Faculty of Health Disciplines, Athabasca University, Athabasca, Alberta, Canada.
School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
PLoS One. 2024 May 10;19(5):e0303192. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303192. eCollection 2024.
Technology is transforming service delivery and practice in many regulated professions, altering required skills, scopes of practice, and the organization of professional work. Professional regulators face considerable pressure to facilitate technology-enabled work while adapting to digital changes in their practices and procedures. However, our understanding of how regulators are responding to technology-driven risks and the impact of technology on regulatory policy is limited. To examine the impact of technology and digitalization on regulation, we conducted an exploratory case study of the regulatory bodies for nursing, law, and social work in Ontario, Canada. Data were collected over two phases. First, we collected documents from the regulators' websites and regulatory consortiums. Second, we conducted key informant interviews with two representatives from each regulator. Data were thematically analyzed to explore the impact of technological change on regulatory activities and policies and to compare how regulatory structure and field shape this impact. Five themes were identified in our analysis: balancing efficiency potential with risks of certain technological advances; the potential for improving regulation through data analytics; considering how to regulate a technologically competent workforce; recalibrating pandemic emergency measures involving technology; and contemplating the future of technology on regulatory policy and practice. Regulators face ongoing challenges with providing equity-based approaches to regulating virtual practice, ensuring practitioners are technologically competent, and leveraging regulatory data to inform decision-making. Policymakers and regulators across Canada and internationally should prioritize risk-balanced policies, guidelines, and practice standards to support professional practice in the digital era.
技术正在改变许多受监管专业的服务提供和实践方式，改变所需的技能、实践范围和专业工作的组织方式。专业监管机构面临着相当大的压力，需要促进技术驱动的工作，同时适应实践和程序中的数字化变化。然而，我们对监管机构如何应对技术驱动的风险以及技术对监管政策的影响的理解是有限的。为了研究技术和数字化对监管的影响，我们对加拿大安大略省的护理、法律和社会工作监管机构进行了探索性案例研究。数据分两个阶段收集。首先，我们从监管机构的网站和监管联盟收集文件。其次，我们对每个监管机构的两名代表进行了重点信息访谈。对数据进行了主题分析，以探讨技术变革对监管活动和政策的影响，并比较监管结构和领域如何塑造这种影响。我们的分析确定了五个主题：平衡某些技术进步的效率潜力与风险；通过数据分析改善监管的潜力；考虑如何监管技术熟练的劳动力；重新校准涉及技术的大流行病紧急措施；思考监管政策和实践的未来技术。监管机构在为虚拟实践提供基于公平的方法、确保从业者具备技术能力以及利用监管数据为决策提供信息方面面临持续挑战。加拿大和国际上的政策制定者和监管机构应优先考虑风险平衡的政策、准则和实践标准，以支持数字时代的专业实践。
