Guiding Principles
Ethics Update
Date: December 4, 2013To: House of Delegates
From: Suzy Weems, PhD, RDN, CSSD, LD
Chair, Ethics Committee, 2013-2014
Subject: Ethics Opinion “The Impact of Social Media on Business and Ethical Practice in Dietetics” and Ethics Case Studies: Impact of Social Media on the RDN and DTR
The Ethics Committee is pleased to present two new ethics resources: the Ethics Opinion “The Impact of Social Media on Business and Ethical Practice in Dietetics” and Ethics Case Studies: Impact of Social Media on the RDN and DTR.
An ethics opinion is defined as an interpretation or application of the Academy/CDR Code of Ethics for the Profession of Dietetics by the Ethics Committee in response to a specific ethics issue or situation facing dietetics professionals in practice. These opinions are available to all members and credentialed practitioners to serve as an educational guide for their conduct. All ethics opinions are published upon approval in the Journal of the Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics. “The Impact of Social Media on Business and Ethical Practice in Dietetics” is now available in the November 2013 Journal.
The Ethics Committee also developed nine case studies addressing the impact of social media on the RDN and DTR. The purpose of these case studies is to create a discussion platform about ethics and the use of social media. These case studies can be used by educators with students and interns, clinical nutrition managers with their staff members, individual practitioners as well district presidents. In addition to the nine case studies, a handout is provided to use as a supplement for guiding the discussion. The handout presents each case study along with a set of discussion questions. The case studies and handout can be accessed on the Ethics Committee’s Academy website at: http://www.eatright.org/About/Content.aspx?id=10763
The ethics opinion, case studies and handout will be disseminated to the larger Academy membership via Eat Right Weekly in the upcoming weeks as well as to other Academy organizational units.
If you should have any questions or concerns related to this memo, please do not hesitate to contact either myself (254/710-6003 or suzy_weems@baylor.edu) or our staff partner, Harold Holler (800/877-1600, ext. 4896 or hholler@eatright.org).
