaccination to the appropriate public health authorities and/or health professional whose scope of practice includes vaccination.
We continue to screen members’ web and social media for compliance with the Advertising Directive.
Please ensure you are regularly reviewing your website and social media accounts and removing any content in contravention. |