Ethics and professionalism CPD for health practitioners in Australia [email protected]
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Online course · Australia

Ethics and Ethical Standards for Chiropractors

Values, Ethical Reasoning and Hard Decisions Under the Chiropractic Board's Code

  • About 2 hours
  • 15 scenario questions
  • Reflective account
  • Certificate of completion
  • Online, self-paced

About this course

Chiropractic combines primary contact, hands-on treatment and fee-for-service care, which gives ordinary ethical questions extra weight. This course helps chiropractors reason through those questions in a way they could explain to a patient, a colleague or the Chiropractic Board.

The course opens with the ethical character of chiropractic practice: why ethics has a particular edge in the profession, the values underneath the shared Code, trust and power in the clinic, and how ethical drift begins. It then sets out reasoning tools, including the four principles in a chiropractic consulting room, character, care and consequence-based perspectives and a five-step method for dilemmas.

Honesty and evidence are treated as ethical duties. You will look at how to be truthful about uncertainty, how the words used to explain a problem can create fear or reliance, what to do when a patient asks for care you do not support, and how to plan discharge. Autonomy lessons cover families, culture, children, the meaning of hands-on care and older patients who need decision support.

Later sections examine the built-in conflict of fee-for-service care, retention targets and scripts, products, referrals and gifts, fair access, public health influence, speaking up about colleagues and moral distress, followed by worked dilemmas and a reflective account.

What you will learn

  • See why primary contact, fee-for-service care and touch raise the stakes of ethical choices in chiropractic
  • Apply the values behind the shared Code to situations it does not mention
  • Reason through a dilemma with principles, character, care, consequences and the SPINE method
  • Explain uncertain evidence honestly and choose words that avoid fear and dependence
  • Decline care you cannot justify and plan for each patient to become independent
  • Weigh a child's best interests, parental authority and the child's own voice
  • Spot conflicts arising from fees, retention targets, products and referrals
  • Use your influence on public health issues responsibly and raise concerns about colleagues

Who this course is for

  • Chiropractors in sole, group and multidisciplinary practice
  • Associates working under retention or visit targets
  • Chiropractors who treat children, athletes or older patients
  • Clinic owners who design care plans, scripts and pricing
  • New graduates building their professional identity

How the course works

  1. Enrol online and the course appears under My Courses in your Probity Courses account, ready to open on a computer, tablet or phone.

  2. Work through 6 sections and 24 short lessons in order, at your own pace. Your place is saved in the browser you use, so you can stop and come back.

  3. Use the key points, scenarios and reflection prompts in each section, and write your own notes as you go; they stay with your course pack.

  4. Finish with a 15-question final assessment. You need 12 correct answers (80%) to pass, and you can retake it after a short pause if needed.

  5. Write your reflective account, submit the short feedback form and your completion is recorded. Download a certificate of completion stating the estimated learning time (about 2 hours); record the time you actually spend.

Course content

7 sections · About 2 hours · 15-question final assessment

1The Ethical Character of Chiropractic Practice4 lessons
  • Why Ethics Has a Particular Edge in Chiropractic
  • Values in the Shared Code of Conduct
  • Trust, Power and the Patient's Interest
  • Ethical Drift and How It Starts
2Ethical Reasoning Tools for Chiropractors4 lessons
  • The Four Principles in a Chiropractic Consulting Room
  • Beyond Principles: Character, Care and Consequences
  • A Five-Step Method for Chiropractic Dilemmas
  • Moral Uncertainty, Disagreement and Seeking Advice
3Honesty, Uncertainty and Evidence as Ethical Duties4 lessons
  • Telling the Truth About Uncertainty
  • Explanations, Fear and the Ethics of Language
  • When a Patient Wants Care You Do Not Support
  • Dependence, Self-Management and the Ethics of Discharge
4Autonomy, Vulnerability and Respect4 lessons
  • Autonomy in Context: Families, Culture and Shared Decisions
  • Children: Best Interests, Parents and the Child's Voice
  • Touch, Dignity and the Meaning of Hands-On Care
  • Capacity, Older Patients and Supported Decisions
5Money, Conflicts of Interest and Fairness4 lessons
  • The Built-In Conflict of Fee-for-Service Chiropractic
  • Retention Targets, Scripts and Employment Pressures
  • Products, Referrals and Gifts
  • Justice: Fair Access, Fees and Non-Discrimination
6Ethics Beyond the Treatment Room4 lessons
  • Public Health and the Ethics of Influence
  • Speaking Up About Colleagues
  • Moral Distress and an Ethical Clinic Culture
  • Worked Dilemmas
7Conclusion, Final Assessment and Reflection4 lessons
  • Conclusion and key points
  • References and quick-reference guide
  • Final assessment (15 questions, 80% pass mark)
  • Your reflective account

Assessment and certificate

  • Certificate of completion stating the estimated learning time (about 2 hours); record the time you actually spend.
  • A written reflective account you can keep with your CPD records.

Questions about this course

What is the SPINE method?

It is the five-step reasoning method used in the course to work through chiropractic dilemmas in a structured way and arrive at a decision you can explain and record.

Does the course take a position on maintenance care?

It does not tell you whether to offer maintenance care. It explains the ethical questions involved, including honest information, the patient's goals, review points and avoiding dependence.

Is paediatric care covered?

Yes, from an ethical angle: best interests, parental decisions and the child's voice. The professionalism and combined courses cover the Board's paediatric statement in more regulatory detail.

How does this differ from the chiropractic professionalism course?

This course covers reasoning and values. The professionalism course covers the Board's documents, scope, titles, records, CPD, first aid, insurance and accountability.

Can I count this course towards my CPD?

That is your call under your Board's CPD standard: you choose activities that match your scope and the learning needs in your plan. If this course fits, file the certificate of completion, record the time you actually spend and note one change you will make in practice.

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