Competency Assessments

What are Competency Assessments?

To ensure patients are receiving high-quality care, physicians who enter practice in Alberta through this accelerated registration route are required to undergo two Competency Assessments. The first assessment takes place four-to-six months after successful completion of the Supervised Practice Assessment (SPA), with a follow-up assessment 12-to-18 months later.

Costs

Competency Assessment fees are based on a cost-recovery model, with each assessment costing $3,500. Physicians are required to participate in two assessments and the fees are the responsibility of the physician being assessed. Physicians are encouraged to discuss with their sponsor whether such costs are covered under the terms of their sponsorship.

What to expect

Competency Assessments are completed by CPSA’s Continuing Competence team, who work collaboratively with the physician to provide customized feedback and targeted support as needed. The assessments include the following:

1. The physician will be asked to complete a practice overview questionnaire, to provide details on their current practice.
2. Physicians practising in Alberta and trained in assessment act as the competency assessors. If there is a conflict of interest, the physician being assessed will have the opportunity to make a conflict of interest declaration.
3. There will be an introductory meeting to guide the physician thought the assessment process.
4. The assessment is conducted remotely, using a standard set of assessment tools. There are two standard components of a competency assessment:
   1. A patient record review, where the assessor reviews a selection of patient records to ensure alignment with CPSA’s Standards of Practice, as well as clinical performance.
   2. A chart-stimulated discussion with the assessor, to review a minimum of five patient records to gain a greater understanding of the physician’s performance and clinical reasoning skills.

The assessor may also review office and facility processes if the physician has a community-based practice.

Once the steps outlined above are complete, the assessor will provide CPSA with a report of their findings. One of our senior medical advisors will set up a time to review the results of the assessment with the physician, to share strengths and discuss opportunities for improvement. Education or remediation might be recommended, depending on the assessment results.

The follow-up assessment will take place 12-to-18 months after the initial assessment, following the same process as the first assessment. The purpose of the second assessment is to ensure the physician’s performance continues to meet expectations and recommended improvements from the first assessment have been implemented.

Recommendation to Registration

After completion of the required two Competency Assessments, a report will be provided to the Assistant Registrar, Registration about the outcome of the assessments and whether further remediation or assessments are recommended.