Policy: AC16: Patient Partnership Policy

TITLE: PATIENT PARTNERSHIP POLICY

The policy pertains to the requirements as prescribed by under s. 3. (1), s. 20. (1), and s. 25. (1) of O. Reg. 415/06.”, and EQual™ Canada Accreditation Program 3.1.2 and 3.1.5

  1. Introduction 

The Robert Health Institute relies on volunteers and partners for some of its institutional functions. Volunteers and partners must be trained before they can take on their duties. The Institute takes its time to properly train everyone who wishes to take on the position of volunteer or partner.  

  • Purpose of Volunteers and patient partners involved in the DMS program

The purpose of this policy is to establish how the Institute trains volunteers and partners, along with some possible reasons for dismissal if they are found to be acting in violation of the Institute’s other policies. This section also goes over the rights and responsibilities of volunteers and partners.

  • Definition
    • Volunteers: A person willing to provide patient experience services or assistance to the Robert Health Institute DMS program without payment, salary or salary.
    • Patient Partnership: A person is a living patient who assists the mentor by sharing patient stories, mentoring students, and providing an overview of expectations for program and clinic work.
    • DMS program: Diagnostic Medical Sonography program has provided full-time vocational training.
  • Policy and Procedure
    • The Robert Health Institute trains its volunteers and partners just like it does employees. Volunteers are required to be familiar with all of the policies in this manual and refer to them in future should the need arise. All volunteers and partners are to attend orientation sessions for training purposes. Orientations would involve going over the Institute’s code of conduct as well as volunteer and partner positions and tasks and expectations for them and consequences for failure to abide by the code and/or completing tasks. Orientations would be done by group whenever possible.
    • All volunteers and partners must sign consent and risk acknowledgement forms before their first shift. Those working directly with students are to sign forms regarding student privacy and confidentiality. Information relating to students is considered strictly confidential and must not be disclosed to persons outside the Institute. Violation of this privacy policy or any other Institute policy will result in discipline and may end with the volunteer or partner’s termination or even legal action. 
    • Staff, students, and guests on campus have the right to feel safe and welcomed. Volunteers and partners who wish to file a complaint may do so (see the complaint policy 001). Volunteers and partners have the right to refuse dangerous work. 
    • During shifts, supervisors will check in with volunteers and partners on a regular basis. Should a volunteer or partner have any difficulties, their supervisor would go over how the task is to be completed. Should any more difficulties arise, the supervisor would meet with them and agree on formal, constructive steps to resolve the problem. All reasonable effort will be made to find an alternate role that better suits the volunteer’s skills. Removal would be a last resort if nothing could be found.  
    • Personal Information collected under the volunteer and partners will be used only for the purposes of administering this policy, and will be disclosed only on a need-to-know basis, to the extent disclosure is required to fulfill the Institute’s legal obligations under the Human Rights Code, the Occupational Health & Safety Act, and any other applicable law and/or legal obligations, including any applicable collective agreement. Subject to applicable law, personal information collected, used and disclosed under this policy will otherwise be kept confidential, and will be stored and disposed of in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Institute’s recordkeeping policy.