Weekly COVID-19 update December 17, 2020 Welcome to the first of what will be a weekly COVID-19 update email bulletin to provide non-urgent yet important information and answer questions that have been posed to our office. This new update is part of our ongoing efforts to keep members informed about public health responses to the pandemic. If you have questions related to policy, procedures, control measures, safety, or any other topic pertaining to effectively responding to COVID-19 in your practice, please send them to registrar@albertachiro.com. Dear Colleagues,
Thank you for your continued consideration and support for the public health efforts in Alberta. The commitment and consideration you are demonstrating are an integral part of being a self-regulated profession in Alberta. With the new restrictions coming into force December 13, 2020, the ACAC has received some questions that are best served by responding to all members. These questions are:
Can I continue to provide home visits to patients?
Home visits are approved in the ACAC COVID-19 Pandemic Practice Directive and they are allowable under the current public health restrictions. Please remember that as you visit the homes of your patients to adhere to all of the requirements of the Practice Directive to ensure your safety and the safety of those in the home.
Can I hire my massage or athletic therapist to support patient care? The ACAC recognizes that for many of your patients, treatment plans including other therapies offered in our offices are what is required for their recovery.
The answer to this question requires some nuanced considerations. Standard of Practice 4.2 - Clinical Services Provided by Unregulated Healthcare Providers provides clear directions to chiropractors on their responsibility to the public and their staff. The clinical responsibility for the patient’s care remains with the chiropractor, as the regulated health-care provider.
If a decision is made to employ a therapist to assist you in the delivery of care to your patients, it is an adjunct to your care. The therapist is practising under your practice permit and liability insurance, not under their license and their liability insurance, which means the risk and liability for all their actions are your responsibility. The care that they provide must be directed by you, and properly recording that care in the SOAP notes is your responsibility. As these services are provided under your practice permit, they can be billed to chiropractic benefits only. You cannot advertise that they are providing massage or athletic therapy services.
To inform your decision, start by reading the ACAC SP 4.2 in its entirety. Once you have a complete understanding of this Standard, it is essential to consider the risk and responsibility for the patient’s care and the safety of your staff, your patients, and yourself.
The current public health orders must be considered in your decision-making to ensure that you are compliant with the Orders. With nuances considered, the answer is yes, you could hire them if you decide that your risk, your liability, your responsibility, and your compliance with the public health orders are satisfied.
What is the ACAC policy on vaccines? Vaccination is not within the scope of chiropractic practice in Canada. Notwithstanding, the ACAC recognizes that vaccination is a safe and effective public health practise for the prevention of infectious diseases. The ACAC directs members to refer all patient questions, consultation, and education regarding immunization and vaccinations to the appropriate public health authorities and/or health professional whose scope of practice includes vaccination.
We will continue to monitor the current COVID situation and provide you information and guidance.
Other notes: The ACAC is operating with limited in-office staff due to current COVID-19 restrictions. This means the ACAC phone line will not be answered personally, so callers will need to use the internal directory to direct your call to a staff member. Response times to your enquiry by phone or email will be responded to within 24-48 hours.
The ACAC office will be fully closed for the holiday break starting 12 p.m. on December 24. We will re-open at 8 a.m. on January 4, 2021.
If you experience a COVID-19 emergency and you cannot obtain guidance from public health, you can email registrar@albertachiro.com and the regulatory team will aim to get back to you within 24 hours.
Warm Regards, Dr. Todd Halowski ACAC Registrar |