Law and Ethics Chapter 1

precedent

decisions made by judges in the various courts that become rule of law and apply to future cases; also known as case law

liable

legally responsible or obligated

What are two important reasons for you to study law and ethics?

Function at the highest possible professional level and help you avoid legal entanglements

One of the earliest medical codes of ethics is

Hammurabi

The five-step aid for approaching a problem using critical thinking:

Identify and clarify the problem Gathers information Evaluate the evidence Consider alternatives and implications Choose and implement the best alternative

What ethics code superseded earlier codes to become the definitive guide for a physician's professional conduct?

Percival's Medical Ethics

Knowledge of law and ethics can also help you gain perspective in the following three areas:

The rights, responsibilities, and concerns of health care consumers. The legal and ethical issues facing society patients, and health care practitioners as the world changes. The impact of rising costs on the laws and ethics of health care delivery.

summary judgment

a decision made by the court in a lawsuit in response to a motion that pleads there is no basis for a trial

federal preemption

a doctrine that can bar injured consumers from suing in state court when the products that hurt them had met federal standards

conviction of a crime

can result in loss of license

Technical skills include

computer literacy proficiency in English, science and math willingness to learn aptitude for working with hands ability to document well ability to think critically

Qualities of successful health care practitioners are

courtesy, compassion, common sense, people skills, technical skills, critical thinking skills

fraud

dishonest or deceitful practices in depriving or attempting to deprive another of their rights

moral values

one's personal concept of right and wrong, formed through the influence of the family, culture, and society

How is the enforcement of laws made possible?

penalties for disobedience, which are decided by a court of law or are mandatory as written in the law

litigious

prone to engage in lawsuits

plaintiff

the person bringing charges in a lawsuits

defendant

the person or party against whom criminal or civil charges are brought in a lawsuit

health care practitioners

those who are trained to administer medical or health care to patients

What purpose do laws serve?

to protect the public