BHCW TEST LEGAL AND ETHICS

Ethics – Moral principles guiding behavior.
Respect for Autonomy – Honoring a patient’s right to make their own decisions.
Beneficence – Acting in the best interest of the patient.
Non-Maleficence – “Do no harm.”
Informed Consent – Patient understands and agrees to treatment.
Laws vs Ethics – Legal requirements vs moral guidelines.
Advanced Directives – Written instructions about medical care if incapacitated.
Living Wills – Type of advanced directive specifying life-sustaining care.

Liable – Legally responsible for actions.
Defamation – Harm to someone’s reputation (includes libel & slander).
- Libel – Written defamation.
- Slander – Spoken defamation.
Assault – Threat or attempt to injure.
Battery – Actual physical contact causing harm.
False Imprisonment – Unlawful restriction of a person’s freedom.
Malpractice – Professional negligence causing harm.
Negligence – Failure to act reasonably, causing harm.
Tort – Civil wrong causing injury or loss.
Fraud – Deception for personal gain.
HIPAA – Privacy of patient health information.

Common Law – Law developed by court decisions.
Statutory Law – Law created by legislature.
Regulatory Law – Rules from government agencies.
Scope of Practice – Tasks legally allowed for a professional.
Rules of Consent – Guidelines for obtaining valid consent.
Healthcare Surrogate – Person designated to make medical decisions if patient can’t.
Competence – Ability to understand information and make decisions.