Peer and Practice Assessment FAQ
How many dietitians will be assessed?
The College randomly selects 10% of its registrants to participate in the Peer and Practice Assessment (PPA) annually. The PPA is meant to provide assurance to the public and other stakeholders that Registered Dietitians (RDs) in Ontario practice safely, competently and ethically.
How do I know that I have been selected for the PPA?
If you are chosen for Step 1 of the PPA, you will receive an advance email informing you that you have been randomly selected. Your package will follow in 2-3 months.
Who can be selected to participate in a PPA?
Registered Dietitians who are currently registered with a general practice certificate, working in a non-patient care or patient-care practice setting are eligible for random selection to participate in a Practice Assessment.
Why do I need to participate in a PPA?
As regulated health professionals, it is a legislative obligation that dietitians participate in a self, peer and practice assessment. It ensures that selected registrants meet the standards established in the Integrated Competencies for Dietetic Education and Practice (ICDEP). It also helps Registered Dietitians improve their competence if an improvement is required.
What types of surveys are required during Step 1 of the PPA?
Each randomly selected registrant will complete a self-survey and ask colleagues and patients (if applicable) to complete specific surveys. Only registrants that provide direct patient care are required to submit patient surveys in addition to self and colleague surveys.
What do the surveys tell CDO about my practice?
The multisource feedback surveys are designed to collect information about your professional interactions and evaluate your knowledge, skill and judgment related to professional behaviours and communication skills. The multisource feedback surveys are based on the Integrated Competencies for Dietetic Education and Practice (ICDEP).
How many surveys do I submit to the College for review?
If your practice is non-clinical, you must submit a completed self-survey and at least 6 colleague surveys for review. If your practice is clinical, you must submit a completed self-survey, at least 6 colleague surveys and at least 9 patient surveys.
How do I complete the self-survey?
Complete the self-survey by following the link on the College website.
When is the deadline to submit surveys to the College?
The deadline for Step 1 of the PPA is indicated on your notification letter.
What if my patients do not speak English or French?
Other than English and French, we provide the patient letter and survey in the next top 6 languages spoken at home according to Statistics Canada. These are: Chinese (Common Mandarin), Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Punjabi and Tagalog. They are available on the College website. To access them:
- Enter the language you are looking for in the search box.
- Print the survey and letter and give it to the patient along with the sealed envelope.
- Instruct the patient to:
- fill out the survey in their language;
- staple it to the English survey in the envelope; and
- return both in the postage paid envelope.
Who will see my results from the surveys?
All information collected within the Quality Assurance Program is confidential and cannot be shared with other College staff or Committees. Only Quality Assurance staff and the Quality Assurance Committee will see your results.
Will information about the results of my practice assessment process be shared with my employer?
No. The College does not share any information about your practice assessment with employers.
How will the College use my survey results?
The QA Committee determines the criteria for successful completion of the Step 1 process. When a dietitian successfully meets these criteria, the College will notify the registrant that they have concluded the Peer and Practice Assessment and be removed from the random selection pool for 5 years.
OR
Dietitians who do not meet the criteria are required to engage in Step 2 of the PPA process. Step 2 is a more in-depth Behaviour-based interview with a Peer Assessor. In Step 2, a dietitian’s multisource feedback survey results and peer assessor report are reviewed by the QA committee to determine which actions, if any, should be undertaken by the registrant to improve their competence. For this review, the QA Committee considers only the mean scores of the patient and colleague results.
This process causes anxiety for many RDs. Reading the following article may help alleviate some of that anxiety. “Addressing Member Anxiety about the PPA Process”, Resume, Fall, 2015