SLP Ethics & Professional Practice Standards 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An SLP is approached by a pharmaceutical company offering gifts in exchange for recommending their products to patients. What is the ethical course of action?
- Accept only small gifts under $25 in value
- Decline all gifts to avoid conflicts of interest (Correct answer)
- Accept gifts as long as they benefit the clinic
- Disclose the gift to the employer and accept it
Correct answer: Decline all gifts to avoid conflicts of interest
ASHA's Code of Ethics prohibits accepting gifts that could create conflicts of interest or unduly influence clinical recommendations.
Question 2: Which ASHA Principle of Ethics obligates SLPs to hold paramount the welfare of persons they serve?
- Principle I (Correct answer)
- Principle II
- Principle III
- Principle IV
Correct answer: Principle I
Principle I of ASHA's Code of Ethics states that members shall hold paramount the welfare of persons they serve professionally.
Question 3: A supervisee asks their clinical supervisor to sign off on session hours the supervisee did not actually complete. The supervisor should:
- Sign off to support the supervisee's progress
- Refuse and report the falsification to appropriate authorities (Correct answer)
- Ask the supervisee to make up the hours informally
- Ignore the request if the supervisee is otherwise competent
Correct answer: Refuse and report the falsification to appropriate authorities
Falsifying clinical hours violates ASHA ethical standards; the supervisor must refuse and report the misconduct.
Question 4: Under ASHA's Code of Ethics, SLPs must maintain which type of records to ensure accountability and continuity of care?
- Verbal-only records approved by supervisors
- Accurate, complete, and timely clinical documentation (Correct answer)
- Records accessible only to the billing department
- Minimal records to protect patient privacy
Correct answer: Accurate, complete, and timely clinical documentation
ASHA requires SLPs to maintain accurate and complete records that support quality care and professional accountability.
Question 5: An SLP disagrees with an employer's policy that limits therapy frequency for a patient who requires more frequent intervention. The most ethical action is to:
- Follow the employer's policy without question
- Advocate for the patient's needs through appropriate channels (Correct answer)
- Discharge the patient to avoid ethical conflict
- Secretly provide extra sessions outside the policy
Correct answer: Advocate for the patient's needs through appropriate channels
SLPs have a duty to advocate for their patients' needs through legitimate channels when policies may compromise care.
Question 6: Which body has authority to investigate alleged violations of ASHA's Code of Ethics by its members?
- State licensing boards only
- ASHA's Board of Ethics (Correct answer)
- The Joint Commission
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Correct answer: ASHA's Board of Ethics
ASHA's Board of Ethics is the body responsible for investigating and adjudicating ethical complaints against ASHA members.
Question 7: An SLP discovers a colleague is practicing while impaired by alcohol during work hours. The ethical obligation is to:
- Confront the colleague privately and take no further action
- Report the concern to appropriate supervisory or regulatory authorities (Correct answer)
- Document observations but wait for a formal complaint
- Assume the colleague will self-report the impairment
Correct answer: Report the concern to appropriate supervisory or regulatory authorities
ASHA's Code of Ethics requires members to report colleagues whose professional conduct may harm clients or bring discredit to the profession.
SLP Ethics & Professional Practice Standards 2
An SLP is approached by a pharmaceutical company offering gifts in exchange for recommending their products to patients.
What is the ethical course of action?