FEATURE
“We can’t target everything with the same
amount of energy. The matters with the
greatest urgency in terms of public safety
must be our biggest priority.”
be vulnerable to potentially harmful
situations with the knowledge to
contribute to their prevention.
In a recent presentation to hos-
pital presidents and chiefs of staff,
Dr. Whitmore said the College
is developing new tools that will
increase our proactive engagement
with physicians at all stages of
their careers and help create condi-
tions most favorable to ensuring
their success.
Dr. Nancy Whitmore,
Registrar/CEO
A right touch regulation framework
that includes accessible tools to help
physicians self-manage the course
of their careers is fundamental to
modernizing medical regulation. It
also allows us to be more transpar-
ent about our expectations, said Dr.
Whitmore.
“Applying the right touch prin-
ciples sets the stage for what medi-
cal regulation should be in the 21st
century,” said Dr. Whitmore.
MD
Elements at the core of Right Touch Regulation
Identify the problem before the solution
The problem must be properly described and fully
understood before a solution is found.
Quantify and qualify risks
Quantifying risks means gauging the likelihood of harm
occurring and its severity. Qualifying risks means looking
closely at the nature of the harm, and understanding how
and why it occurs.
Get as close to the problem as possible
Understand the context in which the problem arises and
the tools available to address the harm.
Focus on the outcome
The outcome should be both tangible and measurable,
and it must be directed towards the reduction of harm
Use regulation only when necessary
Once a problem has been fully considered, serious
thought must be given as to whether regulation is the best
tool to address it.
Keep it simple
If one cannot explain the purpose of a particular
regulation, it will not work.
Check for unintended consequences
Regulating to remove one risk without a proper analysis of
the consequences may create new risks.
Review and respond to change
Regulation strategy needs to be flexible enough to
respond to new evidence that calls for change.
Source: Professional Standards Authority
ISSUE 4, 2018 DIALOGUE
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