NAC641.215. Disclosure to patient or legal representative; termination of services; care of patients and research subjects.

A psychologist:

     1. Shall, in an appropriate manner, explain a patient’s condition clearly and truthfully to the patient or the person responsible for the care of the patient.

     2. Shall keep each patient fully informed of the purpose and nature of any evaluation, treatment or other procedure and the patient’s right to choose the services provided.

     3. Shall not perform any professional service that has not been authorized by the patient or his or her legal representative.

     4. Shall explain clearly to a patient:

     (a) The basis and extent of all contemplated services, fees and charges;

     (b) The extent of the patient’s personal responsibility for those fees; and

     (c) The prospective benefits to be derived from and the known risks of such services.

     5. Shall, upon termination of services to a patient, offer to make reasonable arrangements for the continuation of care, if such care is necessary.

     6. Shall, if it is reasonably clear that a patient is not benefiting from the professional services provided by the psychologist, terminate the professional relationship with the patient after adequately preparing the patient for the termination.

     7. Shall, during foreseeable periods of absence, make arrangements for another competent professional to provide emergency care for the patients under the care of the psychologist.

     8. Shall not abandon or neglect a patient under and in need of immediate professional care without making reasonable arrangements for the continuation of care.

     9. Shall not abandon a professional employment by a group practice, hospital, clinic or other health care facility without reasonable notice.

     10. Shall not impose on a patient any stereotypes of behavior, values or roles related to age, gender, religion, race, disability, nationality or sexual preference which would interfere with the objective provision of psychological services to the patient.

     11. Shall not willfully harass, abuse or intimidate any patient or other person to whom he or she has a professional responsibility. The use of any lawful procedure or process for the collection of an unpaid fee is not a violation of this subsection.

     12. Shall not exercise undue influence upon any patient or promote the sale to a patient of any service, good, appliance or drug in such a way as to exploit the patient for the financial gain of the psychologist or another person.

     13. Shall, in the conduct of psychological research:

     (a) Respect the dignity and protect the welfare of his or her research subjects;

     (b) Comply with all relevant laws and regulations concerning the treatment of research subjects;

     (c) Fully inform each person who is a prospective subject of research, or his or her authorized representative, of any danger of serious aftereffects before the person is used as a subject; and

     (d) Use reasonable efforts to remove any possible harmful aftereffects of emotional stress as soon as the design of the research permits.

     (Added to NAC by Bd. of Psychological Exam’rs, eff. 12-28-95)