ABA Ethics, Safety & Professional Practice 3

Question 1

An audiologist receives a gift worth $150 from a hearing aid manufacturer after purchasing a large supply of their devices. According to ethical guidelines, what is the most appropriate response?

Accepted Answer

Decline or return the gift to avoid conflicts of interest

Answer

Accepting gifts from manufacturers creates conflicts of interest that can compromise clinical objectivity and violate ethical guidelines.

Question 2

Which of the following best describes the concept of 'nonmaleficence' as it applies to audiology practice?

Accepted Answer

Avoiding harm to patients through negligent or intentional actions

Answer

Nonmaleficence means 'do no harm' — audiologists must avoid actions that cause unnecessary harm to patients.

Question 3

When performing otoacoustic emission (OAE) testing on neonates, what is the primary safety consideration regarding probe insertion?

Accepted Answer

Using appropriate probe tip size and gentle insertion to avoid canal trauma

Answer

Neonatal ear canals are delicate; using the correct probe tip size and gentle technique prevents trauma during OAE testing.

Question 4

An audiologist suspects they may have made a diagnostic error that delayed a patient's treatment. What is the ethical obligation?

Accepted Answer

Disclose the error to the patient and document it appropriately

Answer

Ethical practice requires transparency; audiologists must disclose errors to patients and document them accurately.

Question 5

A patient with significant cognitive decline is accompanied by an adult child who asks the audiologist not to discuss the diagnosis directly with the patient. What should the audiologist do?

Accepted Answer

Assess the patient's capacity and communicate directly with the patient to the extent possible

Answer

Patient autonomy must be respected to the extent the patient retains capacity; communication should involve the patient as much as possible.

(ABA) American Board of Audiology Practice Test

(ABA) American Board of Audiology Practice Test

ABA Ethics, Safety & Professional Practice 3