CODE OF PRACTICE

Practice in the best interest of clients
 

• Acknowledge cautions and contraindications for their services and refrain from treatment where appropriate.

• Acknowledge the limitations of services and refer clients to the appropriate professionals when necessary.

• Provide services, make referrals, and seek compensation only for those services that are necessary and are in the best interest of the patient only where there is a reasonable outcome that it will be favourable to the patients.

• Ensure that clients possess a clear understanding of what is involved in the services. 

• Refrain from making false claims or misrepresenting the therapeutic benefits of athletic training.
   

Uphold and promote high standards in their provision of services
 

• Represent either directly or indirectly, their skills, training, professional credentials, identity or services and will provide only those services they are qualified to perform.

• Athletic trainers must have a valid first aid certificate.

• Athletic trainers should always maintain professional appearance, demeanour, and conduct; any abuse of alcohol, drugs, or good order is deemed to be a serious offence against this code. Athletic trainers should not practise if illness, physical or mental, affects their practice.

• Athletic trainers must uphold clinical standards of the hygiene, safety, and equipment at the site of service.
   

Obtain consent from client prior to service provision
 

• Voluntary informed consent must be obtained through verbal or written means, prior to commencing services.

• Provide information (if requested) to other medical and healthcare professionals with client’s written consent only.
   

Respect the rights, well-being, and dignity of others
 

• Respect the client-athletic trainer relationship, the client’s right to total confidentiality and strive to always cultivate a trustful environment. 

• Conduct their professional activities and business in a respectful and appropriate manner to all persons regardless of race, religion, age, gender, ethnic or national origin, disability, health status, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression.

• Abstain from engaging in unjust discrimination against clients, patients and/or other medical and healthcare professionals. They must seek to strive for positive cooperation and relationship with other medical and healthcare professionals.

• Athletic trainers have the responsibility to respect client’s modesty, ensure their privacy and comfort by providing appropriate draping during treatment, and accommodate any special needs. e.g. language difficulties, disability, or requests of presence of third party accompany.

• Respect the client’s right to refuse or terminate services at any time, regardless of prior consent given.

• Athletic trainers may exercise the right to refuse treatment to any person, or part of the body, for just and reasonable cause.
   

Maintain appropriate and effective communication with other professionals and clients​
 

• Report all notifiable disease states according to applicable laws in HKSAR.

• Deal with complaints and criticisms efficiently using appropriate procedures.
   

Advocate continuous expansion of your professional knowledge and skills
 

• Recognize the need for continuing education and participate in educational activities that enhance their skills and knowledge and shall complete such educational requirements necessary to continue to qualify as athletic trainers which meet the requirements of their professional organizations.

• Ensure, by means of continuous education and training, a level of competence consistent with the highest standards of performance.

• Ensure your practices are performed safely and effectively.
   

Maintain accurate record of patient in professional manner
 

• All records should proceed under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486).

• Documentation process of record should remain transparent with acknowledgment of clients about the presence of record keeping.

• Confidentiality of clients’ information must be protected. Only with client’s written consent and permission, relative clients’ information is to be disclosed to third parties, e.g. medical and healthcare professionals. Appropriate protection of computerised records must be ensured to forbid unauthorised access. Athletic trainers are advised to seek advice relating to the requirement to register under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) where client records are computerised.

• Athletic trainers should maintain up-to-date records of all clients regarding medical history, presenting complaints, assessment and procedures performed.

• Patient records need to be kept for 7 years, in the case of children for 5 years after their 21st birthday, for terminally or seriously ill patients’ records should be retained indefinitely.
   

Engage in act of conduct that does not jeopardize the positive reputation of athletic trainers
 

• Regardless of whether a prison sentence is given or not, any conviction in Hong Kong or elsewhere for an offense that carries a potential imprisonment penalty will result in subsequent termination of membership determined by the Executive Board.

• All form of advertisement and promotion must be accurate and comply with legal requirements.

• Promotions must not violate trustful relationship with clients.

• The HKATA logo can be used on business stationery (e.g. name card) and advertising materials only with agreement permission from the Executive Board. The right of use is for the duration of the membership and must not be used when membership has ceased.

• Members can mention the name of the Association during media interview, but publications must only be published in the name of the HKATA only with prior agreement.

• Members must not engage in publications on all public media platforms that brings adversity to the reputation of the HKATA.

• Members must maintain a courteous demeanour in any form of communications, including but not limited to social media, in public, via email, and avoid cause of offence to any other HKATA members, members of the public, HKATA staff and officers or any other professional person.

• Only members who held the ATC (Athletic Trainer, Certified) credential can address themselves in the name of HKATA to media as, “Athletic Trainer, Certified, Hong Kong Athletic Trainers’ Association” or “ATC – HKATA”.

• Athletic trainers must adhere to the position statements and guidelines published by the HKATA.

• The determination of whether a course of conduct constitutes unprofessional conduct is solely determined by the Executive Board. Once proven, the Executive Board assesses the severity of the misconduct and imposes an appropriate penalty.