IHS Professional and Ethical Standards 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An IHS member is approached by a client who is also a close personal friend. What ethical consideration is most important?
- Personal relationships disqualify specialists from providing care entirely
- The specialist must maintain the same professional and ethical standards as with any other client (Correct answer)
- Friends may be offered discounts but must receive the same clinical standard of care
- Dual relationships automatically create a conflict of interest requiring referral
Correct answer: The specialist must maintain the same professional and ethical standards as with any other client
IHS ethics require consistent professional conduct regardless of the personal relationship between specialist and client.
Question 2: Which practice related to record retention best aligns with IHS professional standards?
- Destroy client records after the device warranty expires
- Retain client records for the period required by applicable state laws and professional standards (Correct answer)
- Keep records indefinitely in paper form only
- Records need only be retained for clients who may need follow-up care
Correct answer: Retain client records for the period required by applicable state laws and professional standards
IHS standards require record retention in compliance with state laws and applicable professional requirements.
Question 3: A hearing instrument specialist notices that a competitor is making false claims about their product's clinical effectiveness. What is the ethical response?
- Make counter-claims to compete effectively in the market
- Refrain from making false counter-claims and consider reporting the misleading advertising to the appropriate regulatory body (Correct answer)
- Publicly criticize the competitor by name in your own advertising
- Ignore the situation since competitor behavior is not your responsibility
Correct answer: Refrain from making false counter-claims and consider reporting the misleading advertising to the appropriate regulatory body
IHS ethics prohibit retaliating with false claims and support reporting dishonest advertising through proper regulatory channels.
Question 4: What obligation does an IHS member have if they are unable to complete a client's care due to illness, retirement, or relocation?
- Simply close the practice with no obligation to current clients
- Provide clients with adequate notice and facilitate continuity of care through referrals or record transfers (Correct answer)
- Continue seeing clients until all active cases are resolved, regardless of personal circumstances
- Transfer records only to clients who formally request them
Correct answer: Provide clients with adequate notice and facilitate continuity of care through referrals or record transfers
IHS ethics require that practitioners ensure continuity of care and give clients adequate transition time when leaving practice.
Question 5: A client asks a hearing instrument specialist to provide documentation that overstates their hearing loss to obtain greater insurance reimbursement. What must the specialist do?
- Accommodate the request since the client will ultimately benefit
- Refuse, as falsifying documentation constitutes fraud and violates IHS ethics and federal law (Correct answer)
- Document the findings in a way that could be interpreted as more severe without directly lying
- Consult the insurance company's billing department before deciding
Correct answer: Refuse, as falsifying documentation constitutes fraud and violates IHS ethics and federal law
Falsifying clinical documentation to inflate insurance reimbursement is insurance fraud and a serious violation of IHS ethics.
Question 6: Under IHS standards, what is the ethical approach to setting fees for hearing services?
- Fees should always be the highest the market will bear
- Fees should be clearly disclosed in advance, reasonable, and not discriminatory or deceptive (Correct answer)
- Fee schedules may be changed mid-service without disclosure
- Specialists may charge more to clients with better insurance without disclosing the difference
Correct answer: Fees should be clearly disclosed in advance, reasonable, and not discriminatory or deceptive
IHS ethics require transparent, non-discriminatory fee practices with full disclosure to clients before services are rendered.
Question 7: Which of the following best represents the IHS ethical standard on professional boundaries with clients?
- Romantic relationships with former clients are acceptable after one year has passed
- Specialists must maintain clear professional boundaries and avoid exploiting client trust for personal gain (Correct answer)
- Personal friendships with clients are prohibited to prevent all conflicts of interest
- Professional boundaries only apply during active treatment episodes
Correct answer: Specialists must maintain clear professional boundaries and avoid exploiting client trust for personal gain
IHS ethics require that practitioners never exploit the trust inherent in the professional relationship for personal advantage.
IHS Professional and Ethical Standards 5
An IHS member is approached by a client who is also a close personal friend.
What ethical consideration is most important?