Medical Law, Ethics, Terminology, and Phlebotomy Final Exam Study Guide

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering Medical Law, Bioethics, Terminology roots, and Phlebotomy standards including the Order of Draw.

Law

Enforceable rules set by the government with civil or criminal consequences.

Ethics

Moral principles guiding "right" behavior, which are not always legally enforced.

Civil Law

Legal disputes between individuals, such as malpractice cases.

Criminal Law

Legal offenses against society, including insurance fraud or assault.

Tort

A wrongful act causing harm that leads to civil liability.

Intentional Tort

A deliberate act such as assault, battery, false imprisonment, defamation, or invasion of privacy.

Negligence

An unintentional tort defined as the failure to act as a "reasonably prudent" person would.

Malpractice

Professional negligence committed by a healthcare worker.

4 D's of Negligence

Duty, Dereliction (breach) of duty, Direct cause, and Damages.

Standard of Care

The actions of a reasonably competent professional in the same field under similar circumstances.

Informed Consent

Agreement where a patient understands the procedure, risks, benefits, and alternatives before consenting.

Expressed Consent

Agreement provided through verbal or written means.

Implied Consent

Assumed consent through actions, such as rolling up a sleeve, or during emergencies when the patient is unresponsive.

Consent for Minors

Generally required from a parent or guardian, with exceptions for emergencies, emancipated minors, or specific reproductive/mental health care.

HIPAA

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ($1996$), which protects Patient Health Information (PHI).

Minimum Necessary Rule

The HIPAA principle that only the minimum information needed should be shared.

Patient Bill of Rights

Rights including refusal of treatment, record access, respectful care, and confidentiality.

Defamation

A false statement that harms a person's reputation.

Libel

Written defamation.

Slander

Spoken defamation.

Invasion of Privacy

The unauthorized release of patient information or photos.

False Imprisonment

The act of restraining a patient without legal justification or consent.

Assault

The threat or attempt to cause harm, where the patient fears they will be touched.

Battery

Actual unauthorized physical contact, such as drawing blood without consent.

Statute of Limitations

A state-varying time limit for filing a lawsuit.

Respondeat Superior

"Let the master answer"; employers are liable for employee actions during employment.

Res Ipsa Loquitur

"The thing speaks for itself"; used when negligence is obvious, such as leaving an instrument inside a patient.

Good Samaritan Law

Protects individuals from liability when they provide emergency aid in good faith.

Subpoena

A legal order to testify in court or produce specific documents.

Living Will / Advance Directive

A document stating a patient's specific wishes for end-of-life care.

Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare

A person designated to make medical decisions if the patient becomes incapacitated.

DNR

Do Not Resuscitate; a legal order to withhold CPR.

Bioethics

Ethics applied specifically to medicine and biology, such as cloning or stem cells.

Autonomy

The right of the patient to make their own healthcare decisions.

Beneficence

The ethical principle of acting in the patient's best interest.

Nonmaleficence

The ethical principle of "Do no harm."

Justice

The ethical principle of fair and equal treatment for all patients.

Fidelity

The duty of keeping promises and being loyal to patient care duties.

Veracity

Truthfulness when communicating with patients.

Root

The core meaning of a medical term, often referring to a body part.

Prefix

A word part that goes before a root to modify its meaning.

Suffix

A word part that follows a root, often indicating a procedure or condition.

Combining Vowel

Usually the letter "o", used to link a root to a suffix or another root when the suffix starts with a consonant.

a-, an-

Without.

brady-

Slow.

tachy-

Fast.

dys-

Painful or difficult.

epi-

Upon or above.

endo-

Within.

ecto-/exo-

Outside.

pre-/ante-

Before.

hyper-

Excessive or above.

hypo-

Deficient or below.

inter-

Between.

intra-

Within.

peri-

Around.

sub-

Under.

post-

After.

poly-

Many.

-itis

Inflammation.

-osis

Abnormal condition.

-algia/-dynia

Pain.

-emia

Blood condition.

-oma

Tumor or mass.

-penia

Deficiency.

-rrhage/-rrhagia

Excessive bleeding.

-rrhea

Discharge or flow.

-ectomy

Surgical removal.

-otomy

Cutting into.

-ostomy

Creating a new opening.

-pathy

Disease.

-plasty

Surgical repair.

-scopy

Visual exam.

-gram

Record or image.

-graphy

The process of recording.

cardi/o

Heart.

angi/o

Vessel.

phleb/o / ven/o

Vein.

hem/o / hemat/o

Blood.

thromb/o

Clot.

pulmon/o / pneum/o

Lung.

oste/o

Bone.

arthr/o

Joint.

my/o

Muscle.

gastr/o

Stomach.

hepat/o

Liver.

nephr/o / ren/o

Kidney.

neur/o

Nerve.

derm/o / dermat/o / cutane/o

Skin.

Superior / Inferior

Above / Below.

Anterior / Posterior

Front / Back.

Medial / Lateral

Toward midline / Away from midline.

Proximal / Distal

Closer to / Farther from point of attachment.

Supine / Prone

Lying face up / Lying face down.

NPO

Nothing by mouth.

PRN

As needed (pro re nata).

STAT

Immediately.

Yellow/SPS Tube

Blood culture tubes used for sterility, drawn first.

Light Blue Tube

Contains sodium citrate; used for coagulation tests like PT/PTT.

Gold/Red-Gray Tube (SST)

Contains clot activator and gel; used for serum testing.