What is considered a core category for recertification?

AOM (Acupuncture / Oriental Medicine):  is the theory and foundation of Oriental medicine including diagnosis, treatment, patient management and education, medical qigong, and nutrition. 

BIO (Biomedicine): Biomedicine is the established and evolving clinically relevant western medicine and its application to AOM patient care. 

1. Clinical Application of Biomedical Sciences 
2. Patient History and Physical Examination 
3. Clinical Assessment Process 
4. Clinical Decision-Making and Standard of Care 
5. Office Safety and Professional Responsibilities 
6. Pharmaceuticals and supplements 
7. Interpretation of clinical reports 
8. Evidence-based practice to improve AOM medical treatments 

Patient Communication: Effective information exchange using active listening skills and verbal/non-verbal communication.  

1. Professional communication with patients, families, caregivers, and other healthcare professionals 
2. Patient counseling & lifestyle intervention 
3. Compassionate care for patients 
4. Practice in an integrative care setting 
5. Patient referral 

Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Legal aspects of treatments in practice.  

1. Federal 
2. Regulatory compliance (HIPAA, CDC, OSHA, etc.) 
3. Professional liability 
4. Documentation and reporting requirements 
5. State 
6. Rules & Regulations 
7. Scope of Practice 
8. Documentation and reporting requirements

SA: Safety is the quality or condition of being safe; freedom from danger, injury, or damage; security. A mechanism on equipment/buildings designed to prevent accidents. Webster’s New World College Dictionary, http://websters.yourdictionary.com/.  

Herbal Safety: Knowledge and skills in the safe handling and use of Chinese herbs. 

1. Regulatory agencies and requirements 
2. Documentation and reporting 
3. Equipment and calibration
4. Compounding 
5. Cautions and contraindications (condition-dependent, incompatibility) 
6. Labeling & dispensing (lot numbers, expiration dates and procedures) 
7. Management & storage
8. Toxicity 
9. Herb-drug interactions & potential adverse effect

Professional Safety:  

1. Federal and state requirements (OSHA, CDC, JACHO, State Board of Health) 
2. Pathogens 

1. Definition-infectious agent (micro-organism) that causes disease in host  
2. Types (viral, bacterial, prion, fungus, parasites, protozoan)  
3. Routes or pathways of transmission (air, blood, soil)  

3. Communicable and infectious diseases (Hepatitis, HIV, MRSA, Ebola, etc.) 
4. Infection Control 

1. Universal precautions  
2. Personal protective equipment (PPE)  
3. Sterilization techniques  
4. Medical waste management (Bio-hazardous) 

5. Clean needle protocols – see CNT Manual 
6. Patient Safety 

1. Equipment and techniques (lamps, tools [gua sha, cups], instruments)  
2. First aid stations  
3. Documentation and reporting  

7. Facility Safety 

1. ADA accommodations  
2. Emergencies  2. Patient assistance  
3. 3. Staff training  
4. 1. Plans and procedures  
5. Staff competence and training 

ET: Ethics is a branch of philosophy regarding concepts of right and wrong conduct, often addressing disputes of moral diversity. A decision-making process that determines a moral course of action a person is obligated to do in a specific situation. Webster’s New World College Dictionary, http://websters.yourdictionary.com/.  

The acupuncture and Oriental medicine profession has the NCCAOM® Code of Ethics which is required content for PDA approved courses.  

Patient Ethics:  

1. Respect rights and dignity 
2. Non-discrimination 
3. Patient’s right to treatment 
4. Informed consent 
5. Confidentiality – HIPAA and patient information 
6. Boundaries and relationships 
7. Documentation and records 
8. State scope of practice 
9. Patient referrals 
10. Sexual contact

Professional Ethics:  

1. Standards of the profession 
2. Hierarchical relationships 
3. Accurate and truthful information 
4. Change in professional status
5. Patient relationship power differential 
6. National and state regulatory policies 
7. Respect of practitioners of AOM and other medical professions 
8. Ethical business practices 
9. Insurance billing and coding
10. Taxes

Public Ethics:  

1. Comply with state laws 
2. Truthful information and advertising 
3. Credentials and designations 
4. Efficacy in treatment outcomes 
5. State regulatory reporting