Professional Practice, Ethics, Informed Consent, and Recordkeeping
Professional conduct
This domain tests judgment, not memorized statutes. Informed consent is a process: explain proposed care, realistic benefits, risks, alternatives, and the right to refuse; confirm understanding; document. Scope of practice, privacy, boundaries, and conflict of interest matter. Records should be contemporaneous, legible, objective, and complete-history, assessment, plan, consent, referrals, and adverse events. Communication should be culturally sensitive and free of coercion. Ethical billing and honest advertising are part of professional practice.
Traps
Consent is not a one-time signature; it is ongoing, especially when the plan changes. Chart facts and clinical reasoning, not judgments about the patient. Do not promise cures or guarantee outcomes. Avoid dual relationships and social media disclosures. "Not documented" often means "not done."
Worked example
A patient agrees to acupuncture and herbs but later asks to increase the herbal dose beyond the agreed plan. The practitioner explains the rationale, risks, and alternatives, confirms the patient's understanding, documents the discussion, and proceeds only with informed agreement. Rule of thumb: if a reasonable patient would want to know it before deciding, disclose it and chart it.