Practice Advice - Frequently Asked Questions
How can I reach the Practice Advisor?
The Practice Advisor may be reached by telephone: 416-591-3828 ext 241 or toll - free 1-800-583-5885 ext 241 or by email: practiceadvice@collegept.org.If I contact the Practice Advisor how quickly can I expect a response?
The Practice Advisor will contact you within 2 business days.Who can contact the Practice Advisor?
Anyone can contact the Practice Advisor. While it is mostly physiotherapists who use the practice advice service, others such as: patients, funders, other health care providers, students, physiotherapy residents, support personnel, and employers or managers may also call.What type of information does the Practice Advisor provide?
The Practice Advisor will help a caller clarify their question and then direct them to the relevant sources of information. The Practice Advisor mainly refers to documents that relate directly to the practice of physiotherapy in Ontario such as the College Standards for Professional Practice and Position Statements. The role of the Practice Advisor is to guide the caller to the appropriate resources so that they may make their own best decision. In some cases the Practice Advisor may need to direct the caller to other resources within the College such as the Entry to Practice Team or Professional Conduct Team or suggest contacting resources external to the College such as the professional association (i.e. the Ontario Physiotherapy Association or the Canadian Physiotherapy Association), a lawyer, an accountant, another health regulatory college, the Information and Privacy Commissioner, the Financial Services Commission of Ontario or the Ministry of Health, etc.Will the Practice Advisor provide me with a legal opinion?
No. The College does not provide legal advice. For legal opinions the College always recommends that you consult a lawyer. The Practice Advisor can only provide you with guidance in locating the College resources that may assist you in resolving your concern or question.What if the Practice Advisor can’t answer my question?
The Practice Advisor will do everything to help guide you to the correct resources within the College (the website or the Registrants’ Guide) or external to the College. Some questions may involve ethical decisions or problem solving on the part of the caller. These are decisions that will be unique to the individual. Calls of this nature don’t always have a clear-cut response and questions are not usually answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response.If I have a conflict at work or with a patient, can I use the Practice Advisor as a mediator?
The Practice Advisor may advise the caller or parties involved of the documents or resources that may be useful in solving their dilemma, but the Practice Advisor is not a mediator. As well, the Practice Advisor will not provide an ‘official’ opinion or answer. In a self regulatory model the physiotherapist is responsible for his/her own decisions and this also applies to resolving differences.Are my questions or discussions with the Practice Advisor considered confidential?
Yes. The College does not require your name or telephone number to provide you with assistance. Some people will share this information but it is not necessary. If the question warrants a discussion with another College employee (i.e. Entry to Practice team) for additional information, no identifying information is used.
The College does track general information about the types of practice advice questions in order to better understand the trends in practice. These may include the nature of the inquiry, i.e. record keeping or consent and the type of caller, i.e. third party payer. By tracking practice trends, the College can quickly determine the types of resources and information that the stakeholders need.
If you have any other concerns or questions related to the confidentiality of the Practice Advisory service, please do not hesitate to contact the College directly for additional information.
