Health Monitoring

Health Monitoring

The College’s Quality division is responsible for confidential and supportive health monitoring in cases where physicians have health concerns.

Health monitoring ensures public safety by monitoring physicians with health concerns. Health concerns could include:

• a condition affecting manual dexterity
• a condition affecting visual acuity
• cognitive impairment
• a mental health diagnosis
• a substance-use disorder
• a blood-borne pathogen
• any other health condition that might reasonably be expected to impact the practice of medicine

Using appropriate health monitoring protocols the College may oversee a registrant’s health concerns while allowing a registrant to continue to practice.

Assessing a Health Concern

In order to ensure patient safety, the Quality division investigates any health concerns and takes appropriate action. The following factors are taken into consideration when assessing a registrant’s health condition:

• impact on fitness to practice
• input from treating physician(s)
• scope of practice
• potential of future risk

Duration of Health Monitoring

Health monitoring typically involves recommendations of care providers, and may be short or long in its duration, depending on circumstances. The duration of health monitoring may be longer or indefinite with a progressive, intermittent or recurrent condition. In the case of substance use disorders, health monitoring typically lasts for several years. In the event of a substance use disorder relapse, health monitoring can continue for the remainder of a registrant’s professional career.

During Health Monitoring

During health monitoring the College will remain in contact with a physician’s care providers and receive information regarding the physician’s health status and fitness to practice. Progress reports received from care providers will confirm whether the registrant:

• continues to be a patient
• is compliant with treatment recommendations
• is compliant with biological monitoring (if applicable); and,
• is fit to practice medicine

Before Returning to Practice

Before a physician can return to practice, the Quality division:

• will require confirmation of fitness to practice from a registrant’s care providers
• may impose conditions or restrictions on a registrant’s practice