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Quality Assurance
Overview – meeting the challenge
RMTs are lifelong learners who continually assess and improve their professional practice. By participating in CMTBC’s Quality Assurance program, RMTs demonstrate that they are maintaining continuing competence as required by BC’s Health Professions Act. RMTs must meet quality assurance requirements to be eligible to renew registration.
Cycle 13
RMTs are currently in Cycle 13, which runs from November 1, 2020 to October 31, 2022. The two-year continuing education (CE) cycle is set out in CMTBC’s Bylaws. Cycle 13 is both innovative and accommodating:
- Innovative: The two-year cycle is split into a standard requirement that all RMTs must complete in the first year, and completion of electives by the end of the second year.
- Accommodating: Due to COVID-19 restrictions, completion of the previous Cycle’s requirements overlaps with the timeline of Cycle 13. For continuity, elective CEs in Cycle 13 include all CE activities approved in Cycle 12.
Current quality assurance requirements
All RMTs registered by October 31, 2021 completed CMTBC’s online course, titled Code of Ethics & Practice Environment Standard, as a requirement for registration renewal for 2022. New RMTs, registered for the first time with CMTBC on or after November 1, 2021, are exempt from the requirement to complete CECs in Cycle 13.
RMTs earned 10 continuing education credits (CECs) toward Cycle 13 requirements, upon successful completion of the Code of Ethics & Practice Environment Standard course. For detailed information on the Code of Ethics & Practice Environment Standard course, and other CMTBC online courses, see the CMTBC Online Courses page.
In addition, RMTs will complete continuing education (CE) activities approved for credit by CMTBC’s Quality Assurance Committee. CE activities in this category are electives – RMTs can select which activities to complete. Activities can be selected from the Cycle 13 – Approved Continuing Education Activities list, or RMTs can submit an application for approval of a new activity, under Cycle 13 Criteria for Approval.
In Cycle 13, RMTs receive CECs for completing approved CE activities in two categories:
- Evidence Informed Practice (EIP) – a new CE category in Cycle 13. RMTs will earn 10 CECs for completion of each approved CE activity in this category, irrespective of the form the activity takes, and/or,
- Previously approved Practical Education (PE) and Professional Development (PD) activities – approved Cycle 12 CE activities that are offered in Cycle 13 with the identical content/form/time/instructors are approved for Cycle 13.
RMTs can obtain elective CECs in Cycle 13 by completing any approved EIP, PE and/or PD activity.
In accordance with CMTBC’s Bylaws, RMTs must also maintain current certification in Standard First Aid (SFA)/CPR-C. SFA/CPR-C certification is a requirement for all RMTs who hold Practising status.
Quality assurance program 2023
As Cycle 13 ends on October 31, 2022, CMTBC and registrants will transition away from the Quality Assurance model that requires completion of a specified number of approved continuing education activities in a two-year cycle.
This model of Quality Assurance – that is, a program which consists primarily of requirements for completion of continuing education activities – is no longer current with best practices in regulation and current evidence on continuing competence.
Throughout 2023, CMTBC will continue the development of a new Quality Assurance program, a process which will include consultation with registrants, and plans to launch the new program in January 2024.
In 2023, there will be no requirement for RMTs to complete either a CMTBC-authored online course or self-directed courses for continuing education credits. However, CMTBC asks that, in the coming year, RMTs remain current with information provided by the College regarding the redesigned Quality Assurance program.
Although there will be no requirement for registrants to report continuing education credits in 2023, RMTs are encouraged to continue to engage in any professional development course or activity that they consider will support their practice. RMTs are individually responsible for ensuring that any modality or skills-based training they wish to complete is within the scope of practice for massage therapy, if they plan to incorporate that learning into their practice.
Beginning early next year, CMTBC will be seeking input from RMTs as part of a consultation process.
For questions related to the new Quality Assurance program, please email [email protected] using the subject line: ‘Quality Assurance Program Development’.
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