COKO Professional Standards and Ethics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A kinesiologist discovers a colleague is practicing outside their competence. What is the MOST appropriate initial step?
- Ignore it to avoid workplace conflict
- Report immediately to the police
- Discuss the concern directly with the colleague (Correct answer)
- Post about it on social media
Correct answer: Discuss the concern directly with the colleague
COKO's Code of Ethics encourages members to first address concerns directly with a colleague before escalating to formal complaint channels.
Question 2: Under COKO standards, which of the following best describes 'informed consent' in kinesiology practice?
- A verbal agreement obtained once at the start of a program
- An ongoing process ensuring clients understand risks, benefits, and alternatives (Correct answer)
- A signed form completed only for high-risk interventions
- Permission granted by the client's physician on their behalf
Correct answer: An ongoing process ensuring clients understand risks, benefits, and alternatives
Informed consent is a continuous process, not a one-time event, requiring clients to understand all relevant information at each stage of intervention.
Question 3: A Registered Kinesiologist (R.Kin.) is asked to sign off on an assessment they did not personally conduct. This would violate which principle?
- Beneficence
- Autonomy
- Integrity (Correct answer)
- Justice
Correct answer: Integrity
Signing off on work not personally performed violates integrity, as it misrepresents the professional's direct involvement.
Question 4: When a client's cultural background conflicts with a standard kinesiology intervention protocol, a Registered Kinesiologist should:
- Insist on the standard protocol regardless of cultural considerations
- Dismiss the client from the caseload
- Adapt the approach respectfully while maintaining clinical effectiveness (Correct answer)
- Refer the client exclusively to a practitioner of the same culture
Correct answer: Adapt the approach respectfully while maintaining clinical effectiveness
COKO standards require culturally competent care that respects client values while maintaining evidence-based practice.
Question 5: Which body has the authority to investigate complaints against Registered Kinesiologists in Ontario?
- Ontario Human Rights Commission
- College of Kinesiologists of Ontario (Correct answer)
- Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
- Canadian Kinesiology Alliance
Correct answer: College of Kinesiologists of Ontario
COKO is the regulatory body in Ontario with the mandate to investigate and adjudicate complaints about its members.
Question 6: A kinesiologist working in an occupational setting is pressured by an employer to clear an injured worker for full duties prematurely. The kinesiologist should:
- Comply to maintain employment
- Clear the worker only if the employer insists in writing
- Prioritize the worker's wellbeing and document the employer's pressure (Correct answer)
- Transfer the case to another kinesiologist without explanation
Correct answer: Prioritize the worker's wellbeing and document the employer's pressure
COKO standards require practitioners to prioritize client welfare over employer or third-party interests and to document conflicts of interest.
Question 7: How long must Registered Kinesiologists in Ontario retain client records, as guided by professional standards?
- 1 year after last contact
- 3 years after last contact
- A minimum of 10 years after last contact (Correct answer)
- Indefinitely
Correct answer: A minimum of 10 years after last contact
Professional standards and PHIPA guidelines generally require health records to be retained for a minimum of 10 years after the last entry.
COKO Professional Standards and Ethics 2
A kinesiologist discovers a colleague is practicing outside their competence.
What is the MOST appropriate initial step?