SAPS Code Of Conduct

1. Members should provide the highest professional service with honesty, compassion and dignity to their clients.
2. Members should ensure they have a full understanding of this Code of Conduct, adhere to it, and cooperate when subject to review by the Society.
3. Members should maintain their competencies in services they deliver through continuing education and professional development.
4. Members must not make claims to cure hearing loss and associated disorders, and must only provide hearing services that serve the needs of the client.
5. Members must ensure that all equipment used in the provision of hearing services is properly maintained. In addition, testing protocols must also conform to existing local and/or international standards.
6. Members must recognise the limitations of the hearing services they can provide and refer clients to other competent health care providers where clinically indicated.
7. Members must recommend that additional opinions and services be sought where clinically indicated.
8. Members must provide hearing services in a respectful manner and not discriminate clients on the basis of race, religion, nationality, age, gender, financial circumstances, health status or disability.

Members must accept the right of their clients to make informed choices in relation to their hearing health, which involves:

1. Promoting the client’s ability to make informed choices in relation to their hearing health by providing sufficient, accurate and up-to-date information in terms and language that the client can understand.
2. Respecting a client’s right to refuse a hearing service, seek a second opinion and/or to terminate a hearing service, without prejudice.
3. When more than one hearing service may meet the client’s needs, providing information to the client which clearly outlines the differences in expected outcomes.
4. When evidence is available, making evidence-based decisions as to which hearing service best fits the client’s needs. This involves considering the best available evidence, the client’s needs and wishes, professional judgement and clinical expertise during the decision-making process and communicating this process to the client.

1. Members must not engage in any form of misinformation or misrepresentation in relation to the:
   1. Hearing services or devices they provide.
   2. Qualifications, industry experience, training or professional affiliations they have.
2. Members must not use their possession of a particular qualification to mislead or deceive clients as to their competence in a field of practice or ability to provide services.
3. Members must provide truthful information with regard to their qualifications, industry experience, training and professional affiliations.
4. Members must not make claims to clients, either directly or indirectly via advertising or promotional materials, about the efficacy of hearing services they provide if those claims cannot be substantiated.

1. Members must make recommendations to clients based on clinical assessment and in the best interest of the client, not on the basis of financial gain on the part of the member.
2. Members should not charge for services not rendered. A reasonable consultation fee may be charged for member’s time spent with client.
3. Members must only provide services appropriate to clients’ hearing needs.
4. Members must not accept or offer financial inducements or gifts as part of client referral arrangements with other health care workers.
5. Members are obliged to inform their clients of the services, products, and the estimated charges involved before providing them.
6. When more than one hearing service may meet the client’s needs, members must provide information to the client about the charges of each hearing service option.
7. Members must not ask clients to give, lend or bequeath money or gifts that will benefit the member directly or indirectly.

1. Members must communicate and cooperate with members of their own profession, other health care providers, and relevant agencies to promote the best interests of their clients.
2. Members must not misrepresent their qualifications, industry experience, training and professional affiliations in their interaction with the public, other professionals and agencies. This includes only using titles that honestly and accurately represent their credentials.
3. Members should not use the good name of the Society to promote themselves, their services or their products.
   1. Providing accurate information regarding the nature and management of hearing impairments.
   2. Adhering to national requirements regarding advertising materials
   3. Not making any false, misleading or deceptive claims in communications with the public, including advertising materials.
4. Members shall not engage in dishonesty, misrepresentation or any form of conduct that adversely affects the public’s perception of the profession.
5. Members shall respect, encourage, support and provide fair treatment and working conditions to students, interns, co-workers and employees.

1. Members who, in the course of providing hearing services, have formed reasonable belief that another health care worker has placed or is placing clients at serious risk of harm must refer the matter to the relevant complaints entity, such as the Ministry of Health, Singapore or the Consumers Association of Singapore.
2. Without limiting subclause 1, members who form the reasonable belief that another member is in breach of this Code of Conduct must inform the Society and maintain confidentiality at all times.

1. Members must take appropriate and timely measures to minimise harm to clients when an adverse event occurs in the course of providing a hearing service.
2. Members must:
   1. Ensure that appropriate first aid is available to deal with any adverse event.
   2. Obtain appropriate emergency assistance in the event of any serious adverse event. Promptly disclose the adverse event to the client and take appropriate remedial steps to reduce the risk of recurrence.
   3. Ensure that the adverse event is appropriately documented.
   4. Report the adverse event to the relevant authority, where appropriate.

1. Members must be aware of, and carefully consider, the appropriateness of providing care to people they have a close personal relationship with (e.g. friends, work colleagues or family members) as this may result in a lack of objectivity, possible discontinuity of care, and other risks to the client and member.
2. Members must not engage in any inappropriate close personal, physical or emotional relationships with a client.

1. Members must maintain accurate, legible and up-to-date clinical records for each client consultation
2. Members must ensure that the clinical records are stored securely and not subjected to unauthorised access.

1. Members shall prohibit anyone under their supervision from engaging in any practice that violates this Code of Conduct.