Participating in ongoing continuing education (CE) and professional development is an integral part of ensuring continuing competence and improvement. The QA Committee developed the self assessment, continuing education, and peer and practice assessment programs to help guide members in their CE and professional development activities. Requirements for these programs can be found in Standard of Practice S-003: Professional Portfolio.
Please see the one-page Summary of Continuing Education and Professional Development Requirements for details on all CE requirements.
Members are required to participate in 40 hours of CE over a two-year period, as determined by CCO. In accumulating the 40 hours, CCO requires members to:
- Participate in a minimum of 20 hours (out of the 40 hours) in structured activities
- Participate in a maximum of 20 hours (out of the 40 hours) in structured CE activities
- Log and report participation in CE activities in the member portal
- Maintain in their professional portfolio materials they have gathered while fulfilling their CE requirements during the last CE cycle (e.g., course outlines, brochures from conventions/conferences).
To ensure members have complied with this provision, CCO’s registration renewal requires members registered in the General (i.e. active) class of registration for the entire CE cycle, to report on their CE activities every two years.
Members are only required to participate and report to CCO on CE activities if they are registered in the General class of registration for the entire CE cycle. As an example, if a member becomes registered in August 2022, they would be exempt from participating and reporting on CE activities for the July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2024 CE cycle. This member’s first CE reporting cycle would be the July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2026 CE cycle. This exemption can also be indicated through the member portal. Members are still encouraged to participate in CE activities; however, the specific hours and reporting obligations are exempted until an individual is registered with CCO for an entire CE cycle.
CE activities should reflect those areas identified as needing improvement in members’ completed self-assessments, peer and practice assessments and other areas of practice interest. CE activities must relate to chiropractic practice, and should enhance members’ professional knowledge base so they can provide safe and ethical chiropractic care to Ontarians.
CE Cycles
CE cycles are two-years long and run from July 1 – June 30 of every even year.
CE Cycle 7 – July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2024
CE Cycle 8 – July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2026
CE Cycle 9 – July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2028
CE Cycle 10 – July 1, 2028 – June 30, 2030
Members registered in the General (i.e. active) class of registration for an entire CE cycle, are required to report on their CE activities every two years.
New CE Requirements for CE Cycle 4 (July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2018)
Starting in CE Cycle 4 (July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2018), there are two mandatory components for structured Continuing Education:
- five mandatory structured hours consisting of diagnostic or therapeutic procedures related to any of the controlled acts within the chiropractic scope of practice
- maintaining a certificate in emergency first aid/CPR
Additional information regarding these CE requirements:
- New Continuing Education (CE) Requirements Executive Summary
- Five CE Hours Related to Controlled Acts Q&A
- CE Hours Related to Maintaining Emergency First Aid/CPR Q&A
New Requirements Starting July 1, 2022
Starting in CE Cycle 7, there is an additional mandatory component for structured Continuing Education – attendance at the CCO virtual Regulatory Excellence Workshop once every three CE cycles (or once every six years).
CCO Council approved amendments to Standard of Practice S-003: Professional Portfolio to require that as part of structed CE hours, it is compulsory for members registered in the General (i.e, Active) class of registration to attend the CCO Virtual Regulatory Excellence Workshop at least once every three CE cycles (or once every six years). The Regulatory Excellence Workshop was developed from and built upon from the previous Record Keeping Workshop and includes topics and updates related to all aspects of professional regulatory of chiropractic in Ontario. Please note, as these amendments came into effect for the July 1, 2022 CE cycle, members may complete this requirement over the next three CE cycles (or six years – until June 30, 2028).
This workshop is typically offered three times a year and is virtual and free for all members of CCO. Please visit the workshops page for updates on future dates of this workshop.
Additions to CE requirements beginning July 1, 2024
CCO Council approved amendments to Standard of Practice S-003: Professional Portfolio (clean version, marked up version), following distribution for feedback in September 2023. These amendments include a new requirement as part of the Continuing Education (CE) program as follows:
“It is a requirement that every member (registered in the General class) complete a minimum of 5 hours of structured CE activity, that primarily focuses on an in-person hands-on or hand-held instrument adjustment or manipulation activity and includes training in the competency of manual or hand-held instrument spinal adjustment or manipulation skills, at least once every three CE cycles (or six years).”
CCO Council approved these amendments to further the objects of the College to promote continuing evaluation, competence and improvement among members. CCO standards of practice require members to have achieved, maintain and be able to demonstrate clinical competency in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures used in practice. As a high level of competency and skill is required to perform the spinal adjustment or manipulation and competencies in psychomotor skills improve with continued use, education and training, it is in the public interest for members to participate directly in regular in-person CE.
Please review the following questions and answers for further details about this new requirement.
When will this requirement come into effect?
The amendments to Standard of Practice S-003: Professional Portfolio will come into effect on July 1, 2024 for the upcoming new CE cycle. Members registered in the General class of registration will be required to complete this CE activity over the next three CE cycles (or six years) until June 30, 2030. New members will be required to complete this requirement within their first required three CE cycles (or six years).
What types of CE activities meet this requirement?
Members may choose any type of structured CE activity that is in-person and primarily focuses on hands-on or handheld instrument adjustment or manipulation activity and includes training in the competency of manual or hand-held instrument spinal adjustment or manipulation skills. CCO does not approve or accredit CE courses, but rather CE courses must meet the criteria described in Standard of Practice S-003: Professional Portfolio. This activity should meet the criteria of structure CE listed in Standard of Practice S-003: Professional Portfolio, with the exception of online, internet or computer courses. Diagnostic or therapeutic procedures must comply with the requirements in Standard of Practice S-001: Chiropractic Scope of Practice.
Must CE courses be taken in Ontario?
No. As with all CE requirements, there is not a requirement for this CE requirement to be completed in Ontario.
What if there are no in-person CE courses in hands-on or handheld instrument or manipulation activity where I live?
CCO acknowledges there may be challenges in accessing in-person CE courses, especially for those members living in remote or rural locations. However, the requirement to complete 5 hours of in-person CE once every three CE cycles (or six years) is not onerous. Further, the QA Committee expects that additional in-person CE opportunities will continue to become available, whether through accredited chiropractic colleges, professional associations or private CE providers. There may also be opportunities for members to develop in-person CE opportunities for each other that meet the criteria of structured CE activities, which include structured agendas, specified learning objectives and/or the opportunity for interaction with other members of the profession or other professions and the ability for the member to interact and/or gain feedback.
What are the Mandatory Components of CE?
The following is a summary of the mandatory components of CE as set out in Standard of Practice S-003: Professional Portfolio:
- 5 hours of structured activity that consists of structed activity on diagnostic or therapeutic procedures related to controlled acts every CE cycle;
- Remaining current with emergency first aid + CPR Level C + AED (or higher level);
- Attendance at a CCO Regulatory Excellence Workshop (virtual or in-person) once every three CE cycles (or six years) – came into effect July 1, 2022 to be completed by June 30, 2028; and
- 5 hours of structured activity that primarily focused on an in-person hands-on or hand-held instrument adjustment or manipulation activity once every three CE cycles (or six years) – came into effect July 1, 2024 to be completed by June 30 2030.