Professional Conduct, Ethics, Complaints, and Disciplinary Procedures
Ethical duties
Oklahoma licensees owe patients competent, honest, and non-exploitative care. Core duties include informed consent, confidentiality, professional boundaries, accurate documentation and billing, and supervision only within the rules. Sexual misconduct, fraud, practicing impaired, falsifying records, and aiding unlicensed practice are unprofessional conduct. Confidentiality has legal exceptions, such as required reporting or patient authorization, but gossip and casual disclosure are not exceptions.
Complaints and discipline
Complaints go to OSBMLS, not to a professional association. The Board may investigate, request records, offer a hearing, and impose sanctions such as reprimand, fine, probation, suspension, or revocation. Due process matters: notice, an opportunity to respond, and a record. Discipline can also include CE orders, practice restrictions, or monitoring. A criminal or civil action does not replace Board action.
Worked example
An OT submits a CE certificate for a course they did not attend. Reasoning: this is falsification, not a paperwork error. The Board can discipline for fraud and for failing to meet CE. The correct response is to complete valid CE and disclose the error before an audit, not to create paperwork.
Traps
Thinking a complaint is private unless the patient sues; assuming an association ethics code is the legal standard; ignoring mandatory reporting; and treating a Board investigation as informal. Keep records accurate, bill only for skilled services, and never let an aide or unlicensed person provide skilled OT.