Join the CanOSS Ontario College of Assessors

The CanOSS Ontario College of Assessors will be a multidisciplinary expert panel that forms a core component of the CanOSS system. Assessors will be tasked with conducting structured, independent reviews of severe maternal morbidity and mortality events by applying standardized tools and frameworks, as well as their own experience, training and clinical judgement.

The goal for Assessor’s will be to identify areas for system-level learning to support safer maternal care across jurisdictions.

Professional roles of Assessors may include, but are not limited to obstetricians, gynecologists, nurses, midwives, neonatologists, family medicine physicians practicing obstetrics, and hematologists.

Yes, Assessors will receive an honorarium of $100 per completed event review from CanOSS Ontario. Each event review is expected to take approximately two (2) hours.

We recognize the time constraints of clinical and academic roles. Participation is designed to be structured, flexible, and feasible within professional practice.

Once your enrollment has been reviewed and confirmed, you will be required to complete a training module developed by the CanOSS Team, as well as Privacy and Confidentiality training related to the access of event data in the BORN Information System.

The event review process is as follows:

• Each event will be assigned to a panel of at least four (and up to ten) multidisciplinary Assessors.
• Assessors will independently review the same event using standardized tools to evaluate both clinical care and broader system-level factors. Assessors are not expected to comment on every aspect of an event, as it’s possible certain aspects may fall outside their area of expertise.
• Assessor responses will be synthesized through a structured alignment process. This process ensures that diverse perspectives are integrated into a coherent, high-quality, consolidated review.
• The final output will identify key contributing factors and generate actionable recommendations to inform quality improvement at both local and system levels.

Assessors will be appointed for an initial three-year term following completion of orientation and training. At the end of the initial term, assessors may choose to renew their appointment for an additional term of up to three years, based on their interest and program needs. This structure is intended to support both continuity and broad engagement across eligible experts.

Members of the CanOSS Ontario College of Assessors will receive:

• Formal orientation and structured training on the CanOSS review methodology.
• Access to a secure, purpose-built review platform within the BORN Information System.
• Standardized assessment tools and templates.
• Administrative and coordination support

Assessors will also join a national community of practice focused on maternal safety with opportunities to engage in knowledge translation activities and collaborative learning. Where appropriate, outputs from this work may contribute to scholarly dissemination and system-level reporting.

• Dr. Rohan D’Souza, Project Lead, CanOSS
• Mireille Cloutier, Clinical Engagement Manager, BORN Ontario