1. Health and well-being

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a) Responsibility to clients

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• Members hold the health and well-being of their clients as a primary responsibility.

• Members provide care within their scope of practice to assist their clients to achieve their optimum level of health at all stages in life.

• Members seek additional information or knowledge and refer the client to another health care provider in accordance with the requirements of the regulation, or when aspects of the care required are beyond their level of competence.

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b) Responsibility to the public

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• Members address institutional, social and political factors influencing health and health care in ways that are consistent with their professional role and responsibilities.

• Members provide the best care circumstances permit even when the need arises in an emergency.

• Members participate, to the best of their abilities in research and other activities that contribute to the ongoing development of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine knowledge. Members participating in research observe College sanctioned guidelines for ethical research.

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c) Responsibility to other health care providers

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• Members respect and value the knowledge and skills of other health care providers and cooperate with others so that maximum health benefits to their clients can be realized.

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2. Choice

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a) Responsibility to clients

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• Members fully inform their clients about the effects and risks of treatment, and of the scope and limitations in which they are entitled to practice.

• Members ensure that care is authorized by informed consent and practice within relevant law governing consent and choice.

• Members find out their clients’ needs and values, and help them to obtain appropriate information about their care and the services available to them.

• Members involve clients in health planning and health care decision making, in order to promote their clients self determination and ability to act on their own behalf in meeting their health care needs.

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b) Responsibility to clients of diminished capacity

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• Members involve clients of diminished competence in decision-making, to the extent that those clients are capable.

• Members seek to obtain consent for care from a substitute decision-maker when clients lack the capacity to make decisions about their care, did not make their wishes known prior to becoming incompetent, or for any reason it is unclear what the client would have wanted in a particular circumstance. When prior wishes of an incompetent client are not known or are unclear, care decisions must be in the best interest of the client and based on what the client would want, as far as is known.

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3. Respect

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a) Responsibility to the client

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• Members are sensitive to, and respectful of the clients’ individual needs, values, dignity and choices.

• Members do not exploit clients’ vulnerabilities for their own interests or gain, whether sexual, emotional, social, political, financial, or any other way.

• Members respect the privacy of clients when care is given.

• Members protect the clients’ confidentiality, and the confidentiality of their health care information.

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b) Responsibility to the public and members of the profession

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• Members act in a manner that is respectful of other Members as well as the practice of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine.

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4. Fairness

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a) Members apply and promote principles of equity and fairness to assist clients in receiving unbiased treatment and a share of health services and resources proportionate to their needs.

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5. Accountability

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a) Responsibility to the client

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• Members practice only while their ability to do so is unimpaired.

• Members do not compromise care for reasons of personal or institutional expedience.

• Members strive to ensure that their clients receive and understand complete and accurate information about their treatment.

• Members never create client vulnerability or dependence through misleading a client by claiming ability to “cure”.

• Members take preventative as well as corrective action to protect clients from unsafe, incompetent or unethical care.

• Members whether they are engaged in clinical, administrative, research, or educational endeavours, have professional responsibilities and accountabilities toward safeguarding the quality of care their clients receive.

• Members maintain complete and accurate patient records.

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b) Responsibility to the profession

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• Members acquire new skills and knowledge in their area of practice on a continuing basis, as necessary for the provision of safe, competent and ethical care.

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c) Responsibility to other health care providers

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• Members refer only to other health service providers whom they do not suspect of unethical conduct or incompetent or unsafe care.

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d) Responsibility to the public

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• Members represent their qualifications honestly, clearly and in a way that is not misleading to the public, other professionals and to their clients.

• Members provide information to the public about acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine that is fair, accurate, and objective.

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6. Practice environments conducive to safe, competent and ethical care

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a) Responsibilities to the client and members of the healthcare team:

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• Members establish and promote health care environments that are conducive to safe, competent, ethical practice and to the health and well being of clients and others in the setting.

• Members share their knowledge with any members of a health team with whom they should work, for the benefit of clients.

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b) Responsibilities to other Members:

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• Members provide responsible and respectful mentoring and guidance for the professional development of students of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine and other Members.

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c) Responsibilities to persons under supervision:

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• Members assume full responsibility for all the care they provide or delegate to persons under their supervision.