The protection of the public health, safety and welfare and the best interest of the public shall be the primary guide in determining the appropriate professional conduct of persons whose activities are regulated by the Board. Any reference to the term "license" in this chapter shall also apply to persons holding a permit issued by the Board. The following ethical standards are adopted and incorporated herein by the Board:
(a) The American Association for Respiratory Care Statement of Ethics and Professional Conduct, incorporated as Appendix B, is adopted by reference herein.
(b) Persons licensed by the Board shall: - (i) Practice in a manner that is in the best interest of the public and does not endanger the public health, safety or welfare.
- (ii) Be able to justify all services rendered to patients as necessary for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.
- (iii) Perform only those procedures or functions in which they are individually competent and which are within the scope of accepted and responsible practice.
- (iv) Report to the Board known or suspected violations of the laws and regulations governing the practice of licensed or permitted professionals.
- (v) Use only the initials L.R.C.P. for Licensed Respiratory Care Practitioner as the designation of licensure.
- (vi) Use only indicators of current discipline-related credentials such as Certified Respiratory Therapist and Registered Respiratory Therapist or such indicators as awarded by independent credentialing agencies such as the American Association for Respiratory Care and the National Board for Respiratory Care in association with their licensure or permit and practice.
- (vii) Upon request, provide patients with fees and billing arrangements before rendering services. Barter is not an acceptable fee arrangement.
- (viii) Respect the privacy of patients and hold in confidence all information obtained in the course of professional service.
- (ix) Keep confidential their professional relationships with patients.
- (x) Disclose patient records or other confidential information to others only with the expressed written consent of the patient, or if required for the responsible performance of duty, or as required by law, and shall inform patients fully about the limits of confidentiality in a given situation, the purposes for which information is obtained and how it may be used.
- (xi) Ensure that the welfare of patients is in no way compromised in any experimentation or research involving those patients which would include but not be limited to informed consent of the patient.
- (xii) Follow sound scientific procedures and ethical principles in research.
- (xiii) Refrain from engaging in sexual intimacies with a patient.
- (xiv) When advertising services to the public or client, ensure that such advertising, by any form, is neither fraudulent nor misleading.
- (xv) Not practice discrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, religion, nation origin, marital status, mental or physical handicap.
- (xvi) Terminate services when such services are no longer required and no longer serve the patient's needs. Services are not withdrawn precipitously except in unusual circumstances and with care to minimize possible adverse effects. This includes providing referral and transfer of services as appropriate.
- (xvii) Avoid using relationships with patients to promote commercial enterprises of any kind.
- (xviii) Seek advice and counsel of colleagues and supervisors when such consultation is in the best interest of the patient while taking care to protect the patient's confidentiality.
- (xix) Respond to all requests for information and all other correspondence from the Board.
- (xx) Display their license or certification at all times in a conspicuous location readily accessible to all patients at the Licensee's place of business.
- (xxi) Demonstrate behavior that reflects integrity, supports objectivity, and fosters trust in the profession and its members.
- (xxii) Actively maintain and continually improve their professional competence, and represent it accurately.
- (xxiii) Respect and protect the legal and personal rights and dignity of patients they treat, including the right to informed consent and refusal of treatment with demonstrated understanding of the consequences.
- (xxiv) Promote disease prevention and wellness.
- (xxv) Refuse to participate in illegal or unethical acts, and shall refuse to conceal illegal, unethical or incompetent acts of others.
- (xxvi) Comply with state or federal laws that govern and relate to their practice.
- (xxvii) Avoid any form of conduct that creates a conflict of interest, and shall follow the principles of ethical business behavior.
- (xxiii) Promote the positive evolution of the professional and health care in general, through improvement of the access, efficacy, and cost of patient care.
- (xxix) The director of a respiratory care department or his designee, provided such director or designee is a respiratory therapist, shall be on the premises and readily available to give aid, direction, and instruction to any student rendering respiratory care services pursuant to the Act.