The Inquiry Committee (the “Committee”) of the College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of British Columbia (the “College”) has concluded its investigation into Mr. C. Marke Hambley, RHIP, by way of a disposition under s. 33(6)(c) of the Health Professions Act. The Inquiry Committee was critical of Mr. Hambley’s conduct in publishing or authorizing the publishing of certain marketing materials. In the Committee’s view, these materials suggested or may have caused a member of the public to believe that there is a causal link between hearing loss and the onset of dementia, or that the use of hearing aids could prevent the onset of dementia.
As part of this resolution, Mr. Hambley undertook to:
- Remove public access to certain marketing materials; and
- Refrain from engaging in marketing that:
- states hearing loss causes dementia or other cognitive impairment, or
- that remediation of hearing loss may prevent or mitigate dementia or other cognitive impairment,
In determining an appropriate disposition, the College considered its Bylaws and professional standards regarding marketing, in particular the requirement that registrants not engage in marketing that is reasonably capable of misleading a member of the public or exploits the public’s lack of knowledge of a professional subject area.