Ch 17 Vocabulary (NHA Laws and Ethics) Flashcards
Criminal Law
focuses on wrongs against a person, property, or society
Misdemeanor
a crime or offense that is less serious than a felony; any minor misbehavior or misconduct
Felony
a crime, typically one involving violence, regarded as more serious than a misdemeanor, and usually punishable by imprisonment
Civil Law
laws that deal with the rights of people rather than with crimes
Contract
a legal agreement between two or more people
Negligence
the failure to do something that a reasonably prudent individual would do under a similar situation
Tort
a wrongful act or an infringement of a right (other than under contract) leading to civil legal liability.
intentional tort
tort in which the defendant means to commit the injurious act
Slander
spoken defamation of character
Libel
written defamation of character
Malfeasance
the performance of a totally wrongful and unlawful act
Misfeasance
The performance of a lawful act in an illegal or improper manner
Nonfeasance
The failure to act when one should
Informed consent
A written agreement by a patient who has been informed of all the risks that a specific procedure may entail. signed by patient, doctor and a witness
Implied consent
Voluntary agreement with an action proposed by another
Ethical dilemma
a situation in which more than one side of an issue can be supported with valid arguments
Ethical distress
occurrence when the nurse knows the right thing to do but either personal or institutional factors make it difficult to follow the correct course of action
HIPAA
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act- grants patients the right to access, review and receive copies of their health care info
Living will
A document that indicates what medical intervention an individual wants if he or she becomes incapable of expressing those wishes.
Healthcare clearinghouse
handles insurance claims which contain protected health info
AMA Code of Ethics
moral codes an MA should reference when facing an ethical dilemma- set by the American Medical Association
OSHA
Occupational Safety and Health Administration-focus on protecting individuals in the workplace by establishing and enforcing safety regulations
MOLST
medical orders for life sustaining treatment- a medical order form that tells others the patient’s medical orders for life-sustaining treatment
HIPAA violations reporting
Can be done by anyone within 180 days of violation
Healthcare Proxy
A person designated to make medical decisions for someone who is incapacitated. Must be 18 years old.
Advance directives
legal documents that allow people to choose what medical care they wish to have (usually end of life issues) if they are unable to make those decisions themselves. Can be updated/changed at any time
Malpractice
Failure by a health professional to meet accepted standards
The 4 D’s of negligence
duty, dereliction, direct cause, damages
Patient advocate
one who acts on behalf of the patient
Patient bill of rights
The basic rights a pt can expect to receive scope of practice
legal description of what a specific health professional may and may not do
Ethics
set of principles relating to what is morally right or wrong
DNR (do not resuscitate)
an order that tells medical professionals not to perform CPR
Durable Power of Attorney (POA)
a legal agreement that allows an agent or representative of the patient to make decisions for you
minimum age of health care proxy
18
protection of monitor screens
place filters so others can’t see PHI
when can advance directives be updated?
anytime
PHI
Protected Health Information
HITECH Act
supports electronic health records and privacy of PHI
Controlled Substances Act
law put in place in order for drugs to be categorized based on their potential for abuse
Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN)
A form provided to the patient when the provider believes Medicare will probably not pay for services received
