Disclaimer: Law, rules and regulations, not Guidelines, specify the requirements for practice and violating them constitutes professional misconduct. Not adhering to this Guideline may be interpreted as professional misconduct only if the conduct also violates pertinent law, rules and regulations.
Conflict of Interest
Conflict of interest may occur in situations when the professional judgment of a speech-language pathologist or audiologist might be compromised by personal and/or financial gain. This compromise of judgment, or the appearance of compromised judgment may have a direct impact on professional activities such as research, clinical service, consultation, education and administration.
Speech-language pathologists and audiologists should avoid activities that can be considered conflict of interests. Speech-language pathologists and audiologists must carefully evaluate gifts, benefits and situations that could conceivably cause or imply the presence of a conflict of interest.
Care needs to be taken in accepting or giving gifts or benefits. It would be inappropriate to give or accept a gift that could be construed as intended to compensate referrals received or motivate new referrals.
Licensees should not:
- Accept cash gifts
- Participate in sponsored events that have the potential to bias professional judgment or practice
- Purchase equipment from or enter into contract negotiations with organizations in which one has a financial interest
- Practice self-referral. In other words, individuals working in one professional setting should not refer clients exclusively to themselves in another professional setting