Ethics Vocabulary

Abuse

includes any care that results in physical harm, pain, or
mental anguish. (Physical abuse, mental abuse, psychological
abuse, sexual abuse)

Advance directives

also known as legal directives, are legal
documents that allow individuals to state what medical treatment
they want or do not want in the event that they become
incapacitated and are unable to express their wishes regarding
medical care

Agent

work to protect the interests of their employers

Assault and Battery

assault includes a threat or attempt to
injure, and battery includes touching of another person without
their consent

Civil Law

focuses on the legal relationships between people and
the protection of a person's rights; in health care, civil law usually
involves torts and contracts

Confidentiality

information about the patient must remain
private and can be shared only with other members of the
patient's health care team

Contract

agreement between two or more parties

Criminal Law

focuses on behavior known as crime; deals with
the wrongs against a person, property, or society

Defamation

occurs when false statements either cause a person
to be ridiculed or damage the person's reputation

Designation of Health Care Surrogate

document that permits
an individual (known as a principal) to appoint another person
(known as an agent) to make any decisions regarding health care
if the principal should become unable to make decisions

Durable Power of Attorney

(also known as Designation of
Health Care Surrogate)

Ethics

a set of principles relating to what is morally right or
wrong; they provide a standard of conduct or code of behavior

Expressed Contracts

stated in distinct and clear language,
either orally or in writing

False Imprisonment

refers to restraining an individual or
restricting an individual's freedom

Health Care Records

considered privileged communications;
contain information about the care provided to the patient

Implied Contracts

those obligations that are understood without
verbally expressed terms

Informed Consent

permission granted voluntarily by a person
who is of sound mind after the procedure and all risks have been
explained in terms the person can understand

Invasion of Privacy

unnecessarily exposing an individual or
revealing personal information about an individual without that
person's consent

Legal

Authorized or based on law

Legal Disability

a person who has a legal disability does not
have the legal capacity to form a contract (ex: minors, mentally
incompetent persons, individuals under the influence of drugs,
semiconscious or unconscious people)

Libel

written information that resulted in defamation

Living Wills

documents that allow individuals to state what
measures should or should not prolong life when their conditions
are terminal (death is expected)

Malpractice

can be interpreted as "bad practice" or "professional
negligence"; the failure of a professional to use the degree of skill
and learning commonly expected in that individual's profession,
resulting in injury, loss, or damage to the person receiving care

Negligence

failure to give care that is normally expected of a
person in a particular position, resulting in injury to another person

Patient Self-Determination Act

a federal law that mandates that
all health care facilities receiving any type of federal aid comply
with certain guidelines and it ensures that patients are informed of
their rights and have the opportunity to determine the care they
will receive

Patient's Bill of Rights

States the patient has the right to: (see
white board)

Privileged Communications

comprise all information given to
health care personnel by a patient; by law, this information must
be kept confidential

Resident's Bill of Rights

for residents in long-term facilities;
states the resident has the right to: (see white board)

Slander

spoken information that results in defamation

Tort

a wrongful act that does not involve a contract; it is called a
civil wrong instead of a crime; occurs when a person is harmed or
injured because a health care provider does not meet the
established or expected standards of care