{Ethics Vocabulary

Beneficence:− Means being beneficial; health care

workers have an obligation to benefit the patient through both medical intervention and preventative medicine

Clinical ethics:− Medical ethic which are primarily

concerned with the interactions between patients and health care workers

Ethics:− Guidelines for how a person or group

should behave; interpret how they should be applied in a given situation

Medical Ethics:− Guided by four primary principles:− Patient freedom of choice− Do not harm− Do good− Fairness & equality Morality:− System of right or wrong that guides a person’s

conduct; morals Organizational Ethics:− Guide and direct the functions of a facility that do

not deal with patient/provider interactions; funding, error correcting; reporting

Patient Relations:− Works to resolve patient issues, answer

questions, and direct to needed resources Professional Ethics:− Written codes of ethics to which members of

the profession are expected to adhere (HIPPA) Quality assurance (QA):− Monitors the quality of health care, identifies

area in need of improvement; policies and procedures are being followed

Risk Management:− Seeks to protect the facility from losses;

Lawsuits

Common Law Statutory Law Criminal Law Civil Law Tort Tort Feasor

Defamation

Slander Libel Contract Expressed Contract

Legal Disability

Medical Law

Living Will Durable Power of Attorney Patient Self Determination Act Privileged Communications EXEMPT Information Healthcare Records

Examples of Contracts:

Euthanasia Should patient be told if he/she has AIDs? Should aborted fetuses be used in research? When should life support be disconnected? Do parents have religious rights to refuse licensing care for

their child? Can healthcare facility refuse to provide expensive

treatment, such as bone marrow transplant, if he cannot afford it?

Who decides who is first for a transplant? Can people sell organs for use in transplants? Legalize Marijuana? Who makes the decision involving abortion?

Ethical Dilemmas

Put saving of life and promotion of healthcare above all else

Healthcare worker must keep patient comfortable and

preserve life unless patient has living will

Treat all equally without regard to race, religion, social or

economic status, sex or nationality

Healthcare workers must maintain competency by pursuing

continuing education to stay up to date and skilled

Confidentiality

Health care worker knows the limits of practice for which

he/she is competent and stays within those limits

Health care worker practices jurisprudent behavior at all

times by avoiding unethical or illegal practices

Basic Rules of Ethics