Ethics & Professional Standards Flashcards
7 cards from real COM 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
A COM is treating a 10-year-old child and suspects signs of physical abuse. What is the most appropriate course of action?
Answer: Document observations and report suspicions to the appropriate child protective authority
Orofacial myologists are mandatory reporters in most states and must report suspected child abuse to child protective services.
Which scenario best represents a boundary violation in orofacial myology practice?
Answer: Accepting a small gift card worth $150 from a grateful patient
Accepting gifts of significant monetary value from patients can compromise professional objectivity and represents a boundary violation.
A COM discovers that a colleague has been billing insurance for sessions that were not performed. What ethical obligation applies?
Answer: Report the fraud to the appropriate professional organization and/or legal authority
Reporting insurance fraud upholds the integrity of the profession and protects patients and payers from financial harm.
When obtaining informed consent from a patient, which element is NOT required?
Answer: Guarantee of treatment success
Informed consent requires disclosure of risks, benefits, and alternatives, but practitioners cannot ethically guarantee outcomes.
A patient requests that their treatment records be sent to their new COM provider. Under HIPAA, the practice must respond within:
Answer: 30 calendar days
HIPAA requires covered entities to provide patients access to their records within 30 calendar days of the request.
A COM trained primarily in tongue thrust therapy begins treating a patient with a complex TMJ disorder beyond their competence. This most directly violates which ethical principle?
Answer: Scope of competence
Practicing beyond one's scope of competence violates professional standards and can cause patient harm.
Which of the following is an example of appropriate dual-role management in orofacial myology?
Answer: Disclosing the personal relationship and obtaining supervision or referral as needed
Transparency about dual relationships and seeking supervision or referral protects both the professional and the patient.