Please note that the terms “member” and “registrant” are used interchangeably throughout our website

Practice Assessment

The objective of the College’s Practice Assessment component is to promote accountability and support registrants in enhancing their patient care and practice management, while ensuring ongoing compliance with the standards of practice. The Practice Assessment offers a valuable opportunity for a positive and individualized learning experience directly related to each optometrist’s practice.

One of the College’s strategic areas of focus is risk-based proportional regulation. To support this approach, the College engaged an external consultant and subject matter experts (SMEs) to develop new practice assessment tools based on a thorough evaluation of risk, with an emphasis on public safety.

At its June 13, 2025 meeting, Council approved a new Practice Assessment component of the College’s QA Program, consisting of two new assessment tools:

  1. Chart Review Protocol (CRP); and
  2. Chart-Stimulated Recall Protocol (CSRP).

These tools replace the existing Short Record Assessment (SRA) and Complete Record Assessment (CRA). Details about the development of the new tools and processes can be found in the June 13, 2025 Council briefing book (pages 51 – 189). A comparison between the SRA/CRA and CRP/CSRP processes is available here.

SELECTION PROCESS

Registrants may be required to undergo a Practice Assessment by:

  1. Random Selection – Registrants are selected according to the College’s Random Selection Criteria Policy.
  2. Referral by the Registrar – This occurs when a registrant does not meet the conditions of their Certificate of Registration (e.g., missing continuing education hours or direct patient contact hours).

*Those referred by the Registrar for a Practice Assessment are responsible for covering the cost of the assessment. See the College’s Schedule of Fees and Penalties. 

PRACTICE ASSESSMENT PROCESS

Flowchart

A visual overview of the new practice assessment process is available here.

Notification

Registrants selected for assessment are notified by email and provided with detailed instructions. Registrants are given 90 days to electronically submit 10 clinical records for first-time patients who received a complete oculo-visual assessment.

The registrant also receives the following:

Chart Review Protocol (CRP)

After receiving the patient records, a CRP Assessor (an optometrist trained by the College) evaluates the records using the CRP criteria and prepares a summary report for the Quality Assurance (QA) Committee’s review.

Chart-Stimulated Recall Protocol (CSRP)

Following its review of the CRP report, the QA Committee may direct the registrant to undergo a CSRP. The Committee will identify specific areas of concern and select a few of the original records for further discussion.

Registrants are provided with a copy of the CRP report and the QA Committee’s feedback.

The CSRP is a structured, conversational assessment conducted virtually between the registrant and the CSRP Assessor (an optometrist trained by the College). Using the CRP report, selected records, and QA Committee feedback, the assessor facilitates a case-based discussion. The assessor summarizes their findings in a report, which is submitted to the QA Committee, along with recommendations for next steps.

Written Submission

Registrants are provided with a copy of the CSRP report and may submit a written response to the QA Committee within 14 days of receiving the report.

PRACTICE ASSESSMENT OUTCOMES

Based on the assessment findings, the QA Committee may decide to:

  • Determine that the registrant is maintaining the standards of practice and discharge them from the process;
  • Make recommendations to the registrant for ways in which to improve;
  • Require the registrant to undergo an evaluation of the registrant’s clinical ability;
  • Require the registrant to undergo remediation in the form of continuing education or coaching;
  • Direct the Registrar to impose terms, conditions and/or limitations on the registrant’s Certificate of Registration for a specified time; or
  • Refer allegations of professional misconduct or incompetence/incapacity to the Inquiries Complaints and Reports Committee.

EXEMPTION PERIOD

After being randomly selected and discharged from the Practice Assessment process, a registrant is exempt from future random selection as follows:

  • 10-year exemption: if only a CRP or CSRP was required before discharge
  • 5-year exemption: if remediation or a practice evaluation was required before discharge.

Related FAQs

  • In accordance with Section 82 of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991:

    Co-operation with Committee and assessors
    82 (1) Every member shall co-operate with the Quality Assurance Committee and with any assessor it appoints and in particular every member shall,

    • (a) permit the assessor to enter and inspect the premises where the member practises;
    • (b) permit the assessor to inspect the member’s records of the care of patients;
    • (c) give the Committee or the assessor the information in respect of the care of patients or in respect of the member’s records of the care of patients the Committee or assessor requests in the form the Committee or assessor specifies;
    • (d) confer with the Committee or the assessor if requested to do so by either of them; and
    • (e) participate in a program designed to evaluate the knowledge, skill and judgment of the member, if requested to do so by the Committee.

    Inspection of premises
    (2) Every person who controls premises where a member practises, other than a private dwelling, shall allow an assessor to enter and inspect the premises.

    Inspection of records
    (3) Every person who controls records relating to a member’s care of patients shall allow an assessor to inspect the records.

    Exception
    (4) Subsection (3) does not require a patient or his or her representative to allow an assessor to inspect records relating to the patient’s care.

  • In accordance with Section 27 (2) of O. Reg. 119/94: GENERAL under the Optometry Act, 1991, “An assessment shall include the inspection and assessment of the member’s records of the care of patients and other records required to be maintained under the regulations under the Act, and may include, but is not limited to, an inspection of the member’s office or offices and requiring the member to respond to a practice questionnaire.”

    Regarding confidentiality, in accordance with Section 83 of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991:

    Confidentiality of information

    83 (1) Except as provided in section 80.2 and in this section, the Quality Assurance Committee and any assessor appointed by it shall not disclose, to any other committee, information that,

    (a) was given by the member; or

    (b) relates to the member and was obtained under section 82.

    Regarding electronic submission of records, the College uses a secure file sharing website to collect patient records for the purpose of assessment. Each upload link is unique to each individual optometrist and all files are deleted following the assessment.

  • The full patient record must be submitted to the College, including imaging/results of any diagnostic testing, intake forms, and referral letters or correspondence to and from other professionals, and details of prescriptions.

  • If you have not provided a complete oculo-visual exam to any first-time patients during the submission period, you may treat existing patients as first-time patients for the purpose of this assessment. For existing patients, please only submit the one-day record of complete oculo-visual assessment and do not submit any records from previous visits.

  • Yes. “First-time” refers to the first time that you have seen that patient (e.g., they may have visited your clinic in the past and seen a different optometrist).

  • The QA Committee understands there are certain reasons why a member may require additional time to submit their records and questionnaire for assessment. Should you require an extension, please write to QA@collegeoptom.on.ca with the reason for extension and specify the amount of additional time needed. Your request will then be reviewed by the QA Committee, and you will be provided with a response. There is no guarantee the QA Committee will grant an extension.

  • Below are some helpful resources to assist you with the technical aspects of your submission:

    NOTE: you may be asked to create a free Adobe account to use the tools above if you do not already have one.