Note: This article was originally posted in our August 2015 newsletter, and has not been updated.
As part of the ongoing review cycle of College Standards, Council approved on September 30th, 2015 a revised Code of Ethics and Laboratory Testing Standard.
Code of Ethics
The CMO’s Code of Ethics establishes the core values and principles that guide midwives in their work. Council approved revisions to the Code of Ethics, resulting from member feedback during the 60-day consultation period, as well as a jurisdictional scan of other midwifery and health care colleges, and changes proposed by our legal counsel. Revisions to the Code of Ethics also were made to reflect inclusive language in regard to the gender expression of midwives and their clients.
Laboratory Testing
The College is currently pursuing amendments to the list of laboratory tests that midwives are authorized to order, in recognition that the current list has significant limitations for the delivery of optimal maternity care services to clients. Midwives will be invited to comment on the proposed revisions to lab testing authority in the coming months.
In the meantime, Council has revised the Standard on Laboratory Testing to replace the list of tests they can order (which was based on Appendix B of the Laboratories Regulation under the Laboratory and Specimen Collection Centre Licensing Act) with a link to Appendix B of the Laboratories Regulation itself.
The laboratory tests midwives are currently authorized to order are outlined in a regulation that is managed by the Labs Branch of the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC). These tests, and their associated codes, are listed in Appendix B of the Laboratory and Specimen Collection Centre Licensing Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. L.1. The CMO developed its Standard, Laboratory Testing, by repeating this list but categorizing each test according to the client it applies to (i.e., mother, baby, father/donor) in order to provide additional guidance and direction to midwives. A recent inquiry by the MOHLTC about which tests midwives are authorized to order suggested that our Laboratory TestingStandard lacked clarity. By removing the categorized list, the Standard is clearer and midwives can exercise their own clinical judgement when ordering the laboratory tests in Appendix B. CMO staff will regularly review the MOHLTC laboratory regulation providing guidance to members if changes to the list are made.
All comments are reviewed before being posted publicly to ensure they meet the Posting Guidelines. Your name and email will not be published with your feedback, however, you will be identified as a member of the public, a midwife, or a stakeholder. Email addresses are required to ensure that individuals provide feedback only once. If you prefer to provide feedback using a different format, including email, or if you have any questions about the consultation, please contact us as cmo@cmo.on.ca.