Conflict of Interest
Dietitians are in a conflict of interest when they consider their own interests ahead of or instead of their clients’. In these circumstances, a dietitian’s personal interests may improperly influence their professional judgment and cause harm to clients.
In the dietitian-client relationship, trust is key. When a client believes that the dietitian has interests that take priority over their own nutrition care, trust can be broken.
The resources in this section will help you recognize a conflict of interest and understand its impact on clients to determine whether you can manage the conflict or whether you should avoid it entirely.
Standards & Guidelines
- Standards & Guidelines for Professional Practice: Conflict of Interest
- E-learning module – Conflict of Interest & Dietetic Practice: Guideline Principles
Understanding Conflict of Interest
Handling a Conflict of Interest
- How to Handle Competing Interests
- Does the College have any requirements for how RDs should accept client referrals in their dietetic practice?
Scenarios
- Can I discount my services?
- Promoting a Product to Purchasing Agents
- Speaking Engagment
- Sponsored Conference