AK Regulatory Compliance & Standards 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under ICAK-USA standards, a practitioner must complete how many hours of approved AK postgraduate training to use the title 'Certified Applied Kinesiologist'?
- 100 hours
- 150 hours
- 200 hours (Correct answer)
- 300 hours
Correct answer: 200 hours
ICAK-USA requires 100 hours of approved postgraduate AK training plus passing a written and practical examination totaling a 200-hour pathway for certification.
Question 2: Which federal law most directly governs the privacy of patient health records maintained by an applied kinesiologist in a clinical setting?
- OSHA Act
- HIPAA Privacy Rule (Correct answer)
- FTC Act
- Lanham Act
Correct answer: HIPAA Privacy Rule
The HIPAA Privacy Rule (45 CFR Parts 160 and 164) sets national standards for protecting individually identifiable health information.
Question 3: An AK practitioner who is also a licensed chiropractor must primarily operate within which scope-of-practice document when treating patients?
- ICAK bylaws only
- State chiropractic practice act (Correct answer)
- Federal dietary supplement regulations
- AMA guidelines
Correct answer: State chiropractic practice act
State practice acts define the legal scope for licensed professionals, and AK techniques must fall within those state-defined boundaries.
Question 4: When a patient refuses to sign an informed consent form before an AK evaluation, the practitioner's most appropriate action is to:
- Proceed anyway and document the refusal
- Cancel the session and refer the patient elsewhere (Correct answer)
- Obtain verbal consent and note it in the chart
- Reduce the scope of testing to avoid liability
Correct answer: Cancel the session and refer the patient elsewhere
Without documented informed consent, proceeding with evaluation exposes the practitioner to legal and ethical liability; terminating the encounter is the safest option.
Question 5: Which ICAK-USA document outlines the ethical obligations of certified applied kinesiologists regarding advertising claims?
- Position Papers on AK Research
- Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice (Correct answer)
- Procedures Manual for Practical Examination
- Annual Convention Abstracts
Correct answer: Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice
The ICAK Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice specifically addresses truthful, non-misleading advertising and professional conduct.
Question 6: A practitioner falsely advertises that AK muscle testing can diagnose cancer. Which regulatory body is most likely to investigate this claim in the US?
- ICAK-USA credentialing board
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC) (Correct answer)
- Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Correct answer: Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
The FTC regulates deceptive health claims in advertising under Section 5 of the FTC Act and has jurisdiction over misleading marketing by healthcare practitioners.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes the 'scope of practice' issue unique to non-licensed AK practitioners (e.g., personal trainers using AK techniques)?
- They may perform AK freely if supervised by a chiropractor
- They risk practicing medicine or chiropractic without a license (Correct answer)
- They are fully protected by ICAK certification alone
- They are exempt if they charge no fee for the service
Correct answer: They risk practicing medicine or chiropractic without a license
Non-licensed individuals using AK diagnostic or therapeutic techniques may violate state laws prohibiting unlicensed practice of medicine, chiropractic, or physical therapy.
AK Regulatory Compliance & Standards 2
Under ICAK-USA standards, a practitioner must complete how many hours of approved AK postgraduate training to use the title 'Certified Applied Kinesiologist'?