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Spring 2002
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OCCUPATIONAL
THERAPY CODE OF ETHICS - 2000 PREAMBLE The American Occupational Therapy Association's Code of Ethics is a public statement of the common set of values and principles used to promote and maintain high standards of behavior in occupational therapy. The American Occupational Therapy Association and its members are committed to furthering the ability of individuals, groups, and systems to function within their total environment. To this end, occupational therapy personnel (including all staff and personnel who work and assist in providing occupational therapy services, (e.g., aides, orderlies, secretaries, technicians) have a responsibility to provide services to recipients in any stage of health and illness who are individuals, research participants, institutions and businesses, other professionals and colleagues, students, and to the general public. The Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics is a set of principles that applies to occupational therapy personnel at all levels. These principles to which occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants aspire are part of a lifelong effort to act in an ethical manner. The various roles of practitioner (occupational therapist and occupational therapy assistant), educator, fieldwork educator, clinical supervisor, manager, administrator, consultant, fieldwork coordinator, faculty program director, researcher/scholar, private practice owner, entrepreneur, and student are assumed. Any action in violation of the spirit and purpose of this Code shall be considered unethical. To ensure compliance with the Code, the Commission on Standards and Ethics (SEC) establishes and maintains the enforcement procedures. Acceptance of membership in the American Occupational Therapy Association commits members to adherence to the Code of Ethics and its enforcement procedures. The Code of Ethics, Core Values and Attitudes of Occupational Therapy Practice (AOTA, 1993), and the Guidelines to the Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics (AOTA, 1998) are aspirational documents designed to be used together to guide occupational therapy personnel. Principle
1. Occupational therapy personnel shall demonstrate a concern for the
well-being of the recipients of their services. (beneficence) A.
Occupational therapy personnel shall provide services in a fair
and equitable manner. They shall recognize and appreciate the cultural
components of economics, geography, race, ethnicity, religious and
political factors, marital status, sexual orientation, and disability of
all recipients of their services. B.
Occupational therapy practitioners shall strive to ensure that
fees are fair and reasonable and commensurate with services performed.
When occupational therapy practitioners set fees, they shall set fees
considering institutional, local, state, and federal requirements, and
with due regard for the service recipient's ability to pay. C.
Occupational therapy personnel shall make every effort to
advocate for recipients to obtain needed services through available
means. Principle
2. Occupational therapy personnel shall take reasonable precautions to
avoid imposing or inflicting harm upon the recipient of services or to
his or her property. (nonmaleficence) A.
Occupational therapy personnel shall maintain relationships that
do not exploit the recipient of services sexually, physically,
emotionally, financially, socially, or in any other manner. B.
Occupational therapy practitioners shall avoid relationships or
activities that interfere with professional judgment and objectivity. Principle
3. Occupational therapy personnel shall respect the recipient and/or
their surrogate(s) as well as the recipient's rights. (autonomy,
privacy, confidentiality) A.
Occupational therapy practitioners shall collaborate with service
recipients or their surrogate(s) in setting goals and priorities
throughout the intervention process. B.
Occupational therapy practitioners shall fully inform the service
recipients of the nature, risks, and potential outcomes of any
interventions. C.
Occupational therapy practitioners shall obtain informed consent
from participants involved in research activities and indicate that they
have fully informed and advised the participants of potential risks and
outcomes. Occupational therapy practitioners shall endeavor to ensure
that the participant(s) comprehend these risks and outcomes. D.
Occupational therapy personnel shall respect the individual's
right to refuse professional services or involvement in research or
educational activities. E.
Occupational therapy personnel shall protect all privileged
confidential forms of written, verbal, and electronic communication
gained from educational, practice, research, and investigational
activities unless otherwise mandated by local, state, or federal
regulations. Principle
4. Occupational therapy personnel shall achieve and continually maintain
high standards of competence. (duties) A.
Occupational therapy practitioners shall hold the appropriate
national and state credentials for the services they provide. B.
Occupational therapy practitioners shall use procedures that
conform to the standards of practice and other appropriate AOTA
documents relevant to practice. C.
Occupational therapy practitioners shall take responsibility for
maintaining and documenting competence by participating in professional
development and educational activities. D.
Occupational therapy practitioners shall critically examine and
keep current with emerging knowledge relevant to their practice so they
may perform their duties on the basis of accurate information. E.
Occupational therapy practitioners shall protect service
recipients by ensuring that duties assumed by or assigned to other
occupational therapy personnel match credentials, qualifications,
experience, and scope of practice. F.
Occupational therapy practitioners shall provide appropriate
supervision to individuals for whom the practitioners have supervisory
responsibility in accordance with Association policies, local, state and
federal laws, and institutional values. G.
Occupational therapy practitioners shall refer to or consult with
other service providers whenever such a referral or consultation would
be helpful to the care of the recipient of service. The referral or
consultation process should be done in collaboration with the recipient
of service. Principle
5. Occupational therapy personnel shall comply with laws and Association
policies guiding the profession of occupational therapy. (justice) A.
Occupational therapy personnel shall familiarize themselves with
and seek to understand and abide by applicable Association policies;
local, state, and federal laws; and institutional rules. B.
Occupational therapy practitioners shall remain abreast of
revisions in those laws and Association policies that apply to the
profession of occupational therapy and shall inform employers,
employees, and colleagues of those changes. C.
Occupational therapy practitioners shall require those they
supervise in occupational therapy-related activities to adhere to the
Code of Ethics. D.
Occupational therapy practitioners shall take reasonable steps to
ensure employers are aware of occupational therapy's ethical
obligations, as set forth in this Code of Ethics, and of the
implications of those obligations for occupational therapy practice,
education, and research. E.
Occupational therapy practitioners shall record and report in an
accurate and timely manner all information related to professional
activities. Principle
6. Occupational therapy personnel shall provide accurate information
about occupational therapy services. (veracity) A.
Occupational therapy personnel shall accurately represent their
credentials, qualifications, education, experience, training, and
competence. This is of particular importance for those to whom
occupational therapy personnel provide their services or with whom
occupational therapy practitioners have a professional relationship. B.
Occupational therapy personnel shall disclose any professional,
personal, financial, business, or volunteer affiliations that may pose a
conflict of interest to those with whom they may establish a
professional, contractual, or other working relationship. C.
Occupational therapy personnel shall refrain from using or
participating in the use of any form of communication that contains
false, fraudulent, deceptive, or unfair statements or claims. D.
Occupational therapy practitioners shall accept the
responsibility for their professional actions which reduce the public's
trust in occupational therapy services and those that perform those
services. Principle
7. Occupational therapy personnel shall treat colleagues and other
professionals with fairness, discretion, and integrity. (fidelity) A.
Occupational therapy personnel shall preserve, respect, and
safeguard confidential information about colleagues and staff, unless
otherwise mandated by national, state, or local laws. B.
Occupational therapy practitioners shall accurately represent the
qualifications, views, contributions, and findings of colleagues. C.
Occupational therapy personnel shall take adequate measures to
discourage, prevent, expose, and correct any breaches of the Code of
Ethics and report any breaches of the Code of Ethics to the appropriate
authority. D.
Occupational therapy personnel shall familiarize themselves with
established policies and procedures for handling concerns about this
Code of Ethics, including familiarity with national, state, local,
district, and territorial procedures for handling ethics complaints.
These include policies and procedures created by the American
Occupational Therapy Association, licensing and regulatory bodies,
employers, agencies, certification boards, and other organizations who
have jurisdiction over occupational therapy practice.
References American Occupational Therapy Association. (1993). Core values and attitudes of occupational therapy practice. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 47, 1085-1086. American Occupational Therapy Association. (1998). Guidelines to the occupational therapy code of ethics. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 52, 881-884.
Authors The Commission on Standards and Ethics (SEC): Barbara
L. Kornblau, JD, OTR, FAOTA, Chairperson April 2000 Adopted by the Representative Assembly 2000M15 Note: This document replaces the 1994 document, Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics (American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 48, 1037–1038). Prepared 4/7/2000 ©
2000 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.
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