Respiratory Therapy Scope of Practice Review - Member Feedback

Overview
The Ontario Ministry of Health (MOH) created a framework for regulated health professions to submit proposals to change their scope of practice, which may include:

Revising the profession’s scope of practice statement in the Respiratory Therapy Act (RTA);
Authorizing new controlled acts in the RTA and/or
Amending regulations made under other legislation (e.g., Controlled Acts Regulation, etc.).
Potentially formalizing Advanced Practice roles, such as Advanced Practice Anesthesia Assistants (APAA).

Early in 2025, the College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario (CRTO) and the Respiratory Therapy Society of Ontario (RTSO) partnered to develop a formal request that the MOH review and potentially revise the scope of practice of Respiratory Therapy. One of the first steps in this process was to form a working group of RTs from a broad range of practice settings (e.g., acute and primary care, Anesthesia Assistants, home care, etc.). This group has met virtually several times to discuss potential changes that could enhance the delivery of RT services in Ontario.

It's time for Ontario's Respiratory Therapists to be heard
In this survey, we invite you to share your thoughts on our proposed changes. Your opinions will offer valuable insight to enhance and strengthen our submission to the MOH. The survey results, along with supporting evidence, will be presented at the October Respiratory Therapy Society of Ontario (RTSO) Forum in Blue Mountain. We hope to submit our final proposed scope of practice revisions to the MOH by the end of 2025 or early 2026.

It is crucial that any request for a scope change must be patient care focused and align with the key priorities of the Ontario MOH, which include:

Building and retaining a skilled health workforce
Improving patient care outcomes
Strengthening primary care access

Share your voice by the deadline for 5 chances to win!
The deadline for completion of the survey is October 3, 2025. Adding your name to the survey will place you in a draw for five chances at free registration to the 2026 RTSO Conference, plus a $200 VISA gift card. You also have the option of completing the survey anonymously; however, in that case we would be unable to enter you into the draw.

The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Thank you for your participation!