What You Should Know About Your Care and Regulated Healthcare Professionals

Ontario has more than 300,000 practising healthcare professionals. They are governed by health regulators called ‘colleges’. The colleges protect the public by holding their members accountable for their conduct and practice, whether they are a doctor treating you in a clinic, or a lab technologist performing tests on your samples. It is the job of Ontario’s health regulators to ensure that you are treated with skill and fairness when you receive health care in our province.

View this video to learn more:

Take an active part in your care 

It is your right to ask questions and get clear answers about your health issues and treatment options.

• Have an open discussion of costs and fees. Your healthcare provider should explain anything you are paying for.
• Give informed consent. After getting all the information you need, you can agree to or refuse any procedure, for any reason, at any time.
• Get a second opinion. You have the right to seek advice from another healthcare professional on any issue that pertains to your health.

Get a Copy of your Healthcare Record

The personal health information you disclose to your healthcare providers stays confidential. You have the right to view and get a copy of your own information, if you wish to do so.

Check your healthcare professional’s record

You can check a healthcare professional’s record on the website of their regulatory college. Each regulatory college has a public register that you can search on their website. You can view a list of all of the college registries here. The registers list things like the qualifications of each member, their language of practice, where and what they are allowed to practise, and if they have limits have on their practice because of professional misconduct.

You can give feedback or make a complaint

You can give feedback or make a complaint about the healthcare you have received from any regulated healthcare professional in Ontario. To give feedback or make a complaint, contact the regulatory college where the healthcare professional is registered.

Go to http://www.ontariohealthregulators.ca/ and click on Get Help.