Standards

Disclaimer

This information and research which is intended to be reliable, but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All material in this website or article is provided for information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this magazine/newsletter/authors/editor/website. Readers should consult their doctor and other qualified health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being. The information and opinions provided in this newsletter/authors/website are believed to be accurate and sound, based on the best judgment available to the authors. Readers who fail to consult with appropriate health authorities assume the risk of any injuries. The publisher is not responsible for any errors or omissions or collapse of website. OK in Health is not responsible for the information in these articles, pages, and for any content included on this website, it is intended as a guide only and should not be used as an alternative to seeking professional advice from either your doctor or a registered specialist for yourself or anyone else.

Quality Control Information and Guidelines

Our Mission:

To create a website providing information relevant to integrated and complementary healing practitioners, the medical community, and the general public. The information would include that relating to practitioner development and practice development, including:

* All quality* health & healing workshops, courses, and events related to our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being
* Condensed educational articles on natural health, environment, maternity, family and animal issues
* Practitioner development and practice development
* Practitioner services available in your area with contact info
* Natural products and businesses available in your area
* e-Magazine
* Contests
 

Objectives:

* Provide an integrative information resource, combining the medical community and the traditional healing community
* Provide a common information source for healing practitioners and public
* Make available lists of course information and healers in practice
* Enhance and ease communication between healing practitioners
* Attract advertising of natural products to inform practitioners and public of these
* Apply basic quality controls to posted information*
* Modify and enhance the information regularly to keep updated and adjust to needs arising

Quality Control will entail 3 segments

* All articles will be reviewed by one of several editors
* All products must have both complete ingredients and consumer feedback available
* All practitioners and course presenters are required to include a mini-bio containing - level of training, approximate contact hours Schooling/ institutions attended governing body(s). If requested, OK in Health will send an e-mail with requirements regarding the mini-bio

OK In Health Statement regarding website information and quality.

We are all aware that basic standards in some areas of complementary medicine are not clearly in place, putting the responsibility for quality monitoring right where it belongs - with you. OK in Health will make all reasonable effort to request and post basic information related to quality of workshops, events and practitioners. There is no guarantee that this is accurate and honest. OK in Health.com disclaims any responsibility for all information, posting it in good faith.

It is your right and responsibility to question qualifications, and follow this up thoroughly. You owe it to yourself not to be deterred by other pressures. This is your money, your education, your healing, your life.

Similarly all practitioners know this, and any worth their salt will display their qualifications proudly and openly, will welcome questions about courses and experience; and will have qualifications to display. (framed certificates, course lists with dates & contact hours, an album containing certificates and proofs and detailed bio material, letters after name on business card).

This is not to say there are not natural healers out there, but these persons also know the value of certifications and courses to give foundation and enhancement to their gifts, to add necessary knowledge of counselling skills and professional ethics at least*

OK In Health will display the basic 3

1. Certificates give credence that your choice of healers actually have training in what they practice. So the level of training and/or contact hours tell a tale.

A weekend is 16-20 hours. One week 36-40 . One month 160

Often certificates entail 10 modules of 40 hours each plus 100 required practical hours, approximately. They vary widely, but all necessitate lots of training provided by a qualified instructor, supervised practice hours, strong resource orientation, caregiver ethics, extensive other-student sharing. Thus a trained certified practitioner of any form of health care have the basics to add part-time training to this foundation. That is, there is a difference between a nurse with a week of healer training, and someone with just the week of healer training. Look for and ask about those letters after your choices name.

2. Training Schools tell another tale. Any certificate from a known licensed college has more surety. Many privately set-up schools are wonderful. Unfortunately some just seem fine and may not contain all the elements of the licensed colleges and you the consumer can't tell because they'll act like experts.

3. Governing Body is the term used for provincial and national associations, such as the BC Association of Massage Practitioners or Canadian Healing Touch Association. These governing bodies require practitioners in their field to be members and to have basic training at an approved school to become a member, and approved courses offered for continued upgrading. These GBs work with known training schools to ensure uniform standards of training among them, and standards of practice, and standards of required continuing upgrading. Thus a registered healer has this surety, and puts the initials of this GB after their name on business cards.

Also Experience is important, after training is completed. Any practitioner learns as much in the first 2-3 years of practice as in training, and the quality of this post-qualification learning is steered and enhanced and properly limited by the prior training. That's why newly qualified practitioners usually choose to work with experienced practitioners, or join a practitioners' group to enhance the exchange fostering this learning. However, experience has been known to be exaggerated: 5 years stated may be 5 years of 1 day a week. So ask, and note when your practitioner/presenter refers to an exchange group or special opportunity taken.

Practitioners

This information is available to assist with the location of health care Practitioners and businesses across our coverage area. The OK In Health.com website does not endorse or recommend the services of any practitioner/ workshops/businesses in this directory and assumes no liability for any information, goods or services provided by any of the practitioners listed. The OK In Health.com website has not investigated the credentials of all the practitioner/businesses listed other than correspondence with the Practitioner or Instructor. A business, workshop or Practitioner is expected to work within their legal scope of ethics, practice and in accordance with the International Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics. You have the right to expect the highest level of integrity and behaviour of those providers listed.

Medical Community

This information is available to assist with the location of health care, medical communities and health businesses across our coverage area.