Professional Titles and Practice Standards

Question 1

Professional Titles

Answer 1

Health Professions Act (HPA) restricts the use of professionals titles to anyone who is not registered with the college.
Doctor, allied health title, specialized credentials (only used when conferred and recognized by credentialling body, it is earned, importance is given to the professional), cannot market any education or degrees that have not been achieved.
Use of any restricted title is a breach of the HPA and punishable under law.

Question 2

Scope of Practice

Answer 2

Standard of practice is a skill that is respected by a healthcare professional and is governed by a respective college.
Kinesiologists are not yet a governed health profession but they do have standards of practice as they move towards becoming regulated.
Any assessments, treatments, and interventions must fall within the scope of practice.
Acting outside of the scope may result in not being covered by your professional liability insurance.
Two types of scopes = objective and subjective

Question 3

Purpose of the Scope of Practice

Answer 3

Protects the public
Conform to the standards of the Health Professions Act.
Consistent with those of existing health professions.
Clearly identifies where a kinesiologist overlaps with other healthcare professionals
Is consistent with professional liability

Question 4

Objective Scope

Answer 4

Simply, if an assessment, treatment or intervention falls within the scope of practice.

Question 5

Subjective Scope

Answer 5

Whether you have the education, skills, or experience to deliver and provide the assessment, intervention, or treatment safely.

Question 6

What are the permitted treatments for Kinesiologists in BC?

Answer 6

Fitness and health evaluations.
Exercise prescription.
Postural assessment and education.
Exercise therapy and intervention.
Therapeutic application of heat and cold.
General nutrition counselling.
Ergonomics.
Completion of insurance assessment forms.
*With additional training can also do manual therapy and electrical therapy techniques such as IFC, ultrasound, TENS, muscle stimulation, laser therapy.

Question 7

What are restricted activities of Kineisologists?

Answer 7

Making a diagnosis of any form, managing the labour and delivery of a baby, applying or ordering any imaging, prescribing any medications (including NSAIDS), nutrition advise for nutrition administered through enteral and parental means (tube feeding), vision, hearing, or dental advice, allergy testing, or cardiac stress testing (for means of diagnosis or treatment planning).
Performing physically invasive procedures such as intervention below the dermis, setting or casting a fracture, reducing a dislocated joint, movement of the spinal joint beyond the voluntary limits, administering a substance by any means.
Putting an instrument, hand or finger in any hole in the body.

Question 8

Insurance Coverage

Answer 8

Since Kinesiology is not yet regulated, there is a grey area.
Kinesiologist must hold liability insurance and said insurance only covers you for acts defined with in the BCAK Professional Document “Scope of Practice”.

Question 9

Essential Competencies

Answer 9

Of BCAK.
Majority of the competencies rely on the basis of ethical practice, organization, policies, etc.

Question 10

Professional Boundaries

Answer 10

Kinesiologists must maintain professionalism at all times and not act as a friend to clients.
Keep at Arms Reach…
-not engage in sexual behaviour with the client
-do not accept gifts from a client
-remain an HCP (client relationship and limit personal details shared with the client such as self-disclosure).

Question 11

Gifts from clients…

Answer 11

Accepting fits of small values (~$50) from a client as a thank you at the end of a session or from a vacation or box of holiday chocolates can be accepted.
Kin’s must be culturally aware, where not accepting gifts can be insulting.
Gifts of larger value should not be accepted as this can indicate that the client is developing a personal relationship with the Kin and could potentially result inc hanging the professional relationship.

Question 12

Friendship with a client…

Answer 12

Being friends with a client is a form of dual relationship and can offer a lot of confusion and result in impartial care.
If a situation is being too friendly, it might be required for the Kin to stop the clinical situational and refer to another Kin for continuation of care.

Question 13

Touching a client…

Answer 13

Touching is almost inevitable in a healthcare setting.
When touching a client, whether in an encourage way or a friendly way can be interpreted as sexual misconduct.
Immense care must be taken with very clear consent prior to touching a client.

Question 14

Personal Relationships with Clients

Answer 14

Kin’s are to not engage in a personal/sexual relationship with a client during or post treatment for a minimum of 5 years.

Question 15

Conflicts of Interest

Answer 15

Arises when a Kin does not take reasonable steps to separate personal interest from that of the client.
Most conflicts of interest can be avoided by being open with the client and disclosing information.

Question 16

What are preventative levels of care?

Answer 16

People who are insufficiently active present a 20% to 30% increased risk of early death compared to people who are.
The WHO found those who adhere to a healthy lifestyle can reduce the prevalence of developing preventable lifestyle-based diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, COPD, chronic liver disease, various forms of cancer.
Kinesiologists are in a prime positive to improve the health, wellness, and longevity of our community.
Preventative care is salient to promote longevity and this is where Kin’s can shine!

Question 17

Prevention

Answer 17

Actions aimed at eradicating, eliminating, or minimizing the impact of disease and disability, or if none of these are feasible, slowing the progress of disease and disability.

Question 18

Levels of Prevention

Answer 18

Primordial
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary

Question 19

Primordial Prevention

Answer 19

Measures taken to prevent the development of risk factors for disease before they even occur.

Question 20

Primary Prevention

Answer 20

Strategies and interventions designed to prevent the onset of disease or injury by targeting specific risk factors that are already present.

Question 21

Secondary Prevention

Answer 21

Preventative measures that lead to early diagnosis and prompt treatment of a disease, illness, or injury to prevent more severe problems developing.
These measures available to individuals and communities for the early detection and prompt intervention to control disease and minimize disability.

Question 22

Tertiary Prevention

Answer 22

Preventative measures aimed at rehab following significant illness.
At this level, health services workers can work to retrain, re-educate, and rehabilitate people who have already developed an impairment or disability.
Measures are aimed at softening the impact of long-term disease and disability by eliminating or reducing impairment, disability, and handicap; by minimizing suffering; and by maximizing potential years of useful life.