Quality assurance is one of the top priorities of the ACMA Association.
In becoming a regulated health care professional, each member makes a commitment to continuous quality improvement. The ACMA Association has a Quality Assurance Committee that develops and maintains a program to ensure our members perform to best practice standards.
Components of this program include:
- Professional Portfolio: The Professional Portfolio helps members maintain professional excellence by promoting ongoing self-reflection and development. Every Practicing member must maintain a Professional Portfolio in order to set measurable goals toward continuous quality improvement and enhanced professional practice. Completion of the Professional Portfolio is self-declared during the annual registration renewal. Random audits of portfolios are conducted throughout the year. Quality Assurance staff email every Practicing member the instructions to access and maintain their portfolio. Please note that the email is sent to the member’s preferred email address from their ACMA Association member profile. It is important that you keep this email to enable you to continually update and maintain your portfolio throughout the year. If you require any assistance with your Professional Portfolio, please do not hesitate to call or email our Quality Assurance staff.
- Practice Review: Practice Review is a mandatory component of the Quality Assurance Program at the ACMA Association. Its purpose is to provide an objective assessment of a member’s professional practice. Randomly selected members must answer 25 questions, online, related to the ACMA Association standards of practice and the application of professional knowledge, skill and judgment. Case scenarios address situations in which members may find themselves while practicing in the profession.
- Competence Evaluation: The purpose of the competence evaluation is to assess a member’s knowledge, skill, and judgment in one or more of the specialties in which the member is registered to practise. The Quality Assurance Committee may require a member to participate in a competence evaluation if it is of the opinion that the member’s knowledge, skill, and judgment are unsatisfactory. This decision is based on a review of the member’s professional portfolio, the report of a Practice Review assessment, or any other written information provided to the Quality Assurance Committee.
Frequently asked questions
1. Is the Quality Assurance Program mandatory?
The program is mandatory for all ACMA Association practicing members, regardless of employment status.
2. How are members selected for audits?
a. Professional Portfolio
- Members are randomly selected annually from the membership database for the Professional Portfolio audit.
- All members who have held a Practicing certificate of registration for 12 months or more are eligible for Professional Portfolio audit.
- Members who have already been selected for Practice Review in the same calendar year are excluded.
b. Practice Review
- Members are randomly selected annually from the membership database for the Practice Review audit.
- All members who hold a Practicing certificate of registration are eligible for Practice Review.
- Members who have already been selected for Professional Portfolio audit in the same calendar year are excluded.
c. Competence Evaluation
- Members are not randomly selectedfor the Competence Evaluation assessment.
- The Quality Assurance Committee may require a member to participate in a Competence Evaluation if they believe the member does not have sufficient knowledge, skill, or judgment based on the member’s Professional Portfolio submission, Practice Review results, or any other written information.
3. Is the member’s employer notified when the member is being audited?
Employers are not informed when a member is being audited. The legislation requires all information collected during an audit remain confidential. This information cannot be used for other purposes, even by other ACMA Association Committees.
4. Quality Assurance Program contact information
For further information, contact ACMA Association Quality Assurance Program at [toll-free in Canada, 1-888-393-9394] , or info@acma-association.com .