Achieving Public Protection through Collaborative Self-regulation: Reflections for a New Paradigm

Do legislation and regulation hinder or encourage collaborative care among health professionals in Canada? This report sheds light on the legislative and regulatory environment, and finds that regulation—which is mostly self-regulation in Canada—is often inconsistent and unclear, and becomes increasingly complex across professions and jurisdictions. It examines orders of regulation (describing who regulates); modes (describing the how); and regulatory instruments (scope of practice, delegation, codes of ethics and consent to release information) through the lens of collaborative care. The report finds that legislation and regulation currently act as neither barriers nor supporters. Recommendations for change—overwhelmingly recognized as necessary by regulators— include putting an end to the legislative silence, amending ancillary legislation, providing regulators with incentives to better support collaborative care, encouraging them to work together in essential areas, and funding an arm’s-length organization dedicated to creating and sharing information among regulators.