Press Release

College to develop program of professional assessment and enhancement for physicians

Halifax, April 28, 2000 - Dr. Patricia Pearce, President of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia, has announced the College's intention to develop a program of physician professional assessment and enhancement. The College expects to test a limited-scale pilot project within the next two years. The pilot project and any larger-scale program that follows it will be non-punitive in orientation and administered at arm's length from the College's disciplinary processes.

"We recognize that large numbers of physicians already feel pushed to the limit by numerous demands on their time as they strive to practice quality medicine in the midst of shrinking resources," said Dr. Pearce. "However, we also recognize that maintaining current knowledge and high standards of practice are among the most important obligations of all practicing physicians."

Dr. Pearce's announcement follows a stakeholder conference held by the College to forge a consensus on how best to respond to growing demands for professional quality assurance. The group agreed upon a model of professional assessment and enhancement endorsed by the Canadian Federation of Medical Licensing Authorities (FMLAC) in which all physicians participate and receive constructive feedback.

Conference participants also agreed that the program should involve assessments that focus on physicians' practice environment, and that the assessments should involve input from the assessed physicians themselves, their peers, their patients, and their co-workers.

In preparing its pilot project, the College will examine programs of physician assessment and enhancement that have recently been introduced in Ontario and Alberta. The College has pledged to solicit and actively consider input from its members in the design and implementation of the pilot project and any larger scale program that follows it.

-30-

Contact:
Bruce Thorne
Manager, Policy and Communications
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia
Suite 5005, 7071 Bayers Rd.
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3L 2C2

Phone: (902) 421-2212
Cell: (902) 499-6403
Toll-free in Nova Scotia: 1-877-282-7767
E-mail: bthorne@cpsns.ns.ca

(Updated January 29, 2003)
Back