Th Funeral Consumers Alliance and the Consumer Federation of America have issued a report evaluating consumer information provided by state funeral regulators. The report considered how well funeral home regulators' websites inform the public on their legal rights when making funeral arrangements, suggest smart shopping strategies, explain how to file complaints, and identify funeral homes that have been subject to disciplinary actions. The report found seven states that provide excellent consumer information and 33 states that provide poor or no information. The remaining ten states provided some information but perhaps not under a prominent consumer topic heading. The report gives examples of model website elements, such as ease of use and clarity, an easy-to-use complaint form, complete information on disciplinary actions, and relevant information on consumers' rights and price disclosures.
June 30, 2021
June 16, 2021
Illinois: new bill requires explanation for license denial
A new bill in Illinois will require the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to give explanations to candidates if their license application is denied due to a criminal conviction, specifically telling them how the conviction would prevent them from safely performing the job. The department must also include information on its website about specific criminal convictions and restrictions that prohibit people from working in licensed occupations.
June 02, 2021
Changes considered to physician assistant title
In May, the American Academy of Physician Assistants voted to change the official title of the PA profession to "physician associate," at the recommendation of a healthcare marketing research and branding firm hired by the academy. The American Osteopathic Association has issues a statement against the title change, citing that the change could create confusion for patients and risk their safety.
March 31, 2021
UK Department of Health and Social Care publishes proposed changes to healthcare regulation
The UK Department of Health and Social Care has published proposed changes to healthcare regulation and opened a public consultation. The aim of the reform is to make healthcare professional regulation "faster, fairer, and more flexible and to minimize costs to registrants." The consultation includes "detailed proposals to modernize each of the healthcare professional regulators' legislative frameworks." The proposed reforms cover four key areas: governance and operating framework, education and training, registration, and fitness to practice.
Just a few highlights:
- devolve many of the decisions about day to day procedures to the regulators themselves
- create a duty to co-operate, specific duties in relation to transparency, and a duty to assess the proportionality of changes to rules and procedures before they are introduced
- power for all regulators to set their fees without Parliamentary oversight
- power to set standards for and approve specific courses or programs of training rather than just the providers
- a consistent framework for fitness to practice across all regulators
- regulation of physician associates and anesthesia associates
Julie Maciura with Steinecke Maciura LeBlanc offers analysis and commentary on the consultation paper in the April issue of Grey Areas
March 24, 2021
Newfoundland and Labrador colleges create complaints facilitator role
The College of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board, and the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador have established a new position known as a complaints facilitator. The complaints facilitator will assist individuals in the process of filing an allegation or complaint. The colleges aim to "expand access to regulatory services" and provide support for individuals who "may find the complaints process intimidating."
February 03, 2021
CSG Justice Center releases "Removing Structural Barriers to Employment" playbooks
The Council of State Governments Justice Center has released a national playbook to "outline specific actions policymakers can take to reduce the negative impacts of employment-related collateral consequences" for people with criminal records. Recommendations include eliminating the use of vague terms to describe triggering offenses in favor of licensing entities listing out specific offenses that could affect licensure eligibility, as well as removing triggering offenses that do not have clear public safety implications in the context of the license sought. To promote transparency and consistency, the playbook recommends the development of specific guidance about how convictions should be considered, a pre-application determination of eligibility, and a written explanation to applicants if denied. The state playbooks show progress made in each state towards the five key goals in the national playbook.
November 24, 2020
UK: Health and Social Care Secretary aims to streamline processes and reduce bureaucracy
The Health and Social Care Secretary in the UK has issued a report setting out a comprehensive strategy to streamline processes and reduce bureaucracy in professional regulation, making permanent some of the changes that resulted from the pandemic. The report lists eight priority areas for action and is informed by feedback from frontline health and care staff about excess bureaucracy they face in their day-to-day jobs.
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Data and information will be shared, asked for and used intelligently
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System and professional regulation will be proportionate and intelligent
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Day-to-day staff processes will be simple, helpful and effective
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The government will legislate to make procurement rules more flexible
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GPs will have more time to focus on clinical work and improving patient care
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Medical appraisals will be streamlined and their impact increased
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There will be greater digitisation of services
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A supportive culture is needed at a national and local level
November 18, 2020
New Jersey: recent laws affecting health care practitioners
The New Jersey Health Care Transparency Act will require advertisements for licensed health care practitioners to include the specific license they hold. In-person care will require communication of the specific license and degree through a name tag or visible identification.
Another bill changes training requirements for psychologists, allowing unpaid "experience" completed prior to earning a doctoral degree to meet the two years of professional "employment" required of licensure applicants.
November 11, 2020
Alberta bill proposes centralized healthcare registry
The Health Statute Amendment Act in Alberta would create a centralized online registry of health professionals. The proposed legislation would also allow additional health service providers to access the Alberta Electronic Health Record and would establish regulation for healthcare aides under the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta. The bill also proposes the separation of the regulatory colleges from the professional associations for the six colleges that are not already separate.
UK: proposed changes to architect regulation
The UK Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government is conducting a consultation on proposed amendments to the Architects Act 1997. The Building Safety Bill would allow the Architects Registration Board to set requirements and criteria for continuing professional development and establish the power to remove architects from the register for failure to comply. The ARB website would also be updated to allow disciplinary orders to be listed next to the name of the architect. The proposal also presents two options for the recognition of architects qualified in the EU and other countries.
