When things go wrong during a physiotherapy service, it is important to know that you have options for addressing the issue. You can speak to the physiotherapist directly regarding your concerns or you can discuss them with the physiotherapist’s employer. You can pursue a lawsuit. You can also contact the College of Physiotherapists of Alberta.
The role of the College of Physiotherapists of Alberta is different than that of a customer service complaint process, where an individual may be unhappy with their care or service and seek resolution or compensation from the individual physiotherapist or their employer. It is also different from a civil court proceeding. Each option is important when it comes to addressing complaints or concerns from physiotherapy clients and you aren’t limited to pursuing just one.
The College of Physiotherapists of Alberta’s mandate is to safeguard the public interest through the regulation of physiotherapists. The intent of this blog is to highlight the role of the College and the processes in place when it comes to reporting a concern about a physiotherapist’s practice. This blog is part of a series describing the roles that the College of Physiotherapists of Alberta plays in safeguarding the public interest. You can read previous blogs about how the College handles the registration of physiotherapists here and about how the College develops Standards of Practice and a Code of Ethical Conduct for physiotherapists here.
As part of this mandate, the College works alongside the government and with physiotherapists to ensure that the right systems and processes are in place so that you receive safe and effective care from competent and ethical physiotherapists. The College operates under the rules established in the Alberta Health Professions Act. The Act includes rules about how the College responds to complaints and concerns. The objective of the professional conduct process is to determine what if any, corrective action or restrictions must be put in place to ensure it is safe for the physiotherapist to continue working if they have been found to have engaged in unprofessional conduct.
The College of Physiotherapists of Alberta can investigate complaints that a physiotherapist
- Did not provide adequate care or did not provide care in a safe environment.
- Caused the patient harm or put them at risk of harm.
- Did not maintain professional boundaries or behaved in a sexually inappropriate way toward a patient.
- Was dishonest or took part in fraudulent activities.
- Did not maintain adequate record(s) or breached a patient’s confidentiality.
The College of Physiotherapists of Alberta cannot
- Direct a patient’s clinical care plan.
- Address complaints about the service provided by an organization as a whole or complaints or concerns related to someone who is not a physiotherapist.
- Make a physiotherapist change the content of a report.
- Arrange for refunds or compensation or get involved in the fees charged for private treatment or products.
- Get involved with employer-employee disputes.
- Address matters which should be decided by a court or another administrative body, e.g., employee disputes, financial compensation
- Make a physiotherapist apologize.
If you have a concern about a physiotherapist’s professional conduct or the services received from a physiotherapist, speak to the College’s Conduct Coordinator by calling 780-702-5357.
The Conduct Coordinator will let you know if the College has the authority to look into the matter, whether the conduct process is the appropriate regulatory option, or if the matter is best dealt with in another way. You can also visit our website for more information about the professional conduct process.
The College of Physiotherapists of Alberta can only investigate complaints or concerns that relate to the Standards of Practice, governing legislation, or the Code of Ethical Conduct. The College does not expect you to be familiar with these rules, but we do rely on you to make us aware when things aren’t right by reporting a concern or complaint so we can look into the matter. The College can only investigate the issue and decide if corrective action is necessary to prevent what happened to you from happening again if you report the situation.
The College knows that these situations can be distressing. We work to respond to complaints and concerns with care and sensitivity.
The College of Physiotherapists of Alberta takes the responsibility of physiotherapist regulation seriously. Dealing with concerns and complaints from the public is a part of that responsibility. If you have any concerns regarding a physiotherapist’s professional practice, please contact the Conduct Coordinator at 780-702-5357.
