Chapter 3 Pt. 4

Ethics

is the branch of philosophy related to morals or moral principles

Morals

are what a person believes to be the acceptable or right way to live. Morals govern a person’s behavior.

Earliest codes of ethics and principles

to govern conduct for those in medicine dates back to around 1800 BC, to the Code of Hammurabi. In 400 BC, Hippocrates, a Greek physician referred to as the “Father of Western Medicine,” wrote a statement of principles for his medical students to follow. This statement of principles is known as the Hippocratic Oath

Who is Hippocrates

In 400 BC, Hippocrates, a Greek physician referred to as the “Father of Western Medicine,” wrote a statement of principles for his medical students to follow. This statement of principles is known as the Hippocratic Oath

Know Hippocratic oath-

This statement of principles is known as the Hippocratic Oath (Box 2-1 in the chapter titled “Medical Science: History and Practice”) and it remains important today. This oath reminds medical students of the importance of their profession, the need to teach others, and the obligation they have to act in such a way as to never knowingly harm a patient or divulge a confidence. The Hippocratic Oath is recited at medical school graduation ceremonies, and has been for centuries, as it carries an important ethical message for physicians. Modern codes of ethics have been developed as medical science has continued to advance.

bioethics and examples of it-

Bioethics is a term that refers to ethical decisions regarding life issues. For example, stem cell research, in vitro fertilization, and abortion rights are sometimes controversial issues that concern human life. The medical assistant must reflect on bioethical decisions but support the patient in the patient’s own decision making. Working as a medical assistant, you must never impose your personal ethics or morals on a patient. Regardless of their personal decisions, you must always treat them with dignity and the utmost respect.

AAMA (American Association of Medical Assistants) code of ethics

is a professional standard that medical assistants are expected to follow. The code, which describes ethical and moral conduct for the medical assistant, is similar to the AMA’s Principles of Medical Ethics. Box 3-5 lists the code of ethics of the AAMA. Medical assistants assume a position of trust and must try to live up to the standards of the profession as stated in the code.

Code of ethics for medical assistants

1. The Code of Ethics of the AAMA shall set forth principles of ethical and moral conduct as they relate to the medical profession and the particular practice of medical assisting.

2. Members of the AAMA dedicated to the conscientious pursuit of their profession, and thus desiring to merit the high regard of the entire medical profession and the respect of the general public which they serve, do hereby pledge themselves to strive always to:

   1. Human Dignity 

      1. Render service with full respect for the dignity of humanity;

   2. Confidentiality 

      1. Respect confidential information obtained through employment unless legally authorized or required by responsible performance of duty to divulge such information;

   3. Honor

      1. Uphold the honor and high principles of the profession and accept its disciplines;

   4. Continued Study

      1. Seek to continually improve the knowledge and skills of medical assistants for the benefit of patients and professional colleagues;

   5. Responsibility for Improved Community

      1. Participate in additional service activities aimed toward improving the health and well-being of the community

When was HIPAA put into place-

Congress passed HIPAA of 1996

Know the difference between ethic and laws

• Ethics differ from laws in key ways. 

• Laws are legally enforceable and carry penalties (fines or imprisonment), whereas ethics are valued by professional organizations and rarely result in severe penalties for ethical violations

Branch of government encharge of HIPAA

The US department of health and human services

Know the 3 parts of HIPAA

• All medical office employees must undergo HIPAA training during their orientation. HIPAA is organized into three parts:

  • Privacy regulations

  • Transaction standards

  • Security regulations

Know reasons why a providers license may be revoked or suspended

A physician’s license may be revoked, or taken away, if that physician is convicted of a crime. Sexual misconduct, murder, and violating narcotics laws are all criminal convictions that have resulted in the revocation of a license to practice medicine.