Meaningful Engagement
help patients and caregivers understand doctors ’ responsibilities with respect to continuity of care ( as set out in the CPSO ’ s policies ) and to outline the steps they can take to complement doctors ’ efforts . The Guide also includes important information about the health-care system and has fillable and printable tools that can be used by patients and caregivers . To learn more about how the CAG contributed to this work , please watch this video , Continuity of Care Guide for Patients and Caregivers .
While the pandemic remains top of mind for everyone , we would be remiss if we failed to mention the other big news story of 2020 . The death of George Floyd in the United States created an uprising across the world and brought the uncomfortable truth of racism , inequality , and white privilege to the forefront of public consciousness . In the wake of this summer ’ s Black Lives Matter protests , countless organizations came out with statements on racism and injustice . That included many hospitals , health care bodies and medical associations . In the spirit of continuous improvement , CPSO began looking at ways we could address the systematic racism and inequality that exists here , in Ontario ’ s own health-care sector . This resulted in a series of articles published in our magazine , Dialogue , covering the topics of anti-Black racism , anti-Indigenous racism , and implicit bias in health care . In the piece on anti-Black racism , Dr . Onye Nnorom , President of the Black Physicians ’ Association of Ontario , told Dialogue that she was cautiously optimistic whether the movement will continue to have momentum . “ We will see over coming months and years who will walk their talk and engage in real , meaningful , uncomfortable institutional change ,” she says .
We believe , like Dr . Nnorom , that change must come from the top . For the CPSO , that means making our leadership diverse and equitable . Over the last year , the College has considered opportunities and the importance of increasing the diversity of our Council and Committees . We are reaching out to groups and associations with memberships that are underrepresented on Council , encouraging the groups to share with its members the importance and value in running in Council elections . We believe a diverse Council is crucial in allowing us to draw on different perspectives and enhance our effectiveness as a regulator . But we must also consider what work is required to not only diversify the organization but also to support equity and inclusion in all that we do . To that end , we appointed Dr . Saroo Sharda as Equity , Diversity , Inclusion Lead for the College to determine how best to help us determine how to achieve these goals .
Staying open and available during intense conversations is critical to see us making meaningful change . Quite simply , it is the only way forward .
Social Media
One of our chief ways to meaningfully engage with physicians , patients and the public at large is through social media . This is especially true when it comes to medical students , medical residents , and younger physicians , as these are the spaces where they are most likely to be found . All of our platforms saw an increase in followers in 2020 , with Instagram leading the pack with a 235 % growth in audience , which is mainly due to the deliberate attempt to rapidly and directly post and engage new users last year .
In 2020 , engagement was high on Instagram and Twitter , especially due to key posts about eDialogue articles on social issues , pandemic-related information and advice , and policies .
40 // CPSO ANNUAL REPORT 2020