We recently moved Competence Program requirements into to our Standards of Practice. To ensure our Continuing Competence Program (CCP) Policies are up to date and support our Standards, we also reviewed and updated the Policies.
After providing draft CCP Policies for you to comment on and considering your feedback, Council approved the CCP Policies to take effect on January 17, 2023.
Your Feedback About Our Draft
As part of making the changes, we asked for your comments on our draft CCP Polices. The feedback clearly showed us that the draft met most of our goals:
- the CCP Policy expectations are easy to understand
- the CCP Policies are clear, organized, and easy to understand
- it is clear that dental assistants must identify their own learning needs and can choose from a variety of learning activity options
- it is clear that dental assistants must verify their learning activities
However, we also heard that we need to do more to help dental assistants understand the CCP audit process is meant to be an opportunity for learning. To do that, we will:
- enhance this message in our communication with dental assistants
- continue to offer workshops to educate dental assistants on the audit process
- encourage dental assistants who are selected for audit to attend a workshop
- add shorter, focused workshops and more time slot variety to reach a wider audience during the audit season
Since these actions involve other CCP materials, we made no further changes to our draft CCP Policies.
We thank everyone who took time to review our draft CCP Polices and share their thoughts.
What Has Changed in Our Updated CCP Policies?
Our goal for updating the CCP Policies was to keep the current Competence Program requirements while:
- removing outdated information
- making wording clearer
- making program requirements easier to find and understand
- adding information to support the current requirements
This is what we removed and why:
- CCP Quiz requirement – The CCP Quiz was a tool to help dental assistants learn about the CCP when it was new. We no longer use the quiz.
- Jurisprudence Quiz requirement – The Jurisprudence Quiz was a tool to help dental assistants learn about the laws and rules that guide their practice. We replaced the Quiz with other resources.
- Detailed information about Learning Plans, Learning Objectives, Learning Activities, Practice Hours – The Policies include program requirements. The new Competence Program Manual will offer more detailed information to guide dental assistants.
- Audit once every five years – We are changing to auditing at least 5% of dental assistants each year. This helps us connect with and better support each dental assistant we audit to help them get more from their competence activities.
- Late Audit Submission Suspension – A new Conduct Referrals policy replaces this.
- Compliance – Program requirements are in other parts of the CCP Policies. The Remedial Process and Conduct Referrals policies replace this.
This is what we added and why:
- Dental assistants must keep their CCP records for five years – We may audit a dental assistant’s CCP records that are up to five years old. Putting this in policy makes it clear how many years of records dental assistants must have available at any time.
- Results Statements – Previously, our Policies only touched on results statements in the audit information. By adding this new policy, we make our expectations clear.
- Verification of Learning – Previously, our Policies only touched on verification of learning in the audit information. By adding this new policy, we make our expectations clear.
- Practice Hours: upload verification annually; acceptable verification; current practice in lieu – By adding this information, we make our expectations clear. Uploading verification each year helps dental assistants avoid missing hours or hard-to-get verification.
- We use the CCP Policies and Competence Manual to assess CCP records – By adding this, dental assistants will know what we use to measure their audit result.
- Audit Extensions – Though audit extensions were not in our Policies, we have given extensions. By adding this new policy, we make extensions consistent.
- Remedial Process Steps – By adding steps for the remedial process, dental assistants will know what to expect.
- Conduct Referrals – Instead of the previous fee and suspension for late audit submissions, we will now use the remedial process. If a dental assistant’s audit is still incomplete after the remedial process, this new policy defines next steps. By adding this new policy, dental assistants will know what to expect.
- Appeals: timeline and required information – Adding these details makes our expectations clear and sets time limits for steps in an appeal.
- Material Review – We added the Competence Program Manual. The Manual is a new resource and will be part of our review.