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Glossary

Assistive Devices Program (ADP)

Provides consumer centered support and funding to Ontario residents who have long-term physical disabilities and to provide access to personalized assistive devices appropriate for the individual’s basic needs¹.

Electronic medical Records (EmR)

Is a computer-based client record specific to a single clinical practice, such as a family health team or group practice18. EMRs include devices that contain Personal Health Information (PHI), such as:

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magnetic media (such as hard drives, magnetic tapes)
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electronic drives (such as solid-state drives, USB flash drives, memory cards)
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mobile devices (such as smartphones, tablets)

Express Consent

May be in oral or written form. Examples of express consent are having a client complete a signed consent form or having a client verbally consent in the presence of another health care professional.

Health Information Custodian

Responsible for collecting, using and disclosing personal health information on behalf of clients. A HIC is generally the institution, facility or private practice health practitioner that provides health care to an individual.¹

Home Care Company

Is a catch-all term used to describe businesses that provide a variety of services and equipment to clients in the community setting. RTs who work for home care companies may provide trach care, home oxygen, Non-Invasive Positive Pressure Ventilation (NIPPV), etc.

Implied Consent

Is determined by the action of the patient. Implied consent may be inferred when performing a procedure with minimal risk that the client has previously consented to and acts in a manner that implies their consent.

Independent Practice

Respiratory Therapists may be self-employed. The CRTO recommends that RTs consult with a lawyer and/or an accountant before deciding to start their own businesses as there are many legal and practical considerations, in addition to their professional obligations to clients and the CRTO.

Identifying Information

Information that identifies an individual or for which it is reasonably foreseeable in the circumstances that it could be utilized, either alone or with other information, to identify an individual.

Personal health Information (PhI) –

Subject to certain exceptions set out in PHIPA, PHI refers to information about an individual in oral or recorded form that relates to:
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The physical or mental health of an individual

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The provision of health care to the individual

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The individual’s health card number

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The identification of the individual’s substitute decision maker (if applicable)

Reasonable Grounds

Refers to the information that an average person, using normal and honest judgment, would need in order to decide to report.

Registered Respiratory Therapists (RRTs)

Has been issued a General Certificate of Registration because they have met all academic requirements and has successfully completed the registration examination or evaluation approved by the CRTO, or met the registration requirements under the Ontario Labour Mobility Act, 2009. If a Member holds a General Certificate of Registration, they must use the designation RRT and may use “Registered Respiratory Therapist” or “Respiratory Therapist” as their professional title.

Standards of Practice

Described the requirements that all RRTs must meet for professional practice. The Standards contain practice parameters which should be considered by all Ontario Respiratory Therapists in the care of their clients and in the practice of the profession.

Substitute Decision-maker (SDm)

Means a person who is authorized under s.20 of the Health Care Consent Act to give or refuse consent to a treatment on behalf of a person who is incapable with respect to the treatment.

Terms, Conditions and Limitations

Members of the CRTO may have terms, conditions, and/or limitations imposed on their certificates of registration. These may be imposed by regulation or by one of the CRTO’s statutory committees.

Third Party Payer

any organization/agency (other than the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), or self-payment by the patient) that fully or partial funds the health care services that a client receives (e.g., the MOHLTC’s Assistive Devices Program; private insurance companies).

How this Guide Links to the Professional Misconduct Regulation

1. BUSINESS PRACTICES

19. Submitting an account or charge for services that a member knows is false or misleading.

20. Charging a fee that is excessive in relation to the service rendered.

21. Failing to disclose the fee schedule or payment structure prior to delivery of services or failing to provide the patient or patient with sufficient time to refuse the treatment and arrange for alternative services.

22. Failing to itemize an account for fees charged by the member for professional services rendered,
i. if requested to do so by the patient or patient or the person or agency who is to pay, in whole or in part, for the services, or
ii. if the account includes a commercial laboratory fee.

23. Selling any debt owed to the member for professional services; this does not include the use of credit cards to pay for professional services.


i How changing patient expectations will impact your practice. http://practicemanagement.dentalproductsrepoRT.com/aRTicle/how-changing-patient-expectations-will-impact-your-practice?page=0,1 (July, 2018)

ii CRTO Standards of Practice, Standard 1 – Business Practices

iii Ibid.

How this Guide Links to the Advertising Regulation

(1) In this Part, an advertisement with respect to a member’s practice includes an advertisement for gases used for medical purposes, equipment, supplies or services that includes a reference to the member’s name.

(2) An advertisement with respect to a member’s practice must not contain,
(a) anything that is false or misleading;
(b) anything that, because of its nature, cannot be verified;
(c) a claim of expertise in any area of practice, or with respect to any procedure or treatment, unless the advertisement discloses the basis of the expertise;
(d) an endorsement other than an endorsement by an organization that is known to have expertise relevant to the subject-matter of the endorsement;
(e) a testimonial by a patient or patient or former patient or patient or by a friend or relative of a patient or patient or former patient or patient; or
(f) anything that promotes or is likely to promote excessive or unnecessary use of services.

(3) An advertisement must be readily comprehensible to the persons to whom it is directed.

(4) A member must not permit his or her name to be used in an advertisement that contravenes subsection (2) or (3).

(5) A member must not advertise by initiating contact, or causing or allowing any person to initiate contact, with potential patients or patients or their personal representatives either in person or by telephone, in an attempt to solicit business.

(6) Despite subsection (5), a member may advertise by initiating contact with a potential patient or a personal representative of a potential patient if the potential patient does not personally use or consume the gases, equipment, supplies or services that are the subject of the advertisement.

(7) A member must not appear in, or permit the use of his or her name in, an advertisement that implies, or could reasonably be interpreted to imply, that the professional expertise of the member is relevant to the subject-matter of the advertisement if it is not relevant. O. Reg. 596/94, s. 23.

FOOTNOTES

17. MOHLTC. Retrieved from http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/adp/

18. Canada Health Infoway. Retrieved from https://www.infoway-inforoute.ca/en/solutions/digital-healthfoundation/electronic-medical-records

19. Personal Health Information Protection Act. (2004). Available from: http://www.elaws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_04p03_e.htm