RTSO Community Respiratory Therapy Committee

Preamble: Respiratory Therapy in the Community

Quality community respiratory therapy services have been provided throughout Ontario for several decades. The current landscape includes small and large private sector companies, hospital providers, a combination of both through joint ventures as well as RTs working for primary care, physician specialists, CCACs and the Ventilator Equipment Pool (VEP). Community respiratory care has traditionally focussed on home oxygen therapy for chronic and palliative clients as well as ancillary equipment including CPAP and inhalation therapies.  Physician practices and CCACs have begun utilizing RT’s in respiratory programming.

Complex respiratory care is available in many communities but funding has been typically limited to equipment and supply provision. An exception to this are VEP contracted RT services for clients being initiated on community ventilation. Remaining gaps have been covered by those vendors willing to do pro bono work.

A gap in respiratory therapy care support exists in the community/home setting. Several reports, generated within Ontario1-5 have confirmed this. These reports recommend that RT services be implemented or expanded in the community setting. These statistics are also confirmed by the many personal stories related by respiratory therapists and the patient/clients who are directly affected by this gap.

Several reports generated within Ontario1-5 have confirmed this. These reports recommend that RT services be implemented or expanded in the community setting. The associated statistics are also confirmed by the many personal stories related by respiratory therapists, patient/clients and other caregivers who are directly affected by this gap.

More recently, CCACs have sporadically begun to contract RT services.

Accountability

The RTSO Community Respiratory Therapy Committee is accountable to the RTSO Board of Directors. The Chair/Co-Chair sits on and reports to the RTSO Board of Directors. Unless the Chair/Co-Chair was appointed to the RTSO Board of Directors, according to the RTSO Bylaws, they will serve only in an advisory capacity i.e. have no voting privileges.

Membership

Members of the RTSO Community Respiratory Therapy Committee must be a “Practicing”, “Student” or “Associate” member of the RTSO.

The RTSO Community Respiratory Therapy Committee should include members from several Community RT practice areas, at a minimum RTs working in hospital-based programs; respiratory home care companies; community care access centres (CCACs); primary care (including family health teams (FHT)) and; research.

At least one member from other practice areas should be represented if possible e.g. educational institutions, patient education, business, rehabilitation, administration, other. Geographical representation is also important. Past community experience is an asset but not required.

A maximum of 12 members will compose the committee including the Chair/Co-Chair. If there are more applications for vacant spots, the standing Community RTSO Respiratory Therapy Committee will review and elect the person who will fill the position anticipating that other candidates may be eligible in the future as part of the Committee’s succession plan.

A Chair/Co-Chair will lead the activity of the Respiratory Therapy Community Committee. The Chair/Co-Chair will be elected from within the Committee. The Chair/Co-Chair will be responsible to:

  • Draft the agenda and minutes for Community Respiratory Therapy Committee meetings
  • Develop and implement a succession plan to be endorsed by the Committee
  • Facilitate the development of the annual Community Respiratory Therapy Committee work plan aligned with the mission, goals and objectives of RTSO; and
  • Present a summary of Community Respiratory Therapy Committee activity to the membership at the Annual General Meeting, and to the RTSO Board or other committees of RTSO as required.

Conflict of Interest

RTSO Committee members are expected to declare if they believe themselves to be in an actual, potential or perceived personal, monetary or influential conflict of interest related to the respective Committee’s function or activities. If the Committee assesses that the member is in a conflict of interest, the member must recuse him/herself from a function or activity that presents the conflict. The Committee may adapt the process being undertaken to accommodate the situation, for example, replacing the person with an RTSO member who has the expertise and/or experience to contribute to the decision, review, other without conflict.  The RTSO reserves the right for any Committee to refer any concern about any actual, potential or perceived conflict in question to the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors for resolution.

Orientation and Support

All new members will be provided with an orientation to the RTSO Respiratory Therapy Community Committee.

Term

Members (including Chair and Co-chair) serve two-year terms with an option to renew.

Frequency of Meetings

The Committee meets face-to-face once a year in conjunction with the Annual Educational Forum. In addition teleconference meetings will be held quarterly to review policies and procedures, plan and coordinate mission-appropriate activities.

The Chair/Co-Chairs will attend the RTSO Board meetings as scheduled.

Functions of the Committee

The overarching goal of the Committee is

To advance respiratory therapy leadership in the community setting that will translate into advancing the respiratory therapy profession in order to improve client outcomes.

The Committee proposes to achieve this goal by establishing a Framework that will support respiratory therapists interested in contributing to the achievement of this goal, which in turn will advance their personal professional development and contributions to the profession. The elements of the Framework, and are intended to be available through web-based access and interactive communication, include:

  1. Training and Education. Information will be provided on educational and training programs (workshops, courses, programs); evidence-based clinical practice; policies and procedures e.g. research ethics (Tri-Council Policies); and funding opportunities including grants, fellowships and continuing education.  There will be avocation for formal post graduate certification in the field of community respiratory therapy.
  2. Knowledge Dissemination & Translation. Links to information about knowledge translation activities will be available through the website. Peer mentors may also be available. Results of research, evaluation and quality improvement respiratory therapy community initiatives will be disseminated at the RTSO annual forum by podium presentations, workshops and poster sessions. Information about other relevant conferences and forums which may also be appropriate for sharing information will be posted on the website and/or shared through the newsletter.
  3. Peer Review. Respiratory therapists experienced in community respiratory therapy and research, evaluation and/or quality improvement research will review community respiratory therapy abstracts submissions made for the RTSO Annual Educational Forum. They will also review the community related posters presented at the RTSO forum and choose a “Community Best Poster Award” and “Community Best Student Poster Award”.
  4. Mentorship. Provided by Respiratory therapists experienced in community settings. Volunteer mentors will be available through the RTSO website.
  5. Administrative Activities. The Respiratory Therapy Community Committee will contribute to the RTSO’s annual work plan, aligning activities with the strategic direction and goals of the organization.
  6. Roundtable Discussions. Provide access to information and expertise from other Ontario respiratory therapists via electronic means (e.g. chat room) such that any and all RTSO members can monitor or contribute to discussions.

Approved by the RTSO Research Committee:
Endorsed by the RTSO Board of Directors: