Ethics Flashcards
confidentiality
a psychologist’s obligation to protect clients, research participants, students, and others from unauthorized disclosure of information that they reveal in the context of a professional relationship with the psychologist
Tarasoff decisions
duty to protect the victim when a client threatens violence against an identifiable victim; not legal;
only applies when the client makes a specific, foreseeable, and believable threat of violence; when the victim or victims are identifiable; and when therapist intervention is feasible
protected health information (PHI)
individually identifiable health information that is maintained or transmitted in any medium and provides information about:
(1) a person’s past, present, or future physical and mental health condition
(2) the provision of health care to the person
(3) past, present, or future payments for health care provided to the person
covered entities
health plans, health care clearinghouses, and health care providers who transmit health information electronically
health care provider
any person or entity that provides, bills for, and/or is paid for health care as a normal part of business
privilege
a person’s legal right to not have confidential information (e.g., communications to the therapist) revealed in court or a legal proceeding
capitated
way of paying health care providers or organizations in which they receive a predictable, upfront, set amount of money to cover the predicted cost of all or some of the health care services for a specific patient over a certain period of time
privileged communication
a patient’s right to refuse to have information, disclosed in psychotherapy, released in a legal proceeding
utilization review
assess the use of benefits and reduce or eliminate inappropriate or unnecessary use of health care resources;
cost-containment procedure
the primary purpose of licensure is…
to “protect the public by limiting licensure to persons who are qualified to practice psychology as defined by state or provincial law”
The Ethics Code intention
provide guidance for psychologists and standards of professional conduct that can be applied by the APA and by other bodies that choose to adopt them
competence
one’s education, training, supervised experience, consultation, study, or professional experience.
how to choose referral vs. consultation
the client’s welfare is always of paramount concern when making this determination:
-referral: when there is substantial risk that the therapist-client difference or the therapist’s lack of experience is likely to cause the client more harm than good;
knows that a personal problem is impairing his/her effectiveness
-consultation: psychologist suspects that a personal problem might interfere with his/her effectiveness
vicarious liability
or respondeat superior;
legally responsible for the actions of their supervisees and employees; when the supervisor/employer has the right, ability, and responsibility to control the actions of the supervisee/employee and there is a substantial disparity between the knowledge, training, or experience of the supervisor/employer and that of the supervisee/employee
multiple relationship
occurs when a psychologist is in a professional role with a person and:
(1) at the same time is in another role with the same person
(2) at the same time is in a relationship with a person closely associated with or related to the person with whom the psychologist has the professional relationship
(3) promises to enter into another relationship in the future with the person or a person closely associated with or related to the person
According to Standard 4.05, confidentiality is to be maintained except when
(1) the client has waived his or her right to confidentiality
(2) identifying information is adequately disguised or removed
(3) a breach of confidentiality is required or permitted by law (e.g., when a client poses an imminent danger to self or others)
health maintenance organization (HMO)
A type of health insurance plan with its own network of doctors, hospitals, and healthcare providers who have agreed to accept payment at a certain level for any services they provide, keeping costs low but limiting coverage to care from doctors who work for or contract with them. It generally won’t cover out-of-network care except in an emergency.
employee assistance program (EAP)
voluntary, work-based program that offers free and confidential assessments, short-term counseling, referrals, and follow-up services to employees who have personal and/or work-related problems
client danger to self choices
when a client threatens suicide and the therapist determines that the client does not pose an immediate danger to him/herself, have the client sign a “no-suicide” contract
client danger to self
legally and ethically justified
HIV disclosure
(a) the provider is aware of an identifiable third party who is at risk for infection
(b) the provider has reason to believe that the third party has no reason to suspect that he or she is at risk
(c) the client has been urged to inform the third party and has refused or is considered unreliable in his or her willingness to do so
psychotherapy notes protection
not included in PHI; must be kept separate from the rest of the individual’s record
exception to privilege
when the court appoints a psychologist to evaluate a defendant in a court case
examples of insurance fraud
(1) billing for missed appointments if that practice is not agreed upon by the insurance company in advance
(2) routinely waiving co-payments without the insurance company agreeing to this practice
(3) providing inaccurate information to the insurance company
expert witness
a “person who has special training, knowledge, skill, or experience in an area relevant to the resolution of the legal dispute and is allowed to offer an opinion as testimony in court”
fact witness
a person “who testifies as to what he/she has seen, heard, or otherwise observed regarding a circumstance, event or occurrence as it actually took place; generally not allowed to offer opinions, address issues that they do not have personal knowledge of or respond to hypothetical situations”