Chapter 6 Flashcards
How are medical ethics and medical law the same?
-Share the goal of creating and maintaining social good.
-Both are dynamic and are in a constant state of change due to new laws being created.
Ethics
A system of moral principles or standards governing a person.
Morals
-basis for ethical conduct.
-an individuals own belief of what is right and wrong
-culture-based and time dependent
Medical ethics
-A system of principles governing medical conduct.
-how healthcare providers conduct themselves in their professional undertakings.
Where are physical therapy ethics derived from?
-APTA
Medical Law
-Establishment of social rules for conduct.
-A violation in the medical law may create criminal and civil liability.
Can healthcare providers influence legal standards?
-yes because most laws are created by looking at policy statements of professional organizations.
What would be a violation of this law by a PTA?
If a PTA were to represent themselves as a PT.
What are the 6 fundamental biomedical ethical principles healthcare providers are guided by?
1) Beneficence
2) Nonmaleficence
3) Justice
4) Veracity
5) Confidentiality
6) Autonomy
Beneficence
- Ethical principles that emphasizes doing best for the patient.
-Duty is to promote the health and welfare of the patient above anything else
EX of beneficence in PT
-showing concern for the physical and psychological welfare of their patients and clients.
Nonmaleficence
-Ethical principle that exhorts practitioners to not do anything that causes harm to a patient.
Who was the first to express ethical principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence?
-Hippocrates in his Hippocratic Oath.
EX of a breach of nonmaleficence in PT
-Exploiting patients financially by selling the patient an unnecessary assistive device or one at an inflated price.
Justice
Ethical principle that mandates that a healthcare provider distribute fair and equal treatment to every patient.
EX of justice in PT
Advocating to legislators and insurance companies the need to provide and improve access to healthcare services for all individuals.
Veracity
Ethical principle that binds the healthcare provider and the patient in a relationship to tell the truth.
EX of breach of veracity in PT
A PTA identifying themselves as a PT
Confidentiality
-Ethical principle that requires a healthcare provider to maintain privacy by not sharing information about the patient.
-Considered a fundamental ethical principle in healthcare.
Confidentiality can be breached only if…
-there is a clear threat to the well-being of the patient
or another person,
or the health of the public may be compromised.
A patients written authorization for release of information is required for the following:
-patients attorney or insurance company
-patients employer
-member of patients family
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA)
-created in 1996
-created additional patient confidentiality considerations
-training every year
Health of information technology for economic and clinical health act
-passed in 2009
-law describes how electronic data must be safeguarded under the HIPPA regulations
HIPPA’s privacy rule
-applied to health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and healthcare providers
-Created rules to protect individuals medical records and other personal health information.
-also gives rights to patients to ask for a copy of their health information.
