The Speech, Language and Hearing professional board has provided hearing professionals and the public with some guidelines on how to offer hearing screening.
Within the current rules of conduct pertaining to professions regulated by the HPCSA, the “solicitation of business” by practitioners under the guise of hearing screening (with or without promises of “free” hearing aid trials) is a direct contravention of the principles of touting and canvassing as described in the Ethical and Professional Rules of the Health Professions Council of South Africa as promulgated in Government Gazette R717/2006.
Should practitioners wish to screen members of the public, employees of a corporate entity, or learners at schools, this service needs to be instituted as a community service initiative, preferably under the auspices of their professional body or with the collaboration of other resident practitioners.
However, educational pamphlets using the following kinds of wording or referral notes, would be acceptable: “sponsored by a screening audiologist/hearing aid acoustician” or “further examination by your audiologist or hearing care practitioner is recommended” or “sponsored by a screening audiologist/hearing aid acoustician”. Professionals are reminded that at no time should the screening be deemed compulsory.
It is important to note that many of the employees or learners screened might have their own preferred audiologist or hearing care practitioners whom they might choose to see. Any attempt to direct patients to your practice is considered canvassing and touting and contravenes the regulations on supercession.
Should a business, corporation or school approach the practice and/or practitioner and invite the practitioner to render a screening service at their facility, the practitioner has the responsibility to advise the institution about the regulations governing the practitioner and to ensure that necessary procedures have been followed, such as informed consent from individuals (parents/guardians) to be screened and unacceptable advertising or promotion of the practitioner has not occurred.
Last Updated on 17 November 2014 by HPCSA Corporate Affairs