Ethics Terms

Module 1

Autonomy – self-governing
Beneficence – doing of good; active promotion of goodness, kindness, & charity
Consequentialism – theory that states whether something is good or bad depends on its outcomes
Ethical Dilemmas – situational challenge as to what to do about two or more equally difficult problems
Fidelity - strict observance of duties, loyalty, & faithfulness to others
Justice – equitable conduct when dealing with others
Moral principles - universal guides that come from basic moral truths
Morals – generally accepted customs & conduct in society
Nonconsequentialism – the theory that denies that the rightness or wrongness of our conduct is determined solely by the
goodness or badness of the consequences
Nonmaleficence – high value of avoiding harm to others
Principle-based ethics – using moral principles for resolving an ethical dilemma
Principlism – approach used in biomedical ethics that uses the structure of ethical principles
Veracity – telling the truth
Virtues – traits of character that are socially valued
Virtue-based ethics - a trait-like strength that leads to morally & socially valued actions

Module 2

Code of ethics – document establishing the ethical rules by the members of the profession
Duties – obligations placed on individuals, groups, and institutions
Ethics – study of rightness & wrongness of human conduct
Ethical outrage – gross violation to the standards of decency or human rights
Ethics of care – ethical reflections that emphasize an intimate personal relationship value system that includes such
virtues as sympathy. compassion, fidelity, discernment and love
Ethical theories – systematically related moral principles used to solve ethical dilemma
Norms – patterns of performance and standards set by individuals or groups of individuals
Professional ethics – internal controls of a profession based on human values/ moral principles
Profession etiquette – attitude and manners accepted by members of a profession
Rights-based ethics – ethical behavior must uphold the rights of people
Rules of ethics – mandatory standards of minimally acceptable professional conduct
Social contract – people that live together in society in accordance with an agreement that establishes moral and political rules of behavior
Standards of professional conduct – practiced behaviors of a profession
Values – an individual’s judgement of what is important in life
Value system – hierarchy of values that individuals reflect in the choices they make

Module 3

Advanced Directives – a person of choice who can make health care choices for you when you cannot
American Hospital Association (AHA) – national organization that represents and serves all types of hospitals, health care
networks, and their patients and communities
Current Procedural Terminology (4 th edition) - CPT-4 - uniform coding system consisting of descriptive terms and 5 digit codes
that are used primarily to identify medical services and procedures
Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRG) – systematic system that categories treated patients based on diagnoses, surgical procedures,
age, sex, & discharge status
DNR – Do not resuscitate – doctors written order that no CPR is to be performed if a patient stops breathing or their heart stops
Electronic Health Record (EHR) – an electronic version of a patient’s medical history that is maintained by the provider.
Include key administrative clinical data, demographics, progress notes, problems, medications, & more
Electronic Medical Record (EMR) – digital versions of the paper patient chart
Healthcare Proxy – attorney or health care surrogate that will help ensure you get the health care you prefer in the event you
cannot communicate your wishes
Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) – Formal authority and nationally recognized accreditation organization
for hospitals and other healthcare settings.
International Classification of Diseases (10 th edition) ICD-10 – an international system used by physicians to classify and code
all diagnoses, symptoms, and procedures for claims processing
Health Information Management Practitioners (HIM) – practice of acquiring, analyzing, and protecting digital & traditional
medical information vital to providing quality patient care. A combination of business, science, & information technology.
Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) – Federal law developed in 1996. Required the creation of
national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patients consent.
Living Will – specific types of medical care that a person wishes to receive if that person is no longer able to make medical
decisions because of a terminal illness or being permanently unconscious
Patient Bill of Rights – a document that provides patients with information on how they can reasonably expect to be treated
during the course of their hospital stay. Most often not legally-binding.
The Joint Commission (TJC) – organization that accredits and certifies healthcare organizations for the purpose of seeking to
continuously improve health care for the public

Module 4

Assault – Any willful attempt or threat to inflict injury on another person i.e., verbally threatening to harm someone
Battery – Any unlawful touching of another person i.e., physically harming someone
Contract – an agreement between two or more persons or parties which creates an obligation to do or not to do a particular
thing
Defamation – false statements presented as fact that harm someone’s reputation or character
False imprisonment – healthcare professional intentionally restricts a patient’s movement without a written physical order
Fraud – healthcare worker or individual deceives an insurer in order to receive greater reimbursement
Implied consent – act of granting permission to perform a medical treatment/procedure without explicitly asking for permission
Written consent – a legally signed document that ensures patients are given important healthcare information about medical
treatment/procedure, genetic testing, or a clinical trial, including the possible risks and benefits
Oral consent – a patient states their consent to a procedure verbally but does not sign any written form
Informed consent - patients are given important information about medical treatment/procedure, genetic testing, or a clinical
trial, including the possible risks and benefits to help them decide if they want to be treated, tested, or take part in the trial.
Negligence – deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would use in a particular set of circumstances
Res ipsa loquitur – “the thing speaks for itself”, a negligent act that cannot be proved but it is clear that the injury was caused by
negligence
Respondeat superior – general rule that an employer is responsible for the negligent acts or omissions of its employees
Standard of care – treatment that is accepted by medical experts as a proper treatment for a certain type of disease and is widely
used by healthcare professionals
Tort – private or civil wrong or injury for which the court provides a remedy in the form of an action for damages, when a
medical professional acts in a negligent manner and injures someone in their care

Module 5

Abuse – any action or failure to act which causes unreasonable suffering, misery, or harm to an individual
Addiction – a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment,
and an individual’s life experiences
Birth certificate – an official record of a person’s date and place of birth
Communicable disease – a disease that is spread from one person to another through a variety of ways (blood or bodily fluids,
breathing in airborne virus, being bitten by an insect)
Controlled Substances Act – 1970 government established regulations with substances or drugs that may be abused or cause
addiction. Substances are broken down into 5 categories or “schedules” with Schedule I being having highest abuse potential
Coroner – individual that investigate all deaths where the cause is unknown or where there is reason to believe to think the
death may not be to due to natural causes
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – how employers can be of help to employees with a variety of issues that contribute to
stress which in turn may be adversely affecting work performance or morale
Intimate partner violence (IPV) – pattern of assaultive behavior and coercive behavior that may include physical injury,
psychologic abuse, sexual assault, progressive isolation, stalking, deprivation, intimidation, and reproductive coercion. This is
aimed at establishing control of one partner over another
Inquest – formal inquiry into the causes of and circumstances surrounding the death of a person and is conducted by the
coroner before a coroner’s jury
Medical examiner – physician acting in an official capacity investigates and examines persons dying of a sudden, unexpected, or
violent death & with determining the cause and manner of death
Older Americans Act of 1987 (OAA) – law aimed at promoting the well-being of adults 60 years older and by helping them live
healthy, independent lives. Range of services include caregiving, ensuring good nutrition, helping find employment, and
preventing the abuse of older persons
Postmortem – occurring, collected, or performed after death
Statutory reporting – legal requirement to report particular matters in healthcare
Mandated reporter – person that has a duty to report known or suspected abuse or neglect relating to children, elders, or
dependent adults.
Vital statistics – statistics relating to births, deaths, marriages, health, and disease