Professional Ethics & Regulatory Compliance Flashcards

A certified orthotic fitter learns that a patient's insurance will not cover the most clinically appropriate device. The fitter should:

Answer: Inform the patient of all options including the non-covered device and associated costs

Patients must be fully informed of all clinically appropriate options, including out-of-pocket costs, to exercise informed consent.

The Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) prohibits orthotists from:

Answer: Accepting or paying remuneration to induce referrals of federal healthcare program patients

The AKS prohibits any exchange of value intended to induce or reward referrals of items or services covered by federal healthcare programs.

When a patient lacks decision-making capacity, informed consent for an orthotic intervention should be obtained from:

Answer: A legally authorized representative such as a healthcare proxy or guardian

When patients cannot make their own decisions, a legally authorized representative must provide informed consent on their behalf.

An orthotic fitter notices that a custom-fitted AFO for a diabetic patient has caused a pressure wound. Ethically, the fitter's first obligation is to:

Answer: Document the wound and notify the patient's physician immediately

Immediate documentation and physician notification are required when a device causes harm, especially in high-risk patients such as diabetics.

The ABC Standards of Practice require that patient treatment records be retained for a minimum of how many years for adult patients?

Answer: 5 years

ABC Standards of Practice require adult patient records to be maintained for a minimum of five years from the date of last service.

A pharmaceutical company offers to sponsor an orthotic fitter's continuing education in exchange for product endorsements. The fitter should:

Answer: Disclose the sponsorship arrangement and evaluate for conflicts of interest

Industry-sponsored CE is permissible when conflicts of interest are disclosed and the educational content remains objective and unbiased.

Which federal law protects employees who report suspected healthcare fraud from employer retaliation?

Answer: The False Claims Act (FCA) whistleblower provisions

The False Claims Act includes qui tam provisions that protect whistleblowers who report fraud against federal healthcare programs from employer retaliation.