Ethics & Professional Conduct

ABRET Code of Ethics & Standards of Practice

The following principles have been adopted by the Board of Directors in order to encourage credentialed technologists to aspire to the highest possible professional practice. An ABRET credentialed technologists shall:

1) Do everything in his or her power to ensure that their working environment complies with the current Guidelines of the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society.

2) Preserve human dignity, respect patient’s rights, and support the well-being of the patient under his or her care. The credentialed professional shall avoid discrimination against individuals on the basis of race, creed, religion, sex, age, and national origin.

3) Appreciate the importance of thoroughness in the performance of duty, compassion with patients, and the significance of the task being performed.

4) Preserve the confidentiality of patient medical and personal information.

5) Strive to remain abreast of current technology and to study and apply scientific advances in his or her specialty. Carry out his or her professional work in a competent and objective manner.

6) Abide by laws related to the profession and to the general public health and safety and avoid dishonest, unethical, or illegal practices.

7) Refuse primary responsibility for interpretation of testing or monitoring of neurodiagnostic tests for purposes of clinical diagnosis and treatment. Individuals who are licensed or otherwise authorized by practice standards to provide interpretation are excluded.

8) Be truthful, forthcoming, and cooperative in his or her dealings with ABRET.

9) Be in continuous compliance with ABRET’s rules (as amended from time to time by ABRET).

10) Respect ABRET’s intellectual property rights.

11) Upon suspension or withdrawal of certification, the certificant shall discontinue the use of all claims to certification that contain any reference to ABRET, and to return any certificates issued by ABRET.

Violations to ABRET Code of Ethics & Standards of Practice

If conduct has occurred that may be grounds for disciplinary action under the Violations to Standards of Practice and Disciplinary Process policy, then ABRET may place an application on hold while reviewing the matter. These will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

A criminal conviction may be grounds to deny or otherwise limit eligibility. Convictions of this nature include (but are not limited to) felonies involving rape, sexual abuse of a patient or child, and actual or threatened use of a weapon or violence. If a conviction resulted in a sentence that includes incarceration, then the individual is ineligible while in confinement.

Grounds for Disciplinary Action. ABRET may deny, suspend, revoke, or take other action regarding an application or certification if an individual is not in compliance with this Disciplinary Policy. Grounds for disciplinary action include (but are not limited to):

• Ineligibility for certification, regardless of when the ineligibility is discovered;
• An irregular event in connection with an ABRET examination including (but not limited to) copying answers, copying examination materials, and causing a disruption in the testing area;
• Providing fraudulent or misleading information;
• Failure to pay fees when due;
• Unauthorized possession or misuse of ABRET credentials, examinations, and other intellectual property;
• Misrepresentation of certification status;
• Failure to provide requested information in a timely manner;
• Failure to inform ABRET of changes or adverse actions;
• Impairment of professional performance because of habitual use of alcohol, drugs, or other substance, or any physical or mental condition;
• Gross or repeated negligence or malpractice in professional work;
• Noncompliance with laws related to the profession and to general public health and safety;
• Accepting primary responsibility for interpretation of testing or monitoring for purposes of clinical diagnosis and treatment (Individuals who are licensed or otherwise authorized by practice standards to provide interpretation are excluded.);
• Failure to maintain a current professional credential as required by the jurisdiction in which the individual practices (this may include a license, certificate, or registration);
• The conviction of, plea of guilty to, or plea of nolo contendere to a felony or misdemeanor related to public health and safety or the profession;
• Disciplinary action by a licensing board or professional organization other than ABRET; and
• Other failure to maintain continuous compliance with ABRET standards, policies, and procedures.

Sanctions. If an individual is not exonerated or acquitted of all allegations, ABRET may impose one or more of the following sanctions for a violation of this Disciplinary Policy:

• Denial or suspension of eligibility;
• Denial of certification;
• Revocation of certification;
• Non-renewal of certification;
• Suspension of certification for a specific period of time;
• Reprimand;
• Probation; or
• Other corrective action.

Candidates or certificants may appeal the decision of the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee by submitting a written appeals statement within 30 days, according to ABRET’s policies.

If someone feels that an individual has violated ABRET’s Code of Ethics or Standards of Practice, a complaint should be filed with the Executive Office. This may be done using our Online Complaint Form.

The Ethics & Disciplinary Committee (Committee) is responsible for oversight of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice which serve to protect the public. The Committee assesses formal complaints and oversees the disciplinary process for ABRET. The Committee has jurisdiction over all ABRET credentialed technologists and both current and prospective ABRET examination applicants.

The following is a summary of the violations that have been reported and decided by the Committee:

• falsification of credentials
• unprofessional behavior
• falsifying an ABRET application
• sexual misconduct
• misuse of ABRET trademarks
• cheating

The above resulted in a variety of actions including probation, loss of credentials, being banned from taking ABRET examinations, and indirectly, loss of employment.