Distance Learning/Online Program Worksheet

PDA Provider # ACHB

319

Student Name: Tao He

Student Contact Information:
4149 Woodrush Ln, NW
Comstock Park, MI 49321
Program Title: Ethics Issues in Oriental Medicine
Date Program Started: Distance Learning
Program Worksheet
1)

2)

With regard to subpoenas, what are your responsibilities to fulfill your legal and
professional obligations in a request for your patients' records?
After receiving a subpoena therapists should carefully determine its validity, who initiated it and whether it
is in fact a court order.
Release any and all the relevant information related to the concern. If it is a court order, no need for the
patient to sign the release form
Contacting the clients, when appropriate, is very important. Sometimes clients are willing to sign an
authorization to release information and want the therapist to respond fully to the subpoena.
Before responding to a subpoena consider the source of the subpoena, client's welfare, other people's
welfare, state and federal laws (i.e., HIPAA, Patriot Act, copyright laws), codes of ethics.
Sometimes providing only a summary of the treatment rather than the entire file may be acceptable to
attorneys and courts.
Provide the minimum information necessary. However, some situations may demand that you release the
entire file.

What are the issues that call for emergency type interventions in the life of a patient who is a minor?

Healthcare provider has the duty to inform the parents/guardians and in some cases, the appropriate
government agency of any issue of abuse, danger (to the community or self), imminent harm or threat and
reportable diseases (STD etc).
3)

While you are treating their minor children, describe the best way to manage your relationship with the
parents or guardians of that child?
All parties wellbeing and benefits (therapist, minor children and the parents) have to be considered. Need
to set up a contractual relationship with the parents/guardians. Have them sign the contract that specify the
information release guidelines, which keep the specific contents strictly confidential and allow the general
information open to the parents. That way the therapist can develop a working relationship with the parents
and at the same time, protect the minors confidentiality. However, therapist should be a gate keeper. If
imminent harm, danger or threat arises and is considered to be credible, the gate keeper needs to act, and
report to authorities or social service and the parents as well.

4)

Who is responsible for maintaining professional standards when it comes to upholding the highest conduct
in the profession?
The therapist himself/herself should be responsible for upholding the highest conduct in the profession. Even at the

teaching facility with staffs and students, the therapist still should maintain the highest professional standards at
his/her own behavior. Students or staffs sometime maybe fall short of expectation when it comes to the ethical
standard, but the therapist will be still responsible for those ethical issues and consequences, i.e., talking to the
student about any unethical conduct such as breaching confidentiality, engaging in multiple relationships etc. In
some cases, the therapist has the ultimate responsibility to report a colleague or student/staff for inappropriate
behavior.

Student Name

Tao He

Date 12/01/2014

The student is approved to take the end-of-course assessment.

PDA Provider Name The Whole Circle

Date