Ethics & Professional Standards Flashcards
7 cards from real AP 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
An acupuncture physician is treating a patient who is also a close personal friend. The primary ethical concern is:
Answer: Dual relationships can impair objectivity and create conflicts that compromise quality of care
Dual relationships—where a practitioner holds both professional and personal roles—can compromise objectivity, therapeutic neutrality, and the integrity of care.
A practitioner wants to advertise that acupuncture 'cures' diabetes. This claim is ethically and legally problematic because:
Answer: The claim is unsubstantiated and constitutes false or misleading advertising
Claiming a cure without scientific evidence violates FTC advertising standards and professional ethics codes prohibiting false or misleading statements.
Which scenario best illustrates a violation of the ethical principle of non-maleficence?
Answer: Inserting needles at an incorrect depth causing pneumothorax due to inadequate training
Non-maleficence—'do no harm'—is violated when a practitioner causes preventable injury through incompetence or negligence.
A practitioner terminates care for a non-compliant patient. To avoid patient abandonment, the practitioner must:
Answer: Give reasonable notice, provide a referral or bridge coverage, and document the termination
Proper termination of care requires advance notice, assistance with continuity of care through referrals, and thorough documentation to prevent abandonment claims.
An acupuncture physician with a current herpes zoster (shingles) outbreak covering the hands should:
Answer: Refrain from patient contact until the lesions are fully crusted and no longer contagious
Active herpes zoster lesions are contagious and represent an infection control hazard; practitioners must not perform hands-on treatment until the outbreak is no longer transmissible.
The concept of 'scope of practice' in acupuncture ethics primarily refers to:
Answer: The boundaries of procedures and interventions a practitioner is legally and professionally authorized to perform
Scope of practice defines the legally and professionally sanctioned range of procedures, diagnoses, and interventions a licensed acupuncturist may perform.
When a patient's condition deteriorates and requires care beyond acupuncture's scope, the practitioner's ethical duty is to:
Answer: Refer the patient to an appropriate healthcare provider promptly
Beneficence and patient safety require timely referral when a patient's needs exceed the practitioner's scope of competence or practice.