The Practitioner's Pledge
From the CMRB code of ethics
The Lantern: Volume VI, Issue 3 - Article #1
Ethics is about relations between people, animals, plants and the planet. It concerns the ways we act towards others and how we incorporate their needs and concerns as we look after our own. Ethical issues permeate encounters between practitioners and patients, and practitioners seek to conduct their interactions to support the development of ethical bonds with their patients.The Chinese Medicine Registration Board of Victoria has developed this Code of Ethics to guide practitioners in their professional conduct and clarify for patients what they are entitled to expect with respect to the care they will receive. The Code of Ethics outlines six ethical fields relevant to Chinese medicine.
1. Towards the health of the patient
First priority is the well-being of the patient, whose health is a reflection of mind, body, spirit and relationship with nature.
My goal is to seek understanding of harmony and of the imbalances that can occur in the interwoven levels of being, and to find optimal ways to treat disharmonies and promote the health and general well being of my patients. To that end I strive to keep my skills and knowledge up to date, and provide treatment according to the best of my abilities and expertise to achieve professionalism, competence and trustworthiness Jing Cheng Zhuan Ye.
2. The practitioner-patient relationship
The practitioner-patient relationship is at the heart of Chinese medicine practice and is central to promoting good health outcomes for patients.
In honouring this relationship I recognise the importance of good communication, respect, maintenance of appropriate professional boundaries between myself and my patients, valuing their knowledge of their own health issues, and empowerment of patients through education and the encouragement of self-care. My approach is one of partnership rather than authority and, therefore, I will inform patients about treatment options and gain consent before commencing any course of action. I will charge fair and appropriate fees for my services and goods and will refer patients to other practitioners or services as required in the best interests of patients’ well being. I will reflect on the ethical dimension of my work in order to face the challenges of a co-operative and harmonised He Xie He Zuo practitioner-patient relationship.
3. Encountering difficulty
Sometimes relations with others become problematic and it is here that cultivation of an ethical stance is particularly important.
I will strive to ensure good relationships with my patients and colleagues through a high standard of communication and professional practice. I will treat others with respect, courtesy, dignity, fairness and compassion. If a difficulty does arise I will make space for concerns to be expressed, and I will listen well, behave politely and respectfully at all times, seek understanding, and respond fairly. I will advise patients to raise any issues of concern or complaints directly with me in the first instance. I acknowledge that each practitioner has limits, and recognise that dissatisfied patients are entitled to lodge complaints with the CMR Board (and that the CMR Board is obliged to investigate all complaints).
4. The ethics of money
Payment for services and goods can be carried out in a way that enhances good professional practice.
I will ensure that any fees charged are a fair and reasonable recompense for my services and products. Patients will be given full information about costs and options prior to treatment and fees will not be charged in advance. I will ethically manage the provision of any ancillary products or services. I recognise that people who are ill may be vulnerable and will at all times seek to protect patients by maintaining the principles of fairness, equity, justice and transparency in determining the fees and costs charged to them.
5. Chinese medicine and wider society
Chinese medicine is recognised and regulated within the Australian health care system.
As a Chinese medicine practitioner I represent the whole profession. I am privileged to play a part in the achievement of good outcomes for patients and benefits for society. Accordingly, I will always try to manage professional relationships well on behalf of Chinese medicine practitioners in general and in relation to my individual practice. As a practitioner registered with the CMR Board, I uphold its codes and standards so that the good reputation of the profession in the community will be maintained.
6. Cultivation of the practitioner
In Chinese medicine there is an ethic of self-cultivation, an art of the self which impacts upon one’s ethical relations with others.
For the benefit of myself, my patients and my profession I will endeavour to practise ethical self-development in areas such as personal health and well being, developing my knowledge and skills, continuing professional education, the transmission of learning and education to the next generation of practitioners, and my conduct as a representative of Chinese medicine to the wider society.
