Regulatory Models and Model Behaviours.

We appreciate the thoughtful and thought-provoking commentaries to our lead paper (Wilkie and Tzountzouris 2017) in this issue. Clearly, the question of how to best enable the behaviours of healthcare professionals to optimize their impact on our healthcare system is a complex one. We approach the question from the position of a health regulatory authority with a recognition that we cannot act alone.

Enabling Evolving Practice for Healthcare Professionals: A Regulator's Journey.

The inherent risk involved in the provision of healthcare services leads to the inevitable requirement of health human resource oversight to protect the public from harm (Bayne 2012). As healthcare systems evolve, so do theoretical models for, and practical applications of, health human resource oversight policy and processes. The College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario (CMLTO), as one of 26 health regulatory bodies in Ontario, implements programs or processes to enact and support changes in the knowledge, skill and judgment of their members.

Role of educational institutions in identifying and responding to emerging health human resources needs.

The healthcare system continues to evolve, requiring innovation to promote patient-centred, fiscally responsible healthcare delivery. This evolution includes changes to the skills and competencies required of the health human resources (HHR), both regulated and unregulated, who are central supports to healthcare delivery. This has become a priority agenda item at the international, national, provincial, regional and local levels.

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene and ion channel function in patients with idiopathic pancreatitis.

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene mutations are associated with cystic fibrosis (CF)-related monosymptomatic conditions, including idiopathic pancreatitis. We evaluated prospectively enrolled patients who had idiopathic recurrent acute pancreatitis or idiopathic chronic pancreatitis, healthy controls, CF heterozygotes, and CF patients (pancreatic insufficient or sufficient) for evidence of CFTR gene mutations and abnormalities of ion transport by sweat chloride and nasal potential difference testing. DNA samples from anonymous blood donors were controls for genotyping.

Apparently unstable normal FMR1 alleles in nine developmentally delayed patients: implications for molecular diagnosis of the fragile X syndrome.

The Fragile X syndrome is a common form of X-linked mental retardation, affecting approximately 1 in 4,000 males. Since the discovery of the FMR1 gene responsible for the syndrome, molecular, rather than cytogenetic, diagnosis of Fragile X syndrome has become the gold standard. Numerous molecular diagnostic centers worldwide use PCR and Southern blotting to characterize the size of the CGG repeats within the gene, expansion of which has been shown to be associated with the vast majority of cases of Fragile X syndrome.