Ch 4: Healthcare Laws

Abuse

An action that purposely harms another person.

Advance directives

Written instructions about healthcare decisions in case a person is unable to make them.

Breach

Disclosure of protected health information without a reason or permission, which compromises the security or privacy of the information.

Claims clearinghouse

An organization that accepts claim data from the provider, reformats the data to meet the specifications outlined by the insurance plan, and submits the claim.

Coding system

A structured method designed to use characters (such as numbers and letters) to represent medical procedures or diseases.

Communicable diseases

Illnesses spread from person to person by either direct contact or indirect contact (e.g., insects).

Dependent adults

People between the ages of 18 and 64 who have a mental or physical impairment that prevents them from doing normal activities or from protecting themselves.

Discrimination (dis krim eh NAE shuhn)

Unfair treatment of another person based on age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, or other selective factors.

Egress (EE gress)

Leaving a place; an exit route.

Electronic health record (EHR)

A standardized digital collection of health-related information about a specific patient that can be created, managed, and consulted across multiple healthcare organizations.

Electronic transaction

The digital exchange of information between two agencies to accomplish financial or administrative healthcare activities.

Exploitation (eks ploi TAY shuhn)

The act of using another person for one's own advantage.

Harassment (hah RAS ment)

Continued, unwanted, and annoying actions done to another person.

Neglect

Failure to provide proper attention or care to another person.

Precedence (PRES i dehns)

The condition of being considered more important than others; the top priority.

Privileged communication

Confidential interactions that cannot be disclosed without authorization of the person involved, such as provider-patient or lawyer-client discussions.

Retaliation (ree tal ee A shuhn)

Getting back at others for something they did to you.

Retribution (reh trih BYOU shuhn)

Punishment inflicted on someone as vengeance for a wrong or criminal act; the act of taking revenge.

Whistleblower

A person (usually an employee) who reports a violation of the law within an organization to the public or an authority figure.