title: Code of Ethics for the American Association of Physicists in Medicine: report of Task Group 109.
abstract: A comprehensive Code of Ethics for the members of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) is presented as the report of Task Group 109 which consolidates previous AAPM ethics policies into a unified document. The membership of the AAPM is increasingly diverse. Prior existing AAPM ethics polices were applicable specifically to medical physicists, and did not encompass other types of members such as health physicists, regulators, corporate affiliates, physicians, scientists, engineers, those in training, or other health care professionals. Prior AAPM ethics policies did not specifically address research, education, or business ethics. The Ethics Guidelines of this new Code of Ethics have four major sections: professional conduct, research ethics, education ethics, and business ethics. Some elements of each major section may be duplicated in other sections, so that readers interested in a particular aspect of the code do not need to read the entire document for all relevant information. The prior Complaint Procedure has also been incorporated into this Code of Ethics. This Code of Ethics (PP 24-A) replaces the following AAPM policies: Ethical Guidelines for Vacating a Position (PP 4-B); Ethical Guidelines for Reviewing the Work of Another Physicist (PP 5-C); Guidelines for Ethical Practice for Medical Physicists (PP 8-D); and Ethics Complaint Procedure (PP 21-A). The AAPM Board of Directors approved this Code or Ethics on July 31, 2008.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida 32224, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Serago
authors.forename: Nabil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Adnani
authors.forename: Morris I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Bank
authors.forename: Jose A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: BenComo
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Lynne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fairobent
authors.forename: D Jay
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Freedman
authors.forename: Per H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Halvorsen
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Hendee
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Herman
authors.forename: Richard K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Morse
authors.forename: Herbert W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Mower
authors.forename: Douglas E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Root
authors.forename: George W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Sherouse
authors.forename: Matthew K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Vossler
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Walters
mesh_terms: D026683:Advisory Committees; D032781:Codes of Ethics; D006283:Health Physics / Q000941:ethics*; D012958:Societies, Scientific / Q000941:ethics*; D014481:United States