Acupuncture Continuing Education

Ethics in Acupuncture #4

Samples of Course Materials

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Sample # 1

Rights, Privacy, Dignity
Respect the rights, privacy and dignity of my patients and maintain confidentiality and professional boundaries at all times.

Misconduct
This NCCAOM ethical item touches upon both legal and ethics concerns. For example, sexual contact with a patient is legal misconduct. This also violates this ethical code regarding professional boundaries. The NCCAOM notes that this is grounds for professional discipline. The NCCAOM Certification Handbook notes that professional discipline is appropriate unless six months has elapsed:

  • Engaging in sexual contact with a former patient unless a period of six (6) months has elapsed since the date that the professional relationship ended…

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Sample # 2

Sign-In Sheets
At the healthcare office, sign-in sheets are visible to the public if left on the desk at the reception area. This is permissible by HIPAA; however, only the person’s name can be required. It is illegal to have “major complaint” or “purpose of visit” on the form. A sign-in sheet is…

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Sample # 3

Confidentiality
The NCCAOM code of ethics respects the rights, privacy, and dignity of the patient. What about speaking to our patients in the reception area or in a semi-private clinical setting? From an ethical point of view, there is wisdom and compassion in not revealing medical information in public that a patient may find undignified, intrusive, or embarrassing. The legal perspective is somewhat flexible in this regard. The HHS (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services ) writes the following:

  • Can health care providers engage in confidential conversations with other providers or with patients, even if there is a possibility that they could be overheard?
    Answer: Yes. The HIPAA Privacy Rule is not intended to prohibit providers from talking to each other and to their patients. Provisions of this Rule requiring covered entities to implement reasonable safeguards that…

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Sample # 4

Fairness
Accept and treat those seeking my services in a fair and nondiscriminatory manner. Sun Szu-miao wrote about nondiscrimination:

If someone seeks help because of illness or on the ground of another difficulty, a great physician should not pay attention to status, wealth or age, neither should he question whether…

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