Code of Ethics

Dedicate yourself to serving the patient. Give patient health and welfare the highest priority.
Constantly improve your treatment resources and skills through observation, continuing education and practice.
Empower patients to decide their course of treatment. Recommend appropriate care while explaining alternatives so patients can make informed decisions.
Be honest. Educate patients and keep them informed before, during and after their care.
Inform patients when they have been injured or potentially injured by an error. This allows you to prevent similar mistakes in the future, improve your procedures and provide compensation to injured parties.
Maintain patient confidentiality. Provide adequate safeguards to protect patient conversations and records.
Work toward improving general health care for all patients. Help colleagues and professional associations to continuously improve care quality.
Support more accessibility of treatment to greater numbers of patients. Reduce barriers to care that are based on patient unawareness, location, finances or discrimination.
Discourage unnecessary tests and procedures. Such misuse exposes patients to avoidable risk while reducing funds available for more beneficial care.
Never treat a patient or allow others to treat patients while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Seek outside advice, specialists and second opinions whenever appropriate to the benefit of the patient.
Openly acknowledge any personal gain you receive from endorsing an outside service or product.
Support and contribute to discoveries of new technology. Help to make it available to all.
Assume responsibility for the success of the profession through professional associations, continuing education, self-regulation, peer-to-peer justice and the establishment of professional standards.