ANTA Supports META REGULATION of Complementary Medicine

Meta Regulation

Meta Regulation is based on government regulating constant quality improvement and quality processes of organisations/bodies.

Meta Regulation includes processes where all stakeholders involved in an adverse event have an opportunity to resolve on an equal basis, what can be done to rectify the harm and needs of those affected and to prevent recurrence of the adverse event. Organisations/Bodies under a Meta Regulation model are required to constantly work on processes and improvements to deliver quality outcomes for the parties involved.

Meta Regulation provides mechanisms for rule enforcers to be responsive to the needs of participants and determining what intervention is required in a situation or adverse event. Meta Regulation is based on developing solutions to issues, problems and risk management to achieve win/win outcomes rather than taking an after the fact adversarial approach resulting in loss/loss or loss/win situations.

The focus of Meta Regulation is on rule enforcers ensuring organisations/bodies are constantly working on the ‘front end’ to ensure attention is given to developing ongoing quality outcomes and putting in place quality processes to ensure adverse events are approached from a continuous quality improvement direction.

Meta Regulation is focused on prevention as opposed to current regulatory approaches which are adversarial in nature usually resulting in after the event costly legal challenges.

Funding provided by current regulatory systems is used in dispute resolution resulting in loss/loss or loss/win outcomes. Meta Regulation focuses on using funding for dispute prevention and win/win outcomes which is a more effective and efficient use of regulatory funds.

Current regulatory processes do not focus on implementing continuous quality programs and do not deliver continuous quality improvements resulting from adverse events.

Meta Regulation can deliver greater information and detail about adverse events or situations which provides the basis for constant quality improvements and processes.

Under a system of Meta Regulation protection of title can be legislated and public safety supported by evidence of mandatory continuous quality improvement reporting by organisations to a government agency. Organisations that do not show evidence of continual quality improvement would be subject to legislative consequences and fines.

ANTA believes protection of the public and optimization of funding is best secured by the provision of constant quality improvement processes under a responsive Meta Regulation system rather than current regulatory models that seek to punish parties involved in adverse events.

Meta Regulation of the Complementary Medicine Professions would focus on prevention, be responsive to the needs of the public and deliver constant quality improvement. Meta regulation with a disputes resolution mechanism will also focus on resolving disputes to achieve a win– win outcome rather than escalating them to a legal or formal process to achieve a lose–lose or a win–lose outcome. Regulatory funds under a Meta Regulatory model would be used to greater efficiency and deliver continuous quality improvement.

Meta Regulation was discussed and put forward at the Australian Health Summit 2006 held in Melbourne in July 2006 by Professor Bruce Barraclough AO, Chair, Clinical Excellence Commission, President Elect of the International Society for Quality in Health Care as the preferred model for regulating health care in Australia.

ANTA believes the public safety and professions would be better served under a statutory regulatory model that embraces the concept of Meta Regulation.

ANTA recommends Federal and State Governments adopt a Meta Regulation model for the Regulation of Complementary Medicine.