4.6 Chapter Conclusion
Christine Malone, EdD
Summary
Healthcare law and ethics consist of rules and principles that govern healthcare practices, ranging from providing safe and quality care to patients to accurate billing and more. While laws are generally easier to understand and follow because they are written and come with clear penalties for violations, ethics can be more subjective and may vary in meaning from person to person.
All healthcare employees, regardless of their role, must stay within their scope of practice, report unsafe conditions, and advocate for the patients they serve. This includes adhering to legal requirements and upholding ethical principles in their daily practice.
Review Questions
- Personal information about a patient is called________.
- PHI
- EMR
- EHR
- HIPAA
- The HITECH Act regulates which of the following?
- Kickbacks
- Electronic health records
- Fraud and abuse
- Access to emergency services
- Workplace laws are regulated by which of the following agencies?
- The Department of Health
- Department of Labor and Industries
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- All of the above
- The burden of proof in a medical malpractice claim lies with which of the following?
- Physician
- Patient
- Insurance company
- Healthcare organization
- Fraud is defined as intentional deceit for financial gain.
- True
- False
- A friend of yours has recently graduated from a medical assisting program and is 2 months into their first position. You notice that your friend has been posting about their new job on social media. As you read through their recent posts, you see that your friend has written about a recent encounter with a difficult patient. While your friend never uses the patient’s name, they discuss the patient’s reason for the visit, as well as how the patient treated the staff. In this instance, is your friend violating the patient’s rights by posting? If so, what specifically might be problematic about this kind of post?
- List three reasons why a patient might be dismissed.
- A nephrologist is working with a patient who they have just diagnosed with end-stage renal disease and recommends starting dialysis. The patient asks where they should go, and the physician recommends a dialysis center that they partially own because they know it is well-run and takes the patient’s insurance. Are there any ethical or legal issues with the physician referring the patient to their own business?
- Luna is a nurse in a local pediatric clinic who has been assigned to care for a 3-year-old patient, Mateusz. Luna has a strong belief that certain vaccinations may not be safe and should not be administered to children, and therefore doesn’t vaccinate her children. Mateusz’s parents firmly believe in vaccination for disease prevention and are eager to get Mateusz caught up on his vaccinations at his next appointment. Luna’s responsibility at the next check-up would be to administer Mateusz’s vaccinations. What ethics should Luna be considering when working with this patient? Whose rights, those of the patient, the parents, or the practitioner, should take priority?
- You are working a late shift at the hospital when a patient is admitted with severe injuries. During your assessment and conversation with the 16-year-old patient, Jody, you begin to suspect that these injuries are not accidental but are instead the result of physical abuse at home. Jody is afraid that you will call their family and is worried someone will find out they are getting treatment for their injuries. What is your responsibility as a healthcare professional in this situation?
A doctor who specializes in the health and treatment of the kidneys.