health care admin

Informed consent

Agreement given by a patient to receive care after being provided with all relevant information regarding procedures, risks, and alternatives.

Assent

The affirmative agreement of a minor to receive care or participate in an intervention when developmentally appropriate.

Confidentiality

The ethical duty and legal obligation to safeguard private patient information from unauthorized disclosure.

Negligence

The failure to provide the required standard of care, resulting in unintended injury or loss.

Duty of care

The legal and professional obligation to provide a reasonable standard of care within one's defined professional role.

Documentation

An accurate, complete, and permanent record of patient assessment, treatment, and clinical decision-making.

Scope of practice

The specific range of activities, procedures, and responsibilities that a healthcare provider is legally and professionally authorized to perform.

Referral

The formal process of directing a patient to another qualified healthcare provider for specialized evaluation, diagnosis, or care.

Medical clearance

Official authorization provided by a qualified clinician granting permission for an individual to participate or return to activity.

Standard precautions

Infection prevention practices applied to all patient encounters to minimize exposure to blood, body fluids, and infectious materials.

Four elements of negligence

1. Duty (a duty of care existed) 2. Breach (the standard of care was violated) 3. Causation (the breach directly caused or contributed to injury) 4. Damages (actual harm, loss, or injury occurred).

Exceptions to confidentiality

Circumstances where patient disclosure is mandated by law or immediately necessary to ensure personal or public safety.

Core infection control guidelines

Perform hand hygiene before and after contact, utilize personal protective equipment (PPE), handle fluids with standard precautions, disinfect reusable tools, dispose of biohazards safely, and cover wounds.

Psychological effects of athletic injury

Disruptions to confidence, self-identity, mood, and social connection, frequently accompanied by frustration, fear of reinjury, anxiety, or sadness.

Supportive care for injured athletes

Active listening, setting realistic recovery milestones, encouraging rehabilitation adherence, avoiding pressure to return early, and coordinating with mental health professionals when indicated.

Analgesics

A class of pharmaceutical agents administered specifically to reduce or alleviate pain.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

A pharmacological class that decreases both pain and inflammation, including agents such as ibuprofen and naproxen.

Acetaminophen

A medication that relieves pain and lowers fever (antipyretic) but does not provide anti-inflammatory action.

Bronchodilators

Medications that dilate the airways by relaxing bronchial smooth muscle, commonly prescribed for conditions such as asthma.

Therapeutic effect

The intended, beneficial physiological or clinical outcome achieved by administering a specific treatment or drug.

Side effect

A secondary, typically predictable pharmacological consequence that occurs alongside the intended action at normal dosage levels.

Adverse reaction

An unexpected, unintended, and harmful response to a medication administered at therapeutic doses.

Contraindication

A specific condition or clinical circumstance that makes a particular drug or therapeutic procedure inadvisable or hazardous.

Drug interaction

A modification in the efficacy, metabolism, or toxicity of a medication caused by concurrent exposure to another substance or drug.