Registrant Competence Assessment
The Registrant Competence Assessment (RCA) is the second component of the Quality Assurance Program. It is a written test that uses a case-based approach to assess a physical therapist’s decision-making skills with regards to specific clinical areas addressed in day-to-day practice.
‘Key features’ refers to the question and answer approach used to test the physical therapist’s ability to identify the steps, approach or answer related to resolving the practice situation identified. The cases and questions are developed by BC physical therapists and reflect the sorts of issues and circumstances that physical therapists experience in ‘real’ practice. By “testing” these relevant, common situations encountered in everyday physical therapy practice, the Registrant Competence Assessment will assess the minimum expected performance for safe, ethical and effective practice, as defined in the Essential Competency Profile for Physiotherapists in Canada, October 2009. In addition, the Registrant Competence Assessment will assess the physical therapist’s ability to apply his/her understanding of BC physiotherapy regulation to everyday practice. This includes the CPTBC standards, Code of Ethics, and other relevant legislation such as BC privacy laws.
The Registrant Competence Assessment is intended to assess if you are meeting the required standards. If you are not successful in meeting the required standards, then the College will help support and direct how you can successfully meet those standards. This non-punitive approach means that if you are unsuccessful in the RCA, you will NOT lose your registration. If unsuccessful, the College will then set up an individualized plan to help you strengthen your area(s) of weakness and improve your practice.
Starting in 2012, BC physical therapists will be required to take the Registrant Competence Assessment every six years. Before full implementation of the RCA, there will be pre-testing and pilot testing of the questions, answers and systems. The College will soon be calling for volunteers to ‘test drive’ the Registrant Competence Assessment.
While the Quality Assurance Program recognizes that the majority of physical therapists practice according to the standards of the profession, the Registrant Competence Assessment, as with the Annual Self Report, is a safe place for physical therapists to address potential gaps in competence before they impact the public. Information gathered for the purposes of the Quality Assurance Program is confidential and cannot be shared [HPA Sec.26.2 (1)].
Registrants are required to demonstrate continuing competence in up to two of four patient context areas in the blueprint for the Registrant Competence Assessment (i.e. can choose to do all questions in one area or half questions in one area and the other half in second area).
The four patient context areas are:
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Adult and Older Adult Musculoskeletal
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Adult and Older Adult Neurological
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Adult and Older Adult Cardiorespiratory
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Child and Youth
Quick Facts about the Registrant Competence Assessment
Case-based assessment of continuing competence
Written every six years
Non-punitive approach (means if not successful an individualized program will help fill ‘gaps’ in competence)
Required for full and limited registrants
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