Quality Assurance

Registrants/Quality Assurance

CMTBC Quality Assurance (QA) Program

The Health Professions Act requires that CMTBC “maintain a continuing competency program to promote high practice standards amongst registrants”.

The current cycle of CMTBC’s QA program (Cycle 11) runs from November 1, 2016 to October 31, 2018. RMTs must meet their Cycle 11 requirements to be able to renew registration for 2019.

These requirements include completion of online courses that provide information about patient care and assess individuals’ understanding of that information. In addition, RMTs may choose courses in their preferred areas of practice, attend university, or participate in professional conferences to complete their requirements.

Continuing education credits (CECs)

Cycle 11: November 1, 2016 – October 31, 2018

RMTs receive continuing education credits (CECs) for Cycle 11 by completing approved activities. To search for continuing education activities that have been approved for Cycle 11, see Approved Continuing Education Activities.

RMTs who are active registrants for half or more of Cycle 11 are required to accumulate 24 CECs. Of those 24 CECS, RMTs are required to complete 10 CECs from CMTBC professional development (PD) category online courses, and 14 CECs from approved activities either in practical education that furthers hands-on skills through in-person course delivery, or from approved activities in the professional development categories described below. See CMTBC online courses to learn more about the CMTBC category of online courses for Cycle 11.

RMTs who are active registrants for less than half of Cycle 11 are required to accumulate 12 CECs. Of those 12 CECs, 10 must be acquired through completion of CMTBC-category online courses. The remaining 2 CECs can be completed from approved activities either in practical education or from the professional development categories described below.

Registrants who are inactive for more than half of Cycle 11 have different credit requirements:

Inactive registration for more than half of Cycle 11, but Active for part of the Cycle: 12 CECs are required. Of those 12 CECs, RMTs complete 10 CECs from CMTBC-category online courses, and 2 CECs from approved activities either in practical education or from approved activities in the professional development categories described below.
Inactive registration for all of Cycle 11: Exempt from CEC requirements.

RMTs need to complete required activities before the end of the cycle, October 31, 2018. Failure to complete required continuing education by that date will result in a fine, in an amount set by CMTBC’s Bylaws.

For more information, see the FAQ on QA requirements for Cycle 11.

Report CECs for Cycle 11

RMTs need to report completed activities/continuing education credits (CECs) in the CMTBC Portal by November 15, 2018. To report activities/credits, log in to the Portal and click the “Report Continuing Education Activities” box on the Welcome page, or click “Continuing Education (CE)” in the menu at the left. Then follow the prompts for reporting activities/credits.

Please note that your list of completed continuing education activities and credits earned to date for Cycle 11 will be available in the CMTBC Portal as of November 15, 2017.

CMTBC online courses

CMTBC online courses present legislation, published guidelines, and case scenarios specific to RMTs’ practice environments, and cover essential knowledge about regulatory requirements to support RMTs in practice. Completion of CMTBC-authored courses results in CMTBC professional development (PD) CECs. Completion of a San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training course also results in CMTBC CECs.

Watch the following video to learn about enrolling in CMTBC online courses, tips on navigating the courses, and how to succeed in the exam:

RMTs must complete 10 CMTBC CECs in Cycle 11. There are currently three courses available for you to earn CMTBC credits:

CMTBC-authored courses:

Social Media Awareness for Massage Therapists: 5 CMTBC CECs. This course allows RMTs to reflect on professional practice and responsibilities as a regulated health professional, in the context of everyday use of social media platforms.
- While it is generally understood that separating one’s personal use of social media (e.g. Facebook, Instagram) from professional practice is important, additional requirements are contained in legislation such as the Personal Information Protection Act and CMTBC’s Bylaws regarding RMTs’ use of social media.
- The course reviews legislation, principles, and standards in the context of everyday practice, and offers examples and case-based scenarios to illustrate the application of these principles and standards to health care services.
- Four modules cover social media use by health professionals, issues of privacy and confidentiality, the significance of upholding professional standards and values, and marketing and advertising standards in the context of social media.

See Preview Versions of CMTBC online courses below for information on how to access a preview version of this course before enrolling in it.

Health Care Records: Standard for Patient Records and Privacy Legislation: 5 CMTBC CECs. This course introduces RMTs to CMTBC Bylaws’ Schedule “E” – Standard for Patient Records. This practice standard outlines requirements for RMTs to keep health care records, protocols for record retention, transfer, and disposal, considerations for when a registrant ceases practice, and registrants’ obligations to provide the College with access to patient health care records when requested to do so. The course makes use of interactive tools to demonstrate ways for RMTs to meet the requirements set out in Schedule “E” and other important resources:

See Preview Versions of CMTBC online courses below for information on how to access a preview version of this course before enrolling in it.

San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training, Provincial Health Services Authority-authored course:

Indigenous Cultural Competency Training for Health Care Providers – Core ICS Health Training: 5 CMTBC CECs. The San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training Program is developed and offered by San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training, Provincial Health Services Authority Aboriginal Health Program.

As part of CMTBC’s commitment to making the health system more culturally safe for First Nations and Aboriginal People, the College’s Quality Assurance Committee has approved one of the San’yas courses – Core ICS Health Training – on an equivalent basis to CMTBC-authored courses.

Information about the Core ICS Health Training course from the San’yas Indigenous Cultural Training, Provincial Health Services Authority website:

“The Core ICS Health is specific to those who work in the health care field and the goal is to improve access to health services and health outcomes for Aboriginal people …”

RMTs can enroll directly via the San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training, Provincial Health Services Authority website, on the registration page for the course.

When going through the registration steps, ensure you select the course titled Core ICS Health, Indigenous Cultural Competency Training for Health Care Providers. Other courses offered by San’yas are not approved for CMTBC CECs.

Payment of the $250 course fee is made to the Provincial Health Services Authority Aboriginal Health Program.

On completion, RMTs who submit the San’yas Indigenous Cultural Training, Provincial Health Services Authority certificate for “Indigenous Cultural Competency Training for Health Care Providers” will be credited 5 CMTBC CEs.

More information about CMTBC online courses in Cycle 11

The information below does not apply to the San’yas Indigenous Cultural Training, Provincial Health Services Authority course, which provides CMTBC credits but is not authored by CMTBC.

Cost of each CMTBC online course: $60.
Repeat of a course, required for a second attempt at the exam: $60.
To enroll in a course, log in to the CMTBC Portal, click “Continuing Education (CE)” in the menu at the left, click “Register for CMTBC Courses”, and follow the instructions.
CMTBC’s online courses are offered through the College’s Learning Centre. The courses are delivered on a learning platform called Brightspace, by Desire2Learn.

Preview versions of CMTBC online courses

CMTBC has made preview versions of the social media and health care records courses available for RMTs who would like to see a portion of the course material before enrolling. To preview the courses, go to the CMTBC Learning Centre login page, ignore the instructions on the page about enrolling for courses on the CMTBC Portal, and log in with the following case-sensitive username and password:

Username: Course Preview
Password: cmtbc123

After you have successfully logged in, click on the links under “My Courses” to access the preview versions, where you can read and navigate through the material.

Final exam for CMTBC online courses

A multiple choice exam is included at the end of each course. A minimum score of 70% is required to pass the final exam at the end of each course. RMTs are encouraged to fully engage with the course material. Completion of all course content is required to release the final exam.

Options for the remaining 14 CECs required in Cycle 11

RMTs receive continuing education credits (CECs) for professional development (PD) and instruction in skill development (PE). The difference between the categories relates to criteria for course approval; both categories are equal in terms of meeting College requirements.

Professional Development (PD)

University courses

In Cycle 11, RMTs earn 14 PD CECs upon submission of a university transcript that demonstrates successful completion of a standard 3-credit university course. The College may apply discretion in recognizing courses that qualify for CECs in this category.

Registrants may pursue academic studies in a field of their choosing but it should support clinical practice. Anticipated learning outcomes include an enhanced understanding of research methods, critical thinking, and the role of evidence and peer review in academic studies.

Both online/distance and in-person university courses qualify for credits in this category.

For more information, see Criteria for Approval of Continuing Education Activities.

Practice-oriented conferences

RMTs who attend conferences directed at the profession or conferences that address content entirely within RMTs’ scope of practice are eligible for a maximum of 7 CECs per conference day. The Quality Assurance Committee will pre-approve eligible conferences that meet published criteria for approval. Attendance must be verifiable.

Online courses by external providers

Online courses specific to the practice of registered massage therapists in BC are eligible for PD CECs if they meet published criteria for approval.

Courses with technical, modality-based content, as well as courses that address soft skills such as communications or clinic management specific to regulated health professionals in BC, fall in this category of PD CECs.

There is no limit to the number of professional development (PD) credits that can be accumulated in Cycle 11. All 24 required CECs can be from PD activities, as long as 10 of those CECs are in the category of CMTBC courses.

Instructors of CE activities approved by CMTBC, Cycle 11

An RMT who is the primary instructor of a CMTBC-approved continuing education activity (Cycle 11) earns 8 PD CECs in Cycle 11 for providing that instruction. These CECs are available only to the primary instructor (not teaching assistants or co-instructors), and only once per instructor, no matter the number of courses presented.

RMTs who are primary instructors can select “Primary instructor, approved CE activity, Cycle 11” from the list of approved CE activities in the Registrant Portal. Verification is required in one of two formats: the approval letter from CMTBC, confirming their course is approved for Cycle 11, or a sample of the certificate of completion provided to RMTs who complete their course.

Practical Education (PE)

Up to 14 CECs may come from practical education, delivered in person.

Examples include: hands-on assessment skills, treatment techniques, and home care instruction that focuses on an individual patient’s treatment plan. See Criteria For Approval of Continuing Education Activities for more information.