Professional Licensure

 

ASET POSITION STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF LICENSURE

In 2004, the ASET Board of Trustees authorized the development of a white paper from an outside consultant to objectively present information about occupational regulation. Following an extensive review of its findings, the board adopted the following position statement on occupational regulation:

 

 “The American Society of Electroneurodiagnostic Technologists supports programmatic educational accreditation, appropriate electroneurodiagnostic credentialing, compliance with evidence-based national practice standards, adherence to the neurodiagnostic scope of practice, and occupational regulation. These requirements will help ensure safe practices quality care, and pertinent education and skills for the profession of neurodiagnostic technology. Occupational regulation of neurodiagnostic practitioners may be in the form of licensure, statutory certification, or registration.

 

To this end, ASET will continue to promote the recognition of neurodiagnostic as a distinct allied health entity, identify and further the neurodiagnostic body of knowledge, and strengthen its advocacy efforts to protect the neurodiagnosticprofession and limit its practice only to qualified individuals.”

 

Since 2004, ASET has been moving toward oversight for the neurodiagnostic profession. In 2008, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved the recommendations of the Governmental Advocacy Committee to authorize the committee to draft a position statement in support of licensure for the neurodiagnostic profession, and to draft a model practice act for board consideration. At its February 2009 mid-year meeting, by unanimous vote the Board of Trustees, adopted the following position statement on licensure:

  

“Occupational regulation is a necessity in many allied health fields to protect the health, safety and welfare of patients. Regulation gives clearly defined scopes of practice for each occupation and defines who is qualified to be a professional in each field. The public benefits as a result of the professionals being able to concentrate on clearly established guidelines and requirements within their scope of practice.  

 

Although there are existing certificates and registrations for the neurodiagnostic profession, these are voluntary and are not a requirement for employment or to practice. Although becoming a registered or certified technologist in one or more of the modalities that comprise neurodiagnostics is an indication to the public and employers that a person has sought and achieved competency, it is not a guarantee that the public is universally protected as it allows for individuals who do not take the voluntary examinations to practice.  

 

To assure the public that each neurodiagnostic procedure performed is conducted only by qualified personnel, it is necessary to have in place a regulation that is enforceable by law. ASET believes that occupational regulation in the form of state licensure is the most effective means to establish legal authority for the scope of practice for neurodiagnostic professionals.”