Subsection 2: Duties towards patients.

The chiropodist must always maintain a correct and attentive attitude towards patients and their families. They must respect their privacy and dignity. They must not interfere in their patient’s personal or family affairs for no professional reason.

A chiropodist must examine, advise or treat all his patients with the same conscience, regardless of their origin, morals, social or family situation, membership or non-membership of a particular ethnic group, nation or religion, disability or state of health, reputation or any feelings he may have towards them.

A chiropodist who has agreed to provide care to a patient undertakes : 1° to provide the patient with informed care in accordance with the latest scientific knowledge, either personally or, where his conscience so requires, by calling in another chiropodist or another health professional ; 2° to act in all circumstances with propriety and kindness towards the patient and to show compassion towards him ; 3° to agree to…

In compliance with his legal obligations to provide assistance and except in emergencies, the chiropodist may refuse care for professional or personal reasons. In such cases, he must inform the patient, ensure continuity of care and provide any information that may be useful for this purpose.

Every person has the right to be informed by the chiropodist of the examinations and assessments which he/she intends to carry out or have carried out, and of the various investigations, treatments or preventive actions which he/she proposes to carry out. In particular, the chiropodist must inform the patient of their usefulness, their consequences, the normally foreseeable risks they entail, alternative solutions and the possible consequences of refusal.

The chiropodist is required to keep and update the information he holds on his patient, under the conditions laid down by law.

If the chiropodist becomes aware, in the course of his or her practice, that a person has been subjected to abuse or ill-treatment or if his or her attention is drawn to visible signs of aggression or coercion, he or she must, subject to the consent of the person concerned, inform the judicial authorities.

When a chiropodist discovers that a minor or a vulnerable person is being mistreated, abused or deprived, he or she must take the most appropriate steps to protect them and alert the competent legal, medical or administrative authorities.

Insofar as is compatible with the quality and effectiveness of patient care, the chiropodist must limit his actions and prescriptions to what is strictly necessary.

When a chiropodist is required to offer a patient expensive prostheses or orthoses, he will first draw up a written estimate and give it to the patient.