Consultation on Standard of Practice: Interdisciplinary Care & Delegation of Tasks

Thank you for taking the opportunity to provide feedback on our draft Standard of Practice.

Your input will inform the Standard of Practice and ensure that it:

reflects current practice issues,
embodies the duties of medical professionalism, and
is consistent with the College’s mandate to act in the public interest.

Please note: All feedback collected through this survey is anonymous.

The draft Standard of Practice can be found here.

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* 1. Which best describes you? (select all that apply)

Family physician

Family physician - Emergency Medicine

Royal College specialist physician

Patient/member of the public

Healthcare administrator

Physician educator

Other (please describe)

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* 2. If you are a physician, do you practice medicine in an interdisciplinary setting

Yes

No

N/A - I am not a physician

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* 3. If you are a physician, do you delegate tasks to other healthcare team members?

Yes

No

N/A - I am not a physician

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* 4. The new draft Standard states:

Interdisciplinary care must be focused on the patients’ best interests. Physicians are expected to understand their individual role and the role of other interdisciplinary team members, as defined by each member’s training, experience, and scope of practice. Each regulated member of the team is responsible and accountable for the care they provide.

Do you support these statements?

Yes

No

Unsure

I do not have an opinion on these statements

Please feel free to expand on your answer.

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* 5. The new draft Standard states:

Tasks that fall within a physician’s scope of practice may be delegated to a healthcare team member, if it is in the best interest of the patient and it is done so in accordance with this Standard of Practice.

Physicians must only delegate the performance of tasks which they have the knowledge, training, experience, and professional liability coverage to perform themselves. Physicians must also be satisfied that individuals to whom they delegate have the knowledge, skills, and judgment to perform the delegated task competently and safely.

Do you support these statements?

Yes

No

Unsure

I do not have an opinion on these statements

Please feel free to expand on your answer.

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* 6. The new draft Standard states:

After delegating a task, a physician must provide a level of supervision and support that is proportionate to the risk associated with the delegation and is reflective of the following factors:

the specific task being delegated;

the patient’s specific circumstances (e.g., health status, specific health-care needs);

the setting where the act will be performed and the available resources and environmental supports in place; and

the education, training, and experience of the delegate.

If following an assessment of the associated risk, a physician reaches the opinion that onsite supervision is not necessary, the physician must ensure they are available to provide appropriate consultation and assistance.

Do you support these statements?

Yes

No

Unsure

I do not have an opinion on these statements

Please feel free to expand on your answer.

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* 7. The new draft Standard states:

In appropriate circumstances, physicians may elect to delegate a task through the issuance of a written medical directive. These written orders are issued by a physician to a healthcare team member and pertain to any patient who meets the specific criteria set out in the medical directive. Medical directives provide the authority for another individual to carry out the tasks that are specified in the directive, provided that certain conditions and circumstances exist.

Do you support these statements?

Yes

No

Unsure

I do not have an opinion on these statements

Please feel free to expand on your answer.

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* 8. The new draft Standard states:

Physicians must ensure that medical care provided through delegation is documented in accordance with the College’s Standard of Practice on Medical Records Documentation Management. This includes documenting who performed the task and the authorizing physician.

For written medical directives, the following information must be included:

the task being ordered;

the specific clinical conditions that the patient must meet before the directive can be implemented;

any situational circumstances that must exist before the directive can be implemented;

a list of contraindications to implementation of the directive;

a list of individuals authorized to implement the directive; and

the name and signature of the physician authorizing and responsible for the directive and the date it becomes effective.

Do you support these statements?

Yes

No

Unsure

I do not have an opinion on these statements

Please feel free to expand on your answer.

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* 10. Please share your comments and/or concerns about the draft Standard.

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* 9. Are there any gaps in the draft Standard which you think we should address?

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* Please feel free to answer the following additional questions regarding your demographics.

Information collected will allow us to ensure we have reached a diverse group of survey respondents and identify any trends.

Optional Question 1: In which NL Health Services zone or geographic region do you reside?

Eastern - Urban

Eastern - Rural

Central

Western

Labrador Grenfell

Outside of Newfoundland and Labrador

Prefer not to disclose

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* Optional Question 2: How do you identify?

Female

Non binary

Male

Prefer not to disclose

Prefer to self-identify (use textbox below)

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* Optional Question 3: Which category includes your age?

19-39

40-59

60+

Prefer not to disclose