QUALITY ASSURANCE REVIEW
The CMLTO Quality Assurance Program (QAP) has been implementing significant improvements to the College evaluation process as well as each program component, which will impact all registrants who hold a Practising certificate of registration.
The program updates came into effect on January 1, 2021.
As with all programs, it is best practice to identify, evaluate, and implement meaningful changes to ensure a program effectively meets its objectives. The CMLTO Board, Quality Assurance Committee (QAC), and College staff have worked diligently to engage stakeholders, research industry trends, and embed best practices within the updated QAP. The review processes were led by the CMLTO Board’s guiding principles that focused on enabling registrants’ continued competence.
The Quality Assurance Program components have not changed. The Quality Assurance Program includes a series of annual declarations that registrants self-report their compliance with during the annual renewal process and those components defined by the Medical Laboratory Technology Act, 1991, that include:
- Professional portfolio
- Practice review
- Competence evaluation
What has changed are the requirements for each component. Program requirements can include how often MLTs are required to complete a specific Quality Assurance Program component, what constitutes a completed component, when components are due, etc.
An overview of the updated program requirements is provided below. Please review the Registrants Quality Assurance section on the College’s website (linked here) for the detailed program requirements.
The graphic below provides a visual layout of the current Quality Assurance Program requirements along with the updated program requirements:
CMLTO QAP component
| Current requirements | Updated requirements |
|---|---|
| Professional portfolio | |
| Annual cycle (Jan. 1 – Dec. 31) | Annual cycle (Jan. 1 – Dec. 31) |
| Self-assessment | Self-assessment including the Practice Improvement Self-assessment Module (PRISM) |
| A minimum of 2 learning goals with at least one based on the self- assessment results | A minimum of 2 learning goals with at least one based on the self-assessment results |
| A minimum of 30 hours of professional development |
All Practising regstrants must submit their completed self-assessment including PRISM and their initial learning goal development by March 31st |
| Registrants submit their portfolio if they are randomly selected for audit or upon QAC request | A minimum of 30 hours of professional development |
| Registrants submit their completed portfolio by December 31st when they are randomly selected for audit once in a 5-year cycle or upon QAC request | |
| Practice review | |
| 25 multiple choice questions based on the CMLTO Standards of Practice | 30 multiple choice and True/False questions based on the CMLTO Standards of Practice in alignment with the Practice Review blueprint |
| Registrants complete the Practice Review if they are randomly selected for audit or upon QAC request | Registrants complete the Practice Review when they are randomly selected for audit once in a 10-year cycle, or within 2 years of becoming a Practising member by any means (i.e., changing class, reinstating, new member), or upon QAC request |
| Competence evaluation | |
| In-person assessment facilitated by 2 CMLTO Assessors consisting of 15 behavioural and/or situational questions based on the CMLTO Standards of Practice | In-person assessment facilitated by 2 CMLTO Assessors consisting of 15 behavioural and/or situational questions based on the CMLTO Standards of Practice |
| QAC directs a registrant to complete the CE assessment | QAC directs a registrant to complete the CE assessment |
| Annual declarations | |
| 4 declarations | 5 declarations |
| Completed during the annual renewal process | Completed during the annual renewal process |
The CMLTO has seven statutory Committees that are responsible for the administration of the various College programs. In accordance with the Medical Laboratory Technology Act, 1991, the Quality Assurance Committee shall administer a QAP which shall include:
- continuing education or professional development designed to,
-
- promote continuing competence and continuing quality improvement among the registrants,
- address changes in practice environments, and
- incorporate standards of practice, advances in technology, changes made to entry to practise competencies and other relevant issues in the discretion of the Council;
- self, peer and practice assessments; and
- a mechanism for the College to monitor registrants’ participation in, and compliance with, the quality assurance program. O. Reg. 142/10, s. 1.
CMLTO Quality Assurance staff support the QAC in meeting their obligations by administering, monitoring, and reporting on program requirements.
All Practising CMLTO registrants are required to participate in the Quality Assurance Program. Therefore, present and future Practising registrants are affected by the program changes.
The current and updated program processes for non-compliance are the same. If a registrant does not meet their QA obligations they may be referred to the Quality Assurance Committee for review. The QAC may exercise one or more of its powers under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, that may include:
- Requiring individual registrants whose knowledge, skill and judgment have been assessed under section 82 and found to be unsatisfactory to participate in specified continuing education or remediation programs.
- Directing the Registrar to impose terms, conditions or limitations for a specified period to be determined by the Committee on the certificate of registration of a registrant,
- whose knowledge, skill and judgment have been assessed or reassessed under section 82 and have been found to be unsatisfactory, or
- who has been directed to participate in specified continuing education or remediation programs as required by the Committee under paragraph 1 and has not completed those programs successfully.
- Directing the Registrar to remove terms, conditions or limitations before the end of the specified period, if the Committee is satisfied that the member’s knowledge, skill and judgment are now satisfactory.
- Disclosing the name of the registrant and allegations against the member to the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee if the Quality Assurance Committee is of the opinion that the registrant may have committed an act of professional misconduct, or may be incompetent or incapacitated. 2007, c. 10, Sched. M, s. 58.
The updated program will take effect on January 1, 2021. It is each Practising registrant’s responsibility to understand and comply with the updated program requirements.
Throughout 2020, CMLTO staff engaged registrants through various webinars, presentations, and written communications. The specific details (i.e., dates, times) were communicated with registrants through CMLTO’s newsletter, FOCUS, and website. Registrants must ensure they have given the CMLTO a valid email address that they check regularly and do not unsubscribe from FOCUS, and review the website frequently to ensure they receive the most up-to-date information.
If you require further information about the Quality Assurance program, please contact CMLTO staff by email at qualityassurance@cmlto.com.
