Code of Maine Rules › 02 - DEPARTMENT OF PROFESSIONAL AND FINANCIAL REGULATION › 297 - BOARD OF CHIROPRACTIC LICENSURE › Chapter 8 - CODE OF ETHICS › Section 297-8-1 - The following code of ethics is adopted by the Board

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
Licensed chiropractic doctors and assistants shall:
A. respect the rights, and dignity and person
				of each patient;
B. render to each
				patient quality care and make timely referrals to other health care
				professionals as may be appropriate;
C. clearly and fully explain alternative
				treatments available when appropriate, including potential referral to other
				health care professionals;
D. avoid
				treating patients when one's judgment or competence is impaired;
E. refrain from undertaking any chiropractic
				activity when they know or should know that their personal problems are likely
				to lead to harm to a patient, colleague, or other person to whom they may owe a
				professional obligation;
F. be
				alert to signs of, and to obtain assistance for, their personal problems at an
				early stage, in order to prevent significantly impaired performance;
G. when a chiropractic doctor becomes aware
				of personal problems that may interfere with performing work-related duties
				adequately, the chiropractor must take appropriate measures, such as obtaining
				professional consultation or assistance, and determine whether s/he should
				limit, suspend, or terminate his/her work-related duties;
H. report to the Board a licensed
				chiropractic doctor or assistant whose judgment or competence, while treating
				patients, is impaired by chemical dependency or physical or mental
				incapacity;
I. conduct a practice
				that is nondiscriminatory;
J.
				respect the confidentiality of the records and any other personal information
				imparted by the patient;
K. keep
				the patient informed by explaining treatment and expectations of results and
				avoid making promises or creating inappropriate expectations;
L. protect the welfare and dignity of
				patients participating in research and obtain informed consent for research
				protocols;
M. contribute toward
				raising the standards of the profession;
N. refrain from entering into or promising
				personal, professional, financial, or other relationships if it appears likely
				that such a relationship reasonably might impair the chiropractor from
				effectively performing his/her function as a chiropractor, or might harm or
				exploit the other party;
O. when
				feasible, refrain from taking on professional obligations when preexisting
				relationships would create a risk of harm;
P. if, due to unforeseen factors, a
				potentially harmful professional relationship has arisen, attempt to resolve it
				with due regard for the best interest of the affected person and maximal
				compliance with the Code of Ethics;
Q. terminate a professional relationship when
				it becomes reasonably clear that the patient no longer needs the service, is
				not benefiting, or is being harmed by continued service;
R. provide accurate information regarding
				education, training and experience, professional affiliations and
				certifications;
S. make public
				statements regarding the effectiveness of chiropractic services that are within
				the generally accepted experience of the profession as a whole or within the
				individual practitioner's experience;
T. respect the integrity of other forms of
				health care, make efforts to build bridges and to develop collaborative
				relationships to achieve the best possible care for individual
				patients;
U. abstain from sexual
				acts or contacts with a patient, not solicit sexual acts or contacts from a
				patient, not commit an act of sexual abuse or sexual misconduct with a patient,
				or commit an act punishable as a sex offense; and
V. make no material false statements on any
				Board prescribed reporting form or fail to provide adequate documentation
				verifying completion of the continuing education requirements, when requested
				at the Board's discretion.