21 NCAC 64 .0302. PRINCIPLE OF ETHICS I

(a)  Licensees shall hold paramount the welfare of persons served professionally.

(1)           Licensees shall use every resource available, including referral to other specialists as needed, to provide the best service possible.

(2)           Licensees shall fully inform persons served of the nature and possible effects of the services.

(3)           Licensees shall fully inform subjects participating in research or teaching activities of the nature and possible effects of these activities.

(4)           Licensees shall provide appropriate access to records of persons served professionally.

(5)           Licensees shall take all reasonable precautions to avoid injuring persons in the delivery of professional services.

(6)           Licensees shall evaluate services rendered to determine effectiveness.

(b)  Ethical Proscriptions.

(1)           Licensees must not exploit persons in the delivery of professional services, including accepting persons for treatment when benefit cannot reasonably be expected or continuing treatment unnecessarily.

(2)           Licensees must not guarantee the results of any therapeutic procedures, directly or by implication.  A reasonable statement of prognosis may be made, but caution must be exercised not to mislead persons served professionally to expect results that cannot be predicted from sound evidence.

(3)           Licensees must not use persons for teaching or research in a manner that constitutes invasion of privacy or fails to afford informed free choice to participate.

(4)           Licensees must not evaluate or treat speech, language or hearing disorders except in a professional relationship, including at least examination of the person.  They must not evaluate or treat solely by correspondence.  This does not preclude follow‑up correspondence with persons previously seen, nor providing them with general information of an educational nature.

(5)           Licensees must not reveal to unauthorized persons any professional or personal information obtained from the person served professionally, unless required by law or unless necessary to protect the welfare of the person or the community.

(6)           Licensees must not discriminate in the delivery of professional services or any basis that is unjustifiable or irrelevant to the need for and potential benefit from such services, such as race, sex or religion.

 

History Note:        Authority G.S. 90‑304(a)(3);

Eff. February 9, 1976;

Amended Eff. November 1, 1989.