Health Science Theory - Chapter 3 Vocabulary

advance directive (AD)

a legal document in which a patient gives written instructions about healthcare issues in the event that the patient become unable to make such decisions in the future

arbitration

a cost-effective alternative to litigation

assault

any words or actions that lead to an individual to fear that he or she will be harmed by another person

battery

touching a person without consent

civil law

directives that pertain to disputes between individuals, organizations, or a combination of the two in which monetary compensation is awarded; also known as tort law

confidentiality

the practice of allowing only certain individuals the right to access information; ensures that others do not obtain the personal information of patients

criminal law

directives that pertain to a crime in which the guilty party is punished by incarceration and possible fines

defamation

damaging someone’s good name or reputation

discrimination

the act of unfairly treating a person or a group of people differently from others

do not resuscitate (DNR) document

a legal document made by a patient, which states that CPR or other advanced cardiac life support should not be performed if a patients stops breathing or a patient’s heart stops

durable power of attorney

a legal document that grants another person the authority to make legal decisions for you

duty of care

a legal obligation for healthcare personnel to take reasonable care to avoid causing harm to a patient

emancipated minor

a person under 18 years of age who has legally established that he or she does not live with parents

ethics committee

a committee made up of individuals who consider ethical problems in the healthcare facility and recommend solutions for revolving the issues

good Samaritan laws

laws that protect people from legal action after voluntarily giving emergency medical aid while using reasonable care

guardian

a court-appointed person who may make decisions for a patient who is mentally or physically incapable of making such decisions

health insurance portability and accountability act (HIPPA)

an act approved by the US Congress in 1996 and fully enforced in 2006; includes a privacy provision for patient health records

informed consent

a form, given to a patient by a doctor, explaining the benefit and risks of a procedure; the patient accepts the risk by signing the informed consent form

invasion of privacy

intrusion on another’s personal life; applies to personal information as well as a person’s body

libel

damaging someone’s good name of reputation in writing

malpratice

any misconduct or lack of skill that results in patient injury; also known as professional liability

medical ethics

standards concerned with whether a healthcare worker’s actions are right or wrong

medical law

standards concerned with whether a healthcare worker’s actions are legal or illegal

negligence

performing an act that a reasonable person would not have done, or not doing something that a reasonable person would have done in the same or a similar circumstance, resulting in harm to a patient

ombudsman

a member of the healthcare team who ensures that patients are not abused and that their legal rights are protected; investigates complaints and advocates for patient rights

patient self-determination act

a law passed by the US Congress in 1990 that requires most healthcare institutions to inform a patient about his or her rights at the time of admission

patients’ bill or rights

summary of a patient’s rights regarding fair treatment and appropriate information

reasonable care

legal protection for the healthcare worker is proven that the worker acted reasonably as compared to other members of the profession in the same or a similar situation

scope of practice

tasks that an employee is legally allowed to perform based on his or her training and certification

sexual harassment

unwanted sexual advances and other forms of offensive sexual behavior;both men and women can be sexually harassed

slander

saying something that damages someone’s good name or reputation

standard of care

reasonable and prudent care that a practitioner of similar qualifications would have performed in the same or similar situation

statute of limitations

the amount of time during which any legal action may be taken; after such time a lawsuit may not be filed

values

the concepts, ideas, and beliefs that are important and meaningful to a person

duty of care-

a healthcare worker’s legal obligation to take reasonable care of a patient to avoid causing harm is called ___

arbitration-

the practice of resolving legal disputes without going to court, called ___, can help protect a healthcare facility from the expenses associated with going to trial

negligence-

after bathing a hospitalized patient, the nursing assistant did not raise the bed rails on the hospital bed. half an hour later, the patient rolled over and fell out of the bed. this is an example of ___ on the part of the nursing assistant

ombudsman-

protecting the legal rights of a patient and ensuring that the patient is not abused are duties of an ___

confidentiality-

the concept of ___ involves the protection of a patient’s personal and health-related information so that only professionals who need the information have access to it

invasion of privacy-

an ___ can be either physical of informational

statue of limitations-

the amount of time during which a person can bring a lawsuit against another person or company is known as ___

defamation-

the act of damaging someone’s good name or reputation either verbally or in writing is known as ___

guardian-

mrs. Whitman has been legally declared incompetent because she has advanced dementia.the court may appoint a ___ to make decisions for Mrs. Whitman and protect her interests

battery-

an EMT has been ordered by the ER doctor to obtain a blood sample from a woman who was involved in a car accident. the woman refuses to cooperate, so the EMT grabs her arm and attempts to hold it steady so that he can obtain the blood sample. this is an example of ___

malpractice-

a surgeon performing routine gallbladder surgery slips, and the scalpel Nick's the patient’s pancreas, causing internal bleeding for weeks after the surgery. this is an example of ___ on the part of the surgeon

libel-

karen, an rn at a teaching hospital, has been asked to help introduce a newly hired rn to the hospital’s policies and procedures. after a long and trying day, she posts about the new rn on Facebook, saying that “mr. k has the mentality of an average two-year-old.” Karen is guilty of ___

advance directive-

many hospitals and other healthcare facilities require patients to have a ___ which is a legal document that gives specific instructions about healthcare decisions to be used if the patient becomes incapable of making those decisions

emancipated minor-

sonja is 17 years old, but she has been living on her own for more than a year. she is considered a ___ and is legally and financially responsible for herself

standard of care-

the principle of ___ specifies that healthcare practitioners must perform a procedure in the same way that someone with similar qualifications would have performed it under similar circumstances

reasonable care-

if it is proven that a healthcare worker acted reasonably as compared to other members of the profession in the same or a similar situation, the legal protection known as ___ can be used

durable power of attorney-

a ___ grants another person the authority to make legal decisions for you

slander-

during a patient exam, Dr. Fairbanks corrects his nurse, Alice, on part of her job. Alice feels embarrassed and is angry with Dr. Fairbanks. at lunch, Alice tells a coworker, “dr. Fairbanks is totally unqualified for his position.” Alice is guilty of ___

assault-

if a healthcare worker argues with a patient who does not want a procedure, it may be considered ___

scope of practice-

a healthcare worker’s ___ includes all the skills she is trained for and allowed to use