Ethics & Professional Standards Flashcards
7 cards from real CO practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Ethics & Professional Standards flashcards as text
A pharmaceutical company sponsors an orthotist's conference attendance in exchange for presenting favorable product data. This arrangement raises concerns about:
Answer: Undisclosed conflicts of interest and biased professional education
Undisclosed industry sponsorships create conflicts of interest that can compromise the integrity of professional education and guidance.
A patient signs an informed consent form but later claims they did not understand the risks. This situation highlights the importance of:
Answer: Ensuring the patient demonstrates comprehension, not just signature
True informed consent requires confirmed patient understanding of risks and benefits, not merely a signature on a document.
Which action by an orthotist would constitute an ethical breach of professional boundaries?
Answer: Entering into a romantic relationship with a current patient
Romantic relationships with current patients violate professional boundaries and are prohibited by most ethical codes in healthcare.
An orthotist's certification lapses, but they continue to practice and bill using their expired credentials. This constitutes:
Answer: Fraud and misrepresentation of credentials
Practicing with lapsed credentials and misrepresenting certification status is fraudulent and a serious ethical and legal violation.
When is it ethically permissible to share a patient's protected health information with their employer?
Answer: When the patient provides specific written authorization for that disclosure
PHI can only be disclosed to employers when the patient has specifically authorized that release in writing.
The principle of non-maleficence most directly applies when an orthotist considers:
Answer: Whether the risks of a proposed device or treatment could harm the patient
Non-maleficence requires practitioners to evaluate whether proposed treatments could cause harm before proceeding.
A patient explicitly refuses to pay for services rendered. An orthotist may ethically:
Answer: Pursue standard collection procedures while maintaining patient dignity
Practitioners may use standard legal collection processes but must do so without violating patient privacy, dignity, or access to urgent care.