COM Ethics & Professional Standards 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A COM wants to advertise their services online. Which advertising practice would be considered unethical?
- Listing credentials and areas of specialization
- Providing testimonials that guarantee specific outcomes (Correct answer)
- Describing general treatment approaches offered
- Including contact information and office hours
Correct answer: Providing testimonials that guarantee specific outcomes
Advertising testimonials that guarantee outcomes is misleading and violates professional advertising ethics.
Question 2: Under the principle of justice in orofacial myology, a practitioner is obligated to:
- Treat all patients equally regardless of payment ability when feasible (Correct answer)
- Prioritize patients who pay highest fees
- Offer services only to patients with insurance
- Refuse treatment to underserved populations to maintain quality
Correct answer: Treat all patients equally regardless of payment ability when feasible
Justice requires fair, equitable distribution of services and non-discriminatory treatment of patients.
Question 3: A COM receives a referral from an orthodontist who is also a personal friend. What is the most ethical approach?
- Accept all referrals without any documentation
- Document the professional relationship and ensure clinical decisions remain objective (Correct answer)
- Refuse all referrals from friends to avoid conflict
- Offer the friend a financial kickback for referrals
Correct answer: Document the professional relationship and ensure clinical decisions remain objective
Documenting the relationship and maintaining clinical objectivity manages the potential dual relationship appropriately.
Question 4: If a parent refuses to consent to recommended treatment for their minor child, the COM should:
- Treat the child anyway because it is in their best interest
- Document the refusal, educate the parent, and respect their decision (Correct answer)
- Report the parent to child protective services immediately
- Continue treatment at the child's verbal request alone
Correct answer: Document the refusal, educate the parent, and respect their decision
Parental autonomy must be respected; the practitioner should document refusal and provide education while respecting the decision.
Question 5: Which behavior demonstrates professional integrity in record-keeping for a COM?
- Altering notes after an adverse outcome to improve documentation
- Recording only positive treatment milestones
- Maintaining accurate, timely, and complete session notes (Correct answer)
- Delegating all documentation to non-licensed staff
Correct answer: Maintaining accurate, timely, and complete session notes
Accurate and timely documentation is a fundamental professional and ethical obligation in all healthcare disciplines.
Question 6: A COM is asked by a patient to sign a document falsely indicating that treatment is medically necessary for insurance reimbursement. The ethical response is to:
- Sign the document to help the patient get coverage
- Refuse and explain that signing would constitute fraud (Correct answer)
- Alter the diagnosis to match the insurance requirement
- Refer the patient to a colleague who may sign it
Correct answer: Refuse and explain that signing would constitute fraud
Signing false documentation for insurance purposes constitutes fraud and violates professional and legal standards.
Question 7: How should a COM handle a situation where two evidence-based protocols produce contradictory recommendations for the same patient?
- Choose arbitrarily and do not document the decision
- Apply clinical judgment, consult colleagues, and document the rationale for the chosen approach (Correct answer)
- Delay treatment indefinitely until consensus is reached
- Always follow the older protocol regardless of new evidence
Correct answer: Apply clinical judgment, consult colleagues, and document the rationale for the chosen approach
Ethical practice requires applying sound clinical judgment, seeking consultation when needed, and documenting decision-making.
COM Ethics & Professional Standards 3
A COM wants to advertise their services online.
Which advertising practice would be considered unethical?