CMTBC has developed a new standard of practice on consent. This proposed standard of practice contains:

• Detailed requirements for RMTs to follow when obtaining consent from patients;
• An appendix with defined terms;
• Requirements for application to practice  when determining a patient’s capacity to give consent, obtaining consent from minors, communicating during the consent process, and documenting consent;
• A summary of relevant legislation. 

Read the proposed standard of practice on consent on the Proposed Standards of Practice page.

The College has been researching and developing the consent standard of practice since 2016, with contributions from RMTs and public representatives on the Patient Relations Committee and the Quality Assurance Committee, and staff. The CMTBC Board has approved the release of the proposed standard of practice to the profession and the public for an eight-week notice period, from August 27 to October 22, 2018. During the notice period, any RMT or member of the public may submit comments about the proposed standard of practice by email to [email protected].

The College will consider all comments received before submitting the standard of practice to the CMTBC Board for final approval in November 2018.  

“The proposed consent standard helps RMTs understand their legal and professional obligations relating to consent and emphasizes patient-centred care,” says CMTBC Registrar and CEO Eric Wredenhagen. “While the Health Professions Act does not require the College to provide a public notice period for new standards of practice, CMTBC is releasing proposed standards to be transparent and consultative.”

Standards of practice define:

• The minimum level of expected performance for registered massage therapists; and
• What constitutes safe, ethical, and competent delivery of care by RMTs.

Under section 19 of the Health Professions Act, the CMTBC Board may establish “standards, limits or conditions” for practice as part of its Bylaws. To date, standards of practice have been contained in Schedule D of the CMTBC Bylaws. The proposed standard on consent is the second stand-alone standard of practice to be developed by the College, following the standard on boundaries, which has been approved by the CMTBC Board and took effect on July 1, 2018.