Professional Ethics and Medical Law ARRT Study Guide

Consent

permission for something to happen or agreement to do something:

Informed consent

permission granted in the knowledge of the possible consequences, typically that which is given by a patient to a doctor for treatment with full knowledge of the possible risks and benefits:

Oral consent

person states their consent verbally but does not sign any form

Implied consent

a persons agreement that is not expressly given but can be assumed by patient's actions

Confidentiality

obligation to protect sensitive personal health information from unauthorized access and disclosure

HIPAA

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is primarily concerned with the protection of Protected Health Information (PHI).

American Hospital Association (AHA) Patient Care Partnership (Patients' Bill of Rights)

a comprehensive guide for patients, outlining their rights, responsibilities, and expectations while receiving care in hospitals

Privacy

respect of the confidentiality of the relationship with the doctor and other caregivers (8, 9)

Extent of care (DNR)

medical directive that indicates a patient dose not wish to receive CPR in the event of cardiac or respiratory arrest (7)

Access to information

The patient has the right to and is encouraged to obtain from physicians and other direct caregivers relevant, current, and understandable information concerning diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. (2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 15)

Advanced directives

legal document compared by a living competent adult to provide guidance to a healthcare team if the patient becomes incapacitated (7)

Living will

a written, legal document that states the medical treatments you want or don't want when you're unable to decide for yourself (7)

Health care proxy

person you designate if the patient becomes unable to make decisions themselves (7)

Research participation

patients have the right to consent or decline in research (13)

Patient identification

two patient identifiers

Compare order to clinical indication

ICD and CPT have to match.

Autonomy

right to make own decisions

Fidelity

faithfulness

Veracity

telling the truth

Beneficence

opportunity to do good

Nonmaleficence

refraining from doing harm

Justice

Way of establishing a process for most equitable distribution of a limited resource

Standard of care

Degree of skill, knowledge, and care ordinarily possessed and employed by members in good standing within the profession

Tort

Patient's claim that he/she has be wronged or has suffered some injury, other than a breach of contract, for which he or she believes that cause exists for an action for damages

Assault

Patient believes that he/she has been threatened in such a way that reason to fear or to expect immediate bodily harm exists

Battery

Unlawful touching of another that is without justification or excuse

False imprisonment

Person is restrained or believes that he/she is being restrained against his/her will

Defamation

Holding up a person to ridicule, scorn, or contempt in a respectable and considerable part of the community

Slander

spoken word

Libel

Written or published comments or pictures

Fraud

Willful and intentional misrepresentation of facts that may cause harm to an individual or result in loss of an individual right or property

Negligence

A failure to use such care as a reasonably prudent person would use under like or similar circumstances

Malpractice

improper, illegal, or negligent professional activity or treatment, especially by a medical practitioner, lawyer, or public official

Respondeat superior

The master speaks for the servant"; Physician or health care facility is responsible for the negligent acts of its employees

Res ipsa loquitur

The thing speaks for itself"; Describes how a patient is injured through no fault of his/her own while in complete control of another

Changes to order

orders have to be authorized by the referring physician or sometimes the radiologist if allowed by the hospital. You must document why it was changed

Medical event

document that there was an medical event in the chart or possible incident report