PURPOSE: The purpose of this Code of Ethics to be implemented through the Board of Examiners for Hearing Instrument Specialists (hereafter referred to as the “board”), is to benefit and uphold the public health, safety and welfare in the performance of professional services, avoid the appearance of impropriety, and provide competent services according to professional and ethical obligations. (1) It is fitting for the profession to have standards of excellence which set it apart, help it to self-govern, and enable its members to qualify as professionals. Therefore, this Code of Ethics is binding upon every person licensed by the board to practice the fitting of hearing instruments as defined in section 346.010(11), RSMo. In these rules of professional conduct, the word “licensee” shall mean any hearing instrument specialist, hearing instrument specialist in training, or registered supervisor.

1. (2) By applying for or becoming a hearing instrument specialist or hearing instrument specialist in training, a person shall—

   1. (A) Comply with and uphold the Code of Ethics defined in these rules; and
   2. (B) Understand and be familiar with sections 346.010 to 346.250, RSMo, also known as the Hearing Instrument Specialists Act.

2. (3) It shall be unethical for a hearing instrument specialist in training to misrepresent or mislead, directly or by implication, prospective purchasers into the erroneous belief that the hearing instrument specialist in training is licensed as a hearing instrument specialist by the state of Missouri by—

   1. (A) Omitting “hearing instrument specialist in training” or its equivalent as defined in 20 CSR 2165-2.030 from business cards, advertising, or any other industry document bearing his/her name; or
   2. (B) Representing him/herself implicitly through silence as a licensed hearing instrument specialist.

3. (4) It shall be unethical for a registered supervisor of a hearing instrument specialist in training to—

   1. (A) Fail to provide the required training and supervision according to 20 CSR 2165- 2.010 to a hearing instrument specialist in training; or
   2. (B) Misrepresent, either directly or by implication, the process for review of the performance of a hearing instrument specialist in training.

4. (5) It is incompetency in the practice of selling and fitting hearing instruments if each of the following testing procedures is not used before a client is fitted:

   1. (A) Air conduction, with masking where indicated;
   2. (B) Bone conduction, with masking where appropriate;
   3. (C) Speech reception threshold and word discrimination, utilizing test equipment with a calibrated circuit; and
   4. (D) Visual otoscopy.
5. (6) The results of these tests shall be recorded in writing and retained in the client’s file for a period of three (3) years from the date of the test.
6. (7) Failure to complete or misrepresent completion of continued education requirements as required in section 346.095, RSMo (Supp. 1995) is a violation of the Code of Ethics.

AUTHORITY: section 346.115.1(7), RSMo 2000.* This rule originally filed as 4 CSR 165-3.010. Emergency rule filed Oct. 18, 1996, effective Nov. 1, 1996, expired April 29, 1997. Original rule filed Nov. 6, 1996, effective May 30, 1997. Moved to 20 CSR 2165-3.010, effective Aug. 28, 2006. Amended: Filed June 27, 2008, effective Dec. 30, 2008. *Original authority 1973, amended 1981, 1993, 1995.