IHS Professional and Ethical Standards 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A hearing instrument specialist discovers a client purchased amplification elsewhere but returns asking for adjustments. What is the ethical course of action?
- Refuse service since they are not your client
- Provide service and charge appropriately, treating them with the same professional standard (Correct answer)
- Provide service only if they agree to purchase future devices from you
- Report the other provider to IHS for selling without proper follow-up
Correct answer: Provide service and charge appropriately, treating them with the same professional standard
IHS ethics require treating all patients with equal professional care regardless of where they purchased their devices.
Question 2: Under IHS ethical guidelines, which practice constitutes fee splitting?
- Charging different rates for different service packages
- Accepting a referral fee from a physician for each patient referred to your practice (Correct answer)
- Offering a senior discount on hearing instruments
- Billing insurance separately from the patient portion
Correct answer: Accepting a referral fee from a physician for each patient referred to your practice
Accepting payment in exchange for referrals is fee splitting, which is prohibited under IHS professional ethics.
Question 3: An IHS member is asked by a marketing company to share client contact information for a promotional campaign. What should the specialist do?
- Share only names and phone numbers, not full records
- Decline unless the client has provided explicit written consent (Correct answer)
- Share the data since it benefits the client with new products
- Consult the marketing company's privacy policy before deciding
Correct answer: Decline unless the client has provided explicit written consent
Client information is confidential and may not be shared for marketing purposes without explicit client consent under HIPAA and IHS ethics.
Question 4: Which behavior best demonstrates adherence to IHS's principle of honesty in advertising?
- Advertising 'guaranteed hearing improvement' to attract clients
- Listing credentials and services accurately without unsubstantiated claims (Correct answer)
- Using before-and-after testimonials without patient authorization
- Claiming your devices are superior without comparative data
Correct answer: Listing credentials and services accurately without unsubstantiated claims
IHS standards require that advertising be truthful, non-deceptive, and free from unsubstantiated superiority claims.
Question 5: A client with moderate hearing loss insists on the cheapest possible device against your clinical recommendation. What is the ethical response?
- Refuse to fit the client with an inadequate device
- Fully inform the client of the clinical limitations and document their informed decision (Correct answer)
- Fit the recommended device and bill the client without their consent
- Refer the client to a discount retailer
Correct answer: Fully inform the client of the clinical limitations and document their informed decision
Respecting patient autonomy means fully disclosing risks and documenting an informed choice, even if it differs from your recommendation.
Question 6: What does the IHS Code of Ethics require regarding a member's obligation to keep professional knowledge current?
- Members must complete at least one continuing education course per decade
- Members have an ongoing duty to maintain and improve their professional competence through continuing education (Correct answer)
- Continuing education is optional once initial licensure is obtained
- Competence is assessed only at the time of initial certification
Correct answer: Members have an ongoing duty to maintain and improve their professional competence through continuing education
IHS ethics mandate ongoing professional development to ensure members provide competent, up-to-date care.
Question 7: A colleague asks you to sign off on a hearing evaluation you did not personally conduct. What is the correct action?
- Sign if you trust the colleague's competence
- Refuse, as signing documentation for evaluations you did not perform is fraudulent (Correct answer)
- Sign and note that it was performed by a colleague
- Sign only if the results appear clinically reasonable
Correct answer: Refuse, as signing documentation for evaluations you did not perform is fraudulent
Signing evaluation records you did not personally conduct constitutes fraud and violates IHS professional standards.
IHS Professional and Ethical Standards 2
A hearing instrument specialist discovers a client purchased amplification elsewhere but returns asking for adjustments.
What is the ethical course of action?