Note: This article first appeared in the Spring 2021 edition of our On Call newsletter. Click here to read the full issue.
In light of the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, midwives will not be required to report on their participation in the Quality Assurance Program for the 2020-21 year.
The COVID-19 pandemic has posed tremendous challenges to Ontario’s health care system. Midwives, as integral care providers in the system, have been under increasing pressure since March 17, 2020 when an Emergency Order was first enacted in Ontario.
Since that time, midwives have been providing essential care to Ontario clients in a constantly shifting health care environment that is now at its most critical state since the COVID-19 outbreak was declared 14 months ago.
Midwives have had to continually adapt their practice to keep up with changes such as revised clinical practice guidelines and recommendations on Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC). One recent example is the April 21 order, when O.Reg 305/21 was enacted authorizing regulated health care providers to work outside their professions’ legislated scope of practice to meet the needs of our strained health care system.
Working in this unpredictable environment has also led to the multiple reports of higher levels of stress and burn-out among health care providers than existed pre-pandemic.
To alleviate some of the pressure midwives are experiencing and to recognize the ongoing learning they continue to participate in as a result of the pandemic, the College has decided to exempt midwives from their Quality Assurance Program (QAP) reporting this year.
Midwives would have been due to report on your participation in the 2020-21 cycle of the QAP by October 1, 2021. An exemption means that you will not be required to report on your participation in the QAP for the 2020-21 year.
We still encourage midwives to continue participating in quality assurance activities, but in an effort to reduce your administrative responsibilities, you will not be required to report. We will share details about how you will apply for the 2020-21 exemption as we approach the renewal period.
Quality Assurance Program in 2022 and beyond
The College is also making changes to the QAP in coming years. Some of the biggest changes include:
- Moving from a 1-year to a 3-year reporting cycle,
- Reporting by members registered in all classes of registration,
- Accepting both peer and interprofessional case reviews with no limit on the number of interprofessional reviews,
- No pro-rating of activities for members registered in the inactive class for part of the year, and
- Using learning goals to track continuing professional development activities.
We will provide more information on how the changes to the QAP will affect your reporting later this year but wanted to give a brief overview of the changes now. If you have any questions please feel free to email qap@cmo.on.ca and we will be in touch.