Professional Roles and Behaviors - Patient Care in Radiography

A set of 100 vocabulary flashcards covering professional roles, ethics, patient rights, and legal liabilities in radiography based on Chapter 5 lecture notes.

Burnout

A state characterized by feeling robotic and exhausted, often occurring when a radiology technologist is asked to give more emotionally than they have received.

Empathy

The sensitivity to others that allows a professional to meet patient needs constructively rather than just sympathizing with or reacting to distress.

Personal Morality

The values of right or wrong that individuals have learned throughout their lives.

Kohlberg's Theory

The belief that individuals learn morality through consequence or non-consequence, such as obedience and punishment.

Group Morality

Refers to the agreed-upon rights and wrongs among various specific groups, such as the Hippocratic Oath for doctors.

Ethics

The philosophy of internal reflecting and applied morality, focusing on doing the right thing in a professional context.

ARRT Standard of Ethics

A two-part document consisting of the Code of Ethics and the Rules of Ethics for Radiologic Technologists.

ARRT Code of Ethics

A list of ten items that Radiologic Technologists should strive to uphold as a professional ideal.

ARRT Rules of Ethics

A set of 20 mandatory ethical behaviors that must be professionally upheld; failure to do so can result in legal proceedings.

Ethics of Care

An approach requiring professionals to be at minimum caring, faithful, trustworthy, compassionate, and courageous given a situation.

Beneficence

The ethical principle of goodness; acting on doing what is right.

Nonmaleficence

The ethical principle of no evil; the obligation to not inflict harm.

Veracity

The ethical principle of truth; the obligation to tell the truth.

Fidelity

The ethical principle of faithfulness; being loyal and faithful to the patient.

Justice

The ethical principle of fairness; acting with equity toward all patients.

Autonomy

The ethical principle of self-determination; respecting someone else’s independence or self-reliance.

Moral Agent

The person making the final implemented decision in an ethical situation.

Identify

The first step in resolving ethical situations; identifying the specific problem.

Develop

The second step in resolving ethical situations; developing alternate solutions.

Select

The third step in resolving ethical situations; selecting the best solution.

Defend

The fourth step in resolving ethical situations; defending the selection made.

Patient Right to Information

The right to know who is taking care of them, their credentials, and to review their medical records.

Informed Consent

A full explanation of procedures, outcomes, and risks provided to the patient before they agree to the care.

Right to Refuse Treatment

The patient's right to refuse a procedure or examination at any time, even after signing a consent form.

Death with Dignity

A patient right that includes resuscitation status and, in some states, assisted death for the terminally ill.

HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which informs patients how their information is being used and ensures confidentiality.

Genetic Information Right

The right of patients to know the access and uses of their genetic information.

Rad Tech Scope of Practice

The boundary that prevents R.T.s from discussing diagnosis or treatment with patients; these questions must be referred back to the doctor.

Chaperone

An individual who should be present whenever imaging sensitive areas to respect patient privacy and modesty.

Competence (Informed Consent)

The legal requirement that a patient must be mentally capable to sign a consent form; sedation renders one incompetent.

Incompetent Adult Consent

Legal status where only a legal guardian can sign for an adult who is mentally incapable.

Minor Consent

Legal status where only parents or a legal guardian can sign for a patient under the age of $18$.

Revocation of Consent

The act of a patient taking back their informed consent at any time after the signature has been provided.

DNR

Do Not Resuscitate; a 'no code' status for terminally ill patients where no code blue is issued for life-threatening conditions.

DNI

Do Not Intubate; a status meaning no intubation will take place even while waiting for death.

Advance Directive

A procedural outline or 'will' put in place ahead of time regarding a patient's medical and life-saving preferences.

Tort Laws

An area of civil law dealing with wrongdoing against a person or property, which can result in a lawsuit.

Plaintiff

The individual or party who is bringing a lawsuit against another.

Defendant

The individual or party who must defend themselves against a charge in a lawsuit.

Felony

A serious crime that results in a prison sentence.

Misdemeanor

A less serious crime resulting in a fine or a small amount of time in prison or jail.

Intentional Misconduct

Willful actions that break laws, such as false imprisonment, libel, or battery.

False Imprisonment

The act of using physical restraints on a patient without a valid medical order.

Invasion of Privacy

The failure to maintain confidentiality or exposing sensitive anatomy without a medical reason.

Libel

The written malicious spreading of information that defames someone’s character or reputation.

Slander

The verbal malicious spreading of information that defames someone’s character or reputation.

Assault

The threat or belief of touching a person in an injurious manner.

Battery

The unlawful touching of a person without their consent.

Unintentional Misconduct

Situational law-breaking involving negligence or malpractice where professional duties were omitted.

Reasonable Prudent Person

The legal standard used to judge R.T. actions; doing what any reasonable person would do in a given situation.

Negligence

The neglect or omission of reasonable care or caution.

Malpractice

The act of leaving out professional duties, contributing to a patient getting hurt.

Gross Negligence

A higher legal charge involving reckless regard for life or limb.

Contributory Negligence

A situation where the hurt person’s own actions contributed to the negligence.

Corporate Negligence

A situation where the organization itself is deemed negligent.

Res ipsa loquitur

A Latin term meaning 'the situation speaks for itself', where negligence is obvious.

Respondeat Superior

A Latin term meaning 'let the master respond', placing blame on the highest authority possible like a CEO.

Vicarious Liability

A legal doctrine where an agency or person is responsible for the actions of an employee.

Borrowed Servant

A principle where a physician may be liable for wrongful acts committed by hospital employees under that physician’s order.

Professional Competence

The first of the Seven C's; knowing and adhering to professional standards to reduce liability.

Compliance

The second of the Seven C's; following hospital policies and procedures to avoid patient injuries.

Charting

The third of the Seven C's; documented records that are complete, consistent, and objective, serving as a best defense.

Communication

The fourth of the Seven C's; improving interactions among health care professionals to avoid malpractice.

Confidentiality

The fifth of the Seven C's; the legal responsibility to protect medical information.

Courtesy

The sixth of the Seven C's; a demeanor that improves patient rapport and lessens lawsuit likelihood.

Caution

The seventh of the Seven C's; the awareness that personal injuries can occur unexpectedly.

RIMS

Radiology Information Management System; medical records specific to radiology including PACS and billing.

EMR

Electronic Medical Record; a centralized e-chart containing comprehensive information like medical history and demographics.

Objective Charting

The practice of writing notes without personal opinion, such as 'unable to physically cooperate' instead of 'too drunk'.

$${ETOH}$$

The chemical shorthand often used in medical charting to indicate the presence or smell of alcohol.

PACS

The system where imaging orders and accepted images are scanned and stored as part of the permanent medical record.

Permanent Medical Record

A file containing all radiology reports and accepted images belonging to the facility.

Image Ownership

The legal principle that all images belong to the radiology department, medical records, or the facility, not the patient.

Release of Information

A document a patient must sign to legally obtain copies of their medical images.

Accident and Incident Reports

Essential documentation for events like patient or visitor falls that must be reported to a supervisor.

Professional Morality Source

Values of right and wrong that we have individually learned throughout life.

Hippocratic Oath

A specific example of Group Morality adhered to by doctors.

Applied Morality

Another term used to define the practice of ethics as doing the right thing through internal reflection.

Caring

One of the minimum qualities required by the ethics of care.

Faithful

An ethics of care requirement that emphasizes loyalty to the professional role and patient.

Trustworthy

An ethics of care requirement emphasizing the reliability of the professional.

Compassionate

An ethics of care requirement emphasizing feeling for the patient's situation.

Courageous

An ethics of care requirement emphasizing the strength to do the right thing professionally.

Considerate Care

A patient right involving receiving respectful treatment regardless of the situation.

Credential Review

The patient's right to know the professional qualifications of those treating them.

Privacy Protection

The professional duty to avoid uncovering more anatomy than needed during imaging.

Identifying Information

Data that must be covered up in public areas to maintain HIPAA compliance.

Encryption

The protection method required for computer files containing patient health information.

Experimental Procedures

Type of medical interventions that absolutely require informed consent due to high risk.

Sedation

A medical state that renders a patient legally incompetent to provide informed consent.

Legal Guardian

The only person who can sign consent for a minor or a mentally incompetent adult.

Physician Limitation

The rule that only the physician listed on the consent form can perform the specific procedure.

Revoke Right

The patient's ability to stop a procedure even after signing consent, based on the right to refuse.

No Code Blue

An order associated with DNR status where no emergency resuscitation team is called.

Medical Intervention (Death)

Used in liberal states like WA, OR, and VT to allow terminal patients to pass on their own terms.

Misconduct Charge

A legal categorization of professional wrongdoing, divided into intentional and unintentional.

Defamation

The malicious spreading of information that harms a person's reputation, including libel and slander.

Threat of Injury

The legal definition of assault in a medical context.

Equity

The basis of justice in healthcare, ensuring all patients are acted upon with fairness.

Self-determination

The core concept of Autonomy, respecting a patient's independence.