Ch. 05 Legal and Ethical Responsibility - Key Terms
what is criminal law?
an area of law that addresses possible legal actions taken and must be proven in court beyond reasonable doubt
what is assault and battery?
assault is threatening a patient, battery is following through with the threat
what is slander?
the action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person’s reputation
what is scope of practice?
those activities that a person licensed to practice as a health professional is permitted to perform
what is denied payment?
when an insurance company decides not to pay for services or products they have agreed to cover
what is civil law?
laws and regulations that govern the interactions between private citizens, or in the case of healthcare, between the practitioner and patient
what is invasion of privacy?
sharing results of a test in front of family members or other patients without permission
what is a libel?
a defamatory statement in writing or other visible forms
what are ethics?
a system of moral principles that apply values and judgements to the practise of medicine
what is termination of coverage?
when a coverage ends for a consumer after their coverage effective date
what are torts?
when a medical professional acts in a negligent manner and injures someone in their care
what is false imprisonment?
an intentional act to restrict a patient’s movement unlawfully
what is a contract?
agreements between healthcare providers and insurance companies to furnish medical services to a specific patient population
what is the power of attorney?
designating someone as your spokesperson for your healthcare decisions
what is a pre-existing condition?
a health problem like asthma, diabetes, or cancer that you had before the start date of the new health coverage
what is malpractice?
an act or omission by a healthcare professional when they neglect to provide appropriate treatment, take appropriate action, or gives substandard treatment that causes harm, injury, or death to a person
what is abuse?
when a caregiver, whether through willful action or lack of appropriate action, causes harm or distress to the person under their care
what is breach of contract?
when one party to the contract doesn’t do what they agreed to do
a written, legal document that spells out medical treatments you would and wouldn’t want to use to keep you alive
what is OBRA?
a nursing home reform act to protect people from abuse in nursing homes and to prevent people from being admitted or being kept into nursing homes who do not need or want to be there
what is negligence?
a situation where a healthcare professional fails to provide the standard of care that is expected of their field, leading to harm or injury of the patient
what is defamation?
falsely accusing someone of a crime
what is a consent form?
a form signed by a patient prior to medical procedure to confirm that he or she agrees to the procedure and is aware of any risks that might be involved
what is denial of services?
failure to provide medical treatment
what is gtt
drop