Similarities and Differences among the Three Codes of Practices in Hong Kong: Medical, Optometry, and Dentistry
Similarities
The Codes of Practice given emphasis include the Code of Practice of the Optometrists Board of Hong Kong, the Code of Professional Discipline for the Guidance of Dental Practitioners in Hong Kong, and the Professional Code and Conduct for the Guidance of Registered Medical Practitioners. Although these three codes address three different medical professions, the Codes of Practice have similarities that pertain to the practices of the three professions. In all Codes of Practices, both the ethical and professional guidelines in relation to the three professions were pointed out. The conduct of the professionals was given emphasis, including their conduct and misconduct towards their profession, towards their patients or clients, and towards other professionals or practitioners. This involves their communication with such individuals, along with referrals to other medical professionals and divulging information. The advertising of the services offered by the professionals and their publicity is also given importance in the Codes, as must only follow the rules set by the Council. The contact or display details of the professionals were also addressed, such as the content and form of signboards, logos, and other forms of public signage. One of the most important aspects of the Codes includes the guidelines for the care of the clients, which addresses the practice of the professionals itself, and the techniques involved in the proper care of the clients. In relation to the care of clients, recording the sessions and the history of the clients was also addressed in all three codes, along with obtaining consent from them, such as in undergoing operations, new procedures, or other delicate processes. In addition, drug and medicine administration was also pointed out in the Codes, which practically and essentially concerns the welfare of the clients. The fitness to practice of the professionals was also given importance, such as the use of alcohol and other drugs. The practice of professionals also includes addressing the delegation of their professional duties and the abuse of professional power or confidence, which can possibly lead to professional misconduct. Along with the provision of such services, the financial transactions or the payments and fees of the clients with the services rendered by the medical professionals was also given emphasis in all the three codes.
Differences
Despite the similarities of the issues addressed in the three codes, a number of differences can still be pointed out. Apparently, the Code of Practice of the Optometrists Board of Hong Kong is the least updated among the three Codes, as both the Code of Professional Discipline for the Guidance of Dental Practitioners in Hong Kong and the Professional Code and Conduct for the Guidance of Registered Medical Practitioners have been updated recently, based on their contents. This is because both the dental and medical practitioner codes contain policies and regulations regarding the use of the Internet or the World Wide Web, which cannot be found in the Codes for Optometrists. In terms of coverage, the Code for Registered Medical Practitioners emphasizes on the wider coverage or scope of the medical practitioners compared to the dentists and optometrists, being specific medical professionals focusing and providing specific services. The Code for Registered Medical Practitioners points out that the additional coverage or scope of the medical practitioners, such as issues or services on artificial life support, organ transplant/donation, more advanced and complicated diagnosis, and more sophisticated interventions. The code also includes and emphasizes on the aspect of religion in the medical practice, wherein any medical practitioner must disregard the issue of religion in terms of treatment. Such aspect was not mentioned or discussed in the other two codes of practice. In addition, another difference among the codes that can be pointed out is the focus on the specifics of the information to be shared and indicated to the publics of the dentists. As indicated in the code, the numbers, the location, and even the specifics involved in providing information in the websites or webpages in line with the use of the Internet. This was not further or discussed in detail in the other two codes of practice. Lastly, only the Code of Practice of the Optometrists Board of Hong Kong discussed and gave emphasis on the discipline and power of the Boards, including the details and the processes involved in court and proceedings by the Board, the legal proceedings, and the staffs involved in the process. Such details were not discussed in the other two codes. The list of approved drugs for the practice of optometry was also indicated at the last part of the code, which was not done in the two other codes of practice.
References
Code of Practice of the Optometrists Board of Hong Kong, pp. 1-23.
Code of Professional Discipline for the Guidance of Dental Practitioners in Hong Kong, pp. 1-29.
Professional Code and Conduct for the Guidance of Registered Medical Practitioners, viewed 15 April 2008, <http://www.mchk.org.hk/code.htm>.
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