Competence & Quality Dietetic Services
- Registration Program
- Quality Assurance Program
- Practice Advisory Program
- Patient Relations Program
- Standards and Compliance Program
Registration Program
The Registration program ensures that:
- Only qualified and competent people become RDs in Ontario;
- Only CDO members use the RD title;
- Registration practices are fair, objective, transparent and impartial;
- The Register of Dietitians is accurate and current;
- Financial resources to regulate and support RDs in the interest of the public.
- Establishing the standards of qualification for persons to be issued a Certificate of Registration
- Providing info to public/applicants
- Assessing qualifications
- Administering equivalency assessments
- Issuing certificates of registration
- Renewing Registrations - information collection and payment
- Investigating and handling inappropriate use of RD title
- Working with the Alliance of Canadian Dietetic Regulatory Bodies to (Mutual Recognition Agreement)
Quality Assurance Program
The Quality Assurance Program of the College of Dietitians of Ontario was launched in the Fall of 1998 to fulfill requirements set out by the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991. The QA Program develops, operates and monitors learning and assessment tools to support Registered Dietitians in continuing competency and education to enhance the delivery of high quality dietetic services to the Ontario public.
Program goals include:
- Maintenance and improvement of competence;
- Raising the bottom-line performance by focusing on client outcomes;
- Identifying and addressing issues with competence that can be remediated.
All members of the College, regardless of their employment status or area of practice and including members practising and/or residing out-of-province, are required to participate in the Quality Assurance Program.
The QA Program has four components:
- Self assessment and Professional Development
- Collection, Analysis and Dissemination of Information
- Practice Assessment and Remediation
- Assessment and Remediation re behavior and remarks of sexual nature
- Jurisprudence Knowledge and Assessment Tool
- Practice Assessment Program
- Self Directed Learning Tool
- Practice Enhancement
Practice Advisory Program
The Practice Advisory Program supports compliance with standards, provides advice, assistance and education to members on practice issues such as standards, laws, ethics and regulations. It provides the following services:
- One-to-one support to members
- Practice articles published in résumé
- Workshops/presentations to members
- Online resources, including a future webcast resource
Patient Relations Program
The Patient Relations Program Provides information and services to support the public's access to RDs and CDO's services and enhance relations between RDs and their clients and, by extension, the public.
The Patient Relations Program is responsible for:
- Public education / communications
- Member education
- Developing information regarding value-added of RD services
- Maintaining system for funding for counselling and therapy of sexually abused clients
- Staff training for handling complaints of a sexual nature
Standards and Compliance Program
The Standards and Compliance Program develops and maintains programs and standards to assist individuals to exercise their rights under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA) and to ensure that RDs practice competently and ethically in keeping with the standards and laws that affect them.
Standards and Compliance ensures a fair, effective, transparent and legal way to handle issues of conduct, competency/fitness to practice in keeping with the RHPA. It relates to the Discipline Committee, the Fitness to Practice Committee and the Complaints Committee. It works with Patient Relations to prevent and address sexual abuse of patients. It provides the following services:
- Screening
- Case management
- Investigations
- Hearings
- Issuance of decisions and reasons regarding remediation and undertakings
