Annual Report 2015 | Page 21

Protecting and eMpowering

Public members of Council and members of the medical profession sit together on the Inquiries , Complaints and Reports Committee ( ICRC ) and carefully consider all the facts of these cases . Dr . Robert McMurtry , an orthopedic surgeon , and Ms . Joan Powell , a public member , are members of the ICRC .

Investigations photo : D . W . Dorken

Sometimes , the College will receive information that raises possible concerns with a physician ’ s care or behaviour . A duty of medical regulation is to investigate such concerns .

The Inquiries , Complaints and Reports Committee ( ICRC ) oversees all investigations into physician care , conduct , and capacity . This includes all public complaints , broader practice ( Registrar ’ s ) investigations and inquiries into incapacity .

Registrar ’ s investigations and incapacity investigations remain small in numbers proportional to public complaints . They are , however , often more intricate than most patient-related complaints , which require looking at the patient ’ s record and relevant information related to the patient ( complainant ’ s ) concerns . Registrar ’ s investigations include review of 25 patient charts by an external assessor , interviews , and often observation . Incapacity investigations include various types of external health assessments , interviews , and review of records .

What trends are we seeing ?

Over the past few years , we have seen an increase in the following types of investigations :

• screening potential patients for admission into practices ;

• physician advertising ;

• care and record keeping in walk-in clinics ;

• billing concerns ;

• infection control practices ;

• diagnostic testing without clinical indication ;

• concerns about inflated cost of lenses , ophthal-

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