What is health monitoring?
If a regulated member has a health condition, monitoring might be required to ensure safe patient care. The health condition—including diagnosis, treatment and whether the health condition adversely impacts the member’s ability to practise—may be objectively determined through an independent medical examination (IME).
Arrangements for an IME or health monitoring is arranged through CPSA’s Health & Practice Conditions Monitoring (HPCM) team.
What is a health condition?
A health condition is a physical, cognitive, mental and/or emotional condition that negatively impacts, or is likely to negatively impact, the regulated member’s work. Conditions include (but are not limited to):
- Blood-borne viral infections (for those performing exposure-prone procedures)
- Conditions affecting primary senses (such as vision, hearing, etc.)
- Neurological conditions affecting cognition, motor or sensory function (such as a seizure disorder or Parkinson’s Disease)
- Psychiatric conditions
- Substance use disorder
- Physical disability
- Metabolic conditions
Reporting a health condition
Health conditions can be reported to CPSA in a number of ways:
- A health condition can be disclosed on the renewal information form (RIF) during annual renewal.
- A concern can be reported to CPSA by a colleague or other concerned third party.
- A regulated member can self-report their condition.
Once HPCM becomes aware of a regulated member’s health condition, a member of the Health & Practice Conditions Monitoring team will reach out for more information and to discuss next steps.
A regulated member’s duty to report
Under CPSA’s standards of practice, regulated members are required to notify CPSA if they presently have a physical, cognitive, mental and/or emotional condition that negatively impacts, or is likely to negatively impact, the regulated member’s work.
Regulated members also have a responsibility to notify CPSA if they have reasonable grounds to believe a colleague presently has a physical, cognitive, mental and/or emotional condition that negatively impacts, or is likely to negatively impact, the regulated member’s work.
| Regulated members include health professionals who are registered with CPSA: physicians, surgeons, physician assistants, osteopaths, residents and medical students. |
What to expect when you have a health condition
1. We become aware of your health condition.
If an independent medical examination (IME) is required, HPCM will provide you with a list of contact information for independent medical examiners to make arrangements for an IME.
2. We contact you confidentially for more information.
HPCM will confidentially contact you for more information and to discuss next steps. Our discussion will focus on your fitness to practise, guided by our mandate to protect Albertans. We will not ask you to share any personal or health information.
3. If required, you may be asked to arrange for an independent medical examination.
After your IME, it may take up to 10 business days for HPCM to receive the report from the examiner. Processing by HPCM may take up to an additional 10 business days or more if necessary. HPCM will contact you and your legal counsel (if applicable) to discuss any next steps.
4. The IME will determine whether modifications, limitations, restrictions or monitoring of your health condition is required.
Possible recommendations from the IME report include:
- Fit to practise with no restrictions, limitations or monitoring needed. Your HPCM file is closed and no further action is required by you.
- Fit to practise with restrictions, limitations or monitoring. Modifications, limitations and/or restrictions to your practice will be discussed with you directly. If your health condition requires monitoring, HPCM will provide you with a list of external service providers to implement any ongoing monitoring.
- Not fit to practise. You may be required to withdraw from practice until HPCM is notified that you are fit to practice.
5. You may be asked to enroll with a third-party service provider for monitoring.
- If your practice requires monitoring based on the IME report, HPCM will provide you with contact information for third-party, independent service providers who provide health and biological monitoring (see below for a current list). These providers are not employed by CPSA, but act as agents of CPSA. It is their obligation to adhere to the highest standards of ethical conduct and avoid of conflicts of interest.
- Upon enrollment with the service provider, you will enter into a monitoring agreement and the service provider will arrange for any health, practice or biological monitoring that is required.
- The service provider will provide HPCM with reports on your compliance with monitoring and your ongoing fitness to practise.
- The length of your monitoring will be determined by the service provider, based on practice guidelines for physician health programs.
- The cost of ongoing monitoring and other related expenses will be your responsibility.
Service providers
Health monitoring and biological monitoring:
Aceso Monitoring
healthmonitoring@acesomedical.com
acesomedical.ca/medicalmonitoring
Biological monitoring only:
Precision Medical Monitoring
info@precisionmonitor.com
precisionmonitor.com
6. When you’ve completed your monitoring agreement, your file may be closed.
Upon approval from the Assistant Registrar, Continuing Competence, your file may be closed once you have completed your monitoring agreement with a service provider.
Taking health leave
If you have reported a physical, cognitive, mental and/or emotional condition to HPCM that negatively impacts, or is likely to negatively impact your work, and would like to take a leave from practice to attend to your health matters, you can change your registration status with CPSA to Active-Withdrawn from Practice. This reflects that you are still an active member of CPSA but are not currently in practice.
During your medical leave, your license will no longer be active for the practice of medicine, which includes research, educational and administrative activities, in addition to direct and indirect patient care.
Medical records
Regulated members on health leave are responsible for taking reasonable steps to place their patients with alternative care providers and ensure patients still have access to their medical records. Please review our Closing or Leaving a Medical Practice and Patient Record Retention standards of practice for more information.
Waiving annual renewal fees
Regulated members who withdraw from practice for health reasons may be eligible for a partial refund or waiver of annual renewal fees. Please discuss this directly with HPCM.
Returning to practice
Please contact HPCM at least two months before your anticipated return date to discuss next steps. You may be required to undergo an independent medical examination before returning to work.
HPCM FAQs
To see more FAQs about HPCM, click on All FAQs and filter by "Health and Practice Conditions Monitoring"
All FAQsWhat supports are available for physicians managing a health condition?
Do I need to self-report if I'm off work due to a physical health condition, accident or injury?
Not all health conditions need to be reported to CPSA. You must report any condition, accident or injury to CPSA that is negatively impacting your work, or is reasonably likely to negatively impact your work in the future.
A health condition is a physical or mental health concern which could negatively impact the patient care provided by a regulated member. Conditions include (but are not limited to):
- Blood-borne viral infections
- Conditions affecting vision and hearing
- Neurological conditions affecting cognition, motor or sensory function
- Psychiatric conditions
- Substance use disorder
- Physical disability
- Metabolic conditions
For more information, see our Duty to Report Self standard of practice. To self report, you can contact HPCM directly or submit a notification of concern to CPSA via our website.
What happens if I need to take leave from practice for health reasons?
If you temporarily withdraw from practice while dealing with a health condition, your CPSA registration status can be updated to Active-Withdrawn from Practice and you will be unable to practise medicine until it is determined you can resume work safely.
If my health condition requires assessment and monitoring, how much will it cost? Who is responsible for the costs?
Any costs associated with independent medical examinations, health and/or biological monitoring are set by the third-party service providers, CPSA is not involved in the determination of fees. The Alberta Medical Association has a guideline for uninsured services fees.
As per the Continuing Competence standard of practice (clause 16), these costs are the responsibility of the regulated member.
Who should I contact if I have concerns about a colleague’s health condition and its impact on safe patient care?
In some circumstances, it is your duty to report another physician:
- You must report another physician to CPSA when you reasonably believe their conduct puts patients at risk, or is considered unprofessional conduct under the Health Professions Act.
- You also have a duty to report to CPSA if you’re treating a physician who has a health condition that may impact the safety of their patients.
Confidentially contact the Health & Practice Conditions Monitoring team, or submit a notification of concern via our website.
Questions about health monitoring? Contact HPCM.
Confidential inquiries: 780-969-5021
Confidential fax: 780-441-1616
Confidential email: PhysicianHealth@cpsa.ab.ca
Toll-free: 1-800-320-8624 (in Canada)