Study Unit 4

Question 1

Standards of Ethics

Answer 1

Includes Code of Ethics and Rules of Ethics

Question 2

Code of Ethics

Answer 2

A guideline for professional conduct as it relates to patients, healthcare consumers, employers, colleges, and other members of the healthcare team. They are suggestions of ethical conduct and are aspirational.

Question 3

Rules of Ethics

Answer 3

Enforceable policies created to safeguard the patient’s comfort and safety. If violated, they are punishable and subject to sanctions.

Question 4

Patient Rights and Responsibilities

7 rights, 1 responsibility

Answer 4

The Right to Information
The Right to Choose
Access to Emergency Services
Being a Full Partner in Health Care Decisions
Care Without Discrimination
The Right to Privacy
The Right to Speedy Complaint Resolution
Taking on New Responsibilities

Question 5

Informed Consent Laws

Answer 5

Specify the types of information that patients must be given so that they can make an informed decision about having medical care, diagnostic studies, or treatment.

Question 6

HIPAA

Answer 6

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

Question 7

Malpractice

Answer 7

The failure to do something that a reasonable person, guided by those considerations which ordinarily regulate human affairs, would do.

Question 8

Negligence

Answer 8

A breach or failure to fulfill the expected standard of care.

Question 9

Doctrine of Legal Liability

Answer 9

A technologist is responsible for their own negligent acts, regardless if another medical professional advises them to act in the negligent fashion.

Question 10

“Respondeat Superior” or “Doctrine of Borrowed Servant”

Answer 10

An employer or “leader” is also held responsible for a technologist’s negligent actions. For example, if the technologist is assisting the radiologist.

Question 11

Res Ipsa Loquitur

Answer 11

The negligent act “speaks for itself” and that the cause of negligence is obvious.

Question 13

Patient’s Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

Answer 13

Three goals are to:
1. Strengthen consumer confidence that the health care system is fair and responsive to consumer needs
2. Reaffirm the importance of a strong relationship between patients and their health care providers
3. Reaffirm the critical role consumers play in safeguarding their own health

Question 14

The Right to Information

Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Answer 14

Patient’s right to receive accurate, easily understood information to assist them in making informed decisions about their health plans, facilities, and professionals.

Question 15

Right to Choose

Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Answer 15

Patient’s right to a choice of health care providers that is sufficient to assure access to appropriate high-quality health care.

Includes access for women to qualified OB/GYN or patients with serious medical conditions and chornic illness access to specialists.

Question 16

Access to Emergency Services

Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Answer 16

Patient’s right to access emergency health services when and where the need arises.

Question 17

Being a Full Partner in Health Care Decisions

Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Answer 17

Patient’s right to fully participate in all decisions related to their health care.

Patients who are unable to fully participate in treatment decisions have the right to be represented by parents, guardians, family members, or other conservators.

Question 18

Care Without Descrimination

Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Answer 18

Patient’s right to considerate, respectful care from all members of the health care industry at all times and under all circumstances.

Patients must not be descriminated against based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, age, current or anticipated mental health or physical disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, or source of payment.

Question 19

The Right to Privacy

Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Answer 19

Patient’s right to communicate with health care providers in confidence and to have the confidentiality of their individually-identifiable health care information protected. Patient’s also have the right to review and copy their own medical records and request amendments to their records.

Question 20

The Right to Speedy Complaint Resolution

Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Answer 20

Patient’s right to a fiar and efficient process for resolving differences with their health plans, health care providers, and the institutions that serve them.

Question 21

Taking on New Responsibilities

Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Answer 21

Patient’s responsibility to maintain good health

Question 22

Validity of Patient Consent

Informed Consent Laws

Answer 22

The patient:
1. Must be considered competent to make the decision and the decision must be voluntary.
2. Should not feel intimidated by the health care provider, but rather should feel like an active participant
3. Should be provided description of the procedure in layperson’s terms (rather than technical jargon) and the patient’s understanding should be assessed along the way

Question 23

Patient’s Right to Refusal of Treatment

Answer 23

Patients have the right to refuse treatment and procedures should be terminated if the patient expresses desire to do so.

However, if the patient is not in a coherent state and capable of issuing consent, a surrogate decision maker may be appointed.

The only time a patient’s consent may be “presumed” is in an emergency situation

Question 24

HIPAA

Answer 24

Federal privacy protections for individually identifiable health information. National standards set to protect PHI that is created, maintained, filed, used, or shared.

Question 25

Legal uses for PHI

Answer 25

Can be used for activities such as teaching, business and management operations, disclosures required by law, and public health and other governmental reporting.

A signed authorization must be obtained from patient for all other uses.