Professional Standard and Guidelines Regarding Accepting New Patients Preamble This professional standard and guidelines applies to all physicians accepting new patients in their practice. This standard reflects ethical responsibilities of physicians set out in the Canadian Medical Association’s Code of Ethics. Physicians who are accepting new patients into their practices should use a first-come, first-served approach. Decisions to accept [...]
Guidelines for Completing Patient Forms Guidelines The College considers the accurate and timely completion of necessary patient forms to be an essential aspect of good patient care. Physicians should develop and implement a consistent approach to completing patient forms. Patients should be made aware in advance of the following: Fees for completing forms (in situations where form completion is not an insured service). Fees should be reasonable, consistent, and reflect the time required to complete the form. For further information about billing for non-insured services, consult the Doctors Nova Scotia website links below. Note that the College does not set or specify fees for non-insured services. How long it will take to [...]
Guidelines Regarding "One Problem per Visit" Policies Preamble The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia recognizes that unexpected demands on physicians' time can place burdens on practice schedules that are typically very tight. It is nevertheless essential that physicians respond appropriately to the needs of patients who present with multiple questions or problems. The College therefore encourages its members to be familiar with and to observe the following guidelines. Guidelines Avoid an inflexible “one problem per visit” policy. Be prepared to deal with additional problems or questions if necessary. Factors to take into account are the patient's age, degree of infirmity, intellectual sophistication, and the distance from their home to [...]
Professional Standard on Withdrawal of Physician Services during Job Actions Preamble The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia ("the College"), as well as the public, the medical profession and the government of Nova Scotia, is concerned about the quality and accessibility of health care. The College acknowledges its obligation to communicate clearly to all parties what it expects from the medical profession in Nova Scotia during any withdrawal of services. The aim of this professional standard is to clarify the College’s position and expectations in the event that any College members choose to withdraw their services as part of a job action. This professional standard is similar to others instituted by other Canadian [...]
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