Ethical Standards and Professional Conduct

(1) Requirement to Respond to Board. (a) A registrant shall respond to a written communication from the Board or its designee and shall make available to the Board any relevant and authorized records with respect to an inquiry or complaint about the registrant's professional conduct. (b) A registrant shall cooperate with any reasonable request from a Division agent or employee acting on behalf of the Board while investigating a complaint or allegation regarding the registrant's professional conduct as a hearing instrument specialist. (2) Welfare of Persons Served. (a) Registrants shall not provide any services beyond the scope of their practice or for which they are not appropriately licensed. (b) Registrants shall not misrepresent qualifications, affiliations, educational background or experience in the profession to the public, colleagues or other individuals or institutions. (c) Registrants shall fully inform persons served of the nature, possible effects, and limitations of services rendered or to be rendered. (d) Registrants’ fees must be commensurate with services rendered. Under no circumstances shall a registrant charge for services not rendered. (e) Registrants shall provide clients with reasonable access to their records at the request of the client. Unless required by law, the registrant shall not reveal to any unauthorized person any confidential information obtained from the individual that the registrant serves professionally without the client’s permission. (f) Registrants shall take all reasonable precautions to avoid injuring persons in the delivery of professional services. (g) Services rendered should be evaluated to determine effectiveness. If not effective, and benefit cannot reasonably be expected to accrue, professional services should not be initiated or continued. (h) Registrants shall establish professional relationships with clients and colleagues and follow acceptable patterns of professional conduct with such persons regardless of race, religion, gender or age. (i) Activities engaged in for experimental teaching purposes should be explained in full to the person being served. Consent must be obtained for such activities. (j) Registrants shall not guarantee the result of any service rendered or hearing instrument provided or state that a hearing instrument can fully restore hearing. (3) Professional Objectivity/Conflict of Interest. (a) Registrants shall maintain objectivity in all matters concerning the welfare of persons served professionally. 7.03: continued (b) Hearing instrument products are to be dispensed to persons served as part of a program of comprehensive habilitative/rehabilitative care. Fees established for professional services must be determined independent of whether a product is dispensed. No professional shall require, directly or indirectly, that any person served should or should not obtain a service or product from a particular source. Upon request, at time of sale, price information about professional services rendered and products dispensed must be disclosed by providing to clients a complete schedule of fees and services including what services and replacement parts are included in the price and the length of time that such services and replacement parts will be available for the price paid. Products dispensed shall be evaluated to determine effectiveness. (c) Registrants must guard against conflicts of professional interest. They shall not engage in commercial activities that conflict with responsibility to clients or to colleagues. Registrants shall not accept fees, gifts, or other forms of gratuities for recommending a particular product or use of a particular referral source.