Standard 5 - Conflict of Interest

Standard 5 - Conflict of Interest

Respiratory Therapists (RTs) must prevent, avoid, and where it is impossible to prevent or avoid, manage any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest.

Performance Requirements

RTs:

• Identify and avoid participating in what a reasonable person would conclude involves an actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest. Conflict of interest situations can include, but are not limited to:
  • providing benefits to another person or receiving benefits for the purpose of inducing a patient/client referral; referrals must be based on patient/client needs,
  • influencing patients’/clients’ choice of service options and/or providers for personal gain, and
  • providing care to individuals with whom they have a personal relationship (e.g., family members).
• In circumstances where the conflict of interest cannot be avoided (e.g., rural communities, specialized practice), manage the conflict by full disclosure to patients/clients and others, and ensure discussion and management strategies are documented.
• Inform patients/clients of the option of selecting an alternate service provider or product (and, where one exists, provide the name of at least one comparable service provider or product) and assure patients/clients that the service, products or health care provided will not be adversely affected by their selection of an alternate supplier or product.

Patient/Client Expected Outcome

Patients/clients can expect that RTs put the patient/client interest first and any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest are avoided, and if they cannot be avoided, are disclosed and addressed.

Related Standards

• Business Practices
• Consent
• Documentation & Information Management
• Professional Responsibilities

Related Resources

• College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario. (2022). Conflict of Interest. Clinical Practice Guideline. Available at: https://conflict.crto.on.ca.
• National Alliance of Respiratory Therapy Regulatory Bodies. (2016). National Competency Framework for the Profession of Respiratory Therapy. Part 1. National Standards for Entry-to-Practice. Available at: https://nartrb.ca/download/ncf-part-i-entry-to-practice-2016.
• National Alliance of Respiratory Therapy Regulatory Bodies. (2024). National Competency Framework. Available at: https://nartrb.ca/national-competency-profileframework.
• Nova Scotia Regulator of Respiratory Therapy. (2015). Code of Ethical Conduct and Professional Practice. Available at: https://nsrrt.ca/professional-practice/code-of-ethics

Glossary

Conflicts of interest “exists when an RT is in a position where their professional judgement, or duty to their patient/client could be compromised, or could be perceived to be compromised, by a personal relationship, commercial interest or financial benefit.  A conflict of interest may be actual, potential, or perceived”.^[1]

Patient/client refers to “individual, group, community or population who is the recipient of respiratory therapy services and, where the context requires, includes a substitute decision-maker for the recipient of respiratory therapy services”.^[2]

Reasonable person refers to “an individual who is neutral and informed.”^[3]

 ^[1]College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario. (2022). Conflict of Interest. Clinical Practice Guideline. Available at:  https://conflict.crto.on.ca/           

^[2] Nova Scotia Government. Regulated Health Professions Act (2023). Available at:  https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/regulated%20health%20professions.pdf

^[3] College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario. (2022). Conflict of Interest. Professional Practice Guideline. Available at:  https://conflict.crto.on.ca/