Peer and Practice Assessments (PPA)

What are they? 

An educational tool used to assess ongoing practice competence. Peer and Practice Assessments are designed to promote professional development and to encourage opticians to maintain high practice standards.

What is the selection process?

Each year, a percentage of opticians are randomly selected to undergo a PPA. In addition, opticians who fail to complete their annual professional portfolio requirements may be required to undergo a PPA.

The random selection process takes place in February as part of the annual Competency Review and Evaluation. Registrants who are selected will be notified by email and provided with instructions on what they are required to do.

What is involved? 

There are two steps in a Peer and Practice Assessment. Whether you move on to step 2 depends on several factors, such as your overall performance at step 1 or random selection.

Step 1: Practice Profile and Patient Chart Review

The objective of Step 1 is to gather insight into individual practice patterns and effectively evaluate professional competencies. It consists of:

• Practice Profile - This is an online questionnaire that establishes a professional profile of an optician’s practice and guides the interview process in step 2.

• Chart Review – Opticians will submit a selection of charts that will be reviewed by the peer assessor. It is designed to assess various aspects of your practice.

Step 2:  Professional Practice Interview

The objective of Step 2 is to probe into the critical aspects of your practice, including your decision-making processes and compliance with professional standards. It is a structured interview conducted by a qualified assessor that is experienced in your area of practice. The interview has 3 sections and will take approximately 1.5 -2 hours to complete.

1. Professional Practice –covers ethics, infection control and patient and workplace safety. This section will apply to all opticians.
2. Eyeglass – covers needs assessment, prescriptions, lens and frame selection, industry standards and patient communication. This section will only apply to opticians who dispense eyeglasses.
3. Contact Lens – covers needs assessment, prescriptions and lens selection, patient-centered training, and follow-up care. This section will only apply to opticians who dispense contact lenses.

If you are randomly selected or required to participate:

1. Complete and return the following forms contained within your instruction email:

• Assessment Scheduling
• Conflict of Interest

2. Complete the Practice Profile (link provided in email). This questionnaire is to give a sense of what your practice looks like.
3. Upload 5 patient charts via the secure link provided in your email. These charts should reflect a variety of cases you encounter every day and be from the last 3 months. If you fit both glasses and contact lenses, please upload a variety of each.  Please upload in PDF format with the following naming convention: YOUR LAST NAME_CHART_1 etc.

How is the PPA Completed?

Step One is completed online.  The links to all forms to complete and upload your files are contained within the email you received. Please complete by the date indicated in your email. 

• Have access to a computer with webcam, speakers, and a microphone
• Have a stable internet connection
• Have access to a private room where the assessment can be conducted uninterrupted
• Download Zoom (https://zoom.us/download)

Who is required to pay a PPA fee? 

Registrants who are randomly selected to undergo a PPA are not required to pay a fee.

Registrants who are ordered to undergo a PPA are required to pay a fee. Once your PPA has been scheduled, you will receive a notice advising you that you are required to submit payment through the registrant portal.

Can a PPA be delayed or deferred? 

Please note that participation in the PPA is mandatory. If, however, you believe that there is a need to delay or defer the PPA for any reason (for example illness or personal circumstance), please contact the College immediately by email qa@collegeofopticians.ca. Each request is considered individually.

What happens after a PPA? 

The Quality Assurance Committee will review the results of your assessment and:

1. May make no recommendations.
2. May make recommendations for you to pursue your own learning targets.
3. If the Committee identifies insufficient knowledge, skill, or judgement that can be addressed in a remediation program, they may direct specified learning activities

In rare cases where the committee identifies a significant concern/risk, they may consider whether it is necessary to put terms, conditions, or limitations on an optician’s certificate of registration. It is important to remember that if you are selected, participation in the PPA is mandatory, and failure to do so may result in a referral for a professional conduct investigation.

You will be provided with a copy of the Peer Assessment along with the Committee’s decision and will have the opportunity to provide comments and/or feedback to the Committee.