Law & Ethics Medical Career Vocab: A-B

The suspension of treatment of a patient without justification and proper notification

Agreement to an offer as stated in a contract

The availability of health care and the mean to purchase health care services

One who contributes to or aids in the commission of a crime, either by direct or indirect act

One who directly participates in the commission of a crime

Official authorization or approval for conforming to a specified standard

A conscious medical act that results in death

To instill a drug into the body of a patient

Enabling statutes enacted to define powers and procedures when a agency is created

A Document that makes ones wishes known concerning medical life-support measures in the event that one is unable to speak for oneself

Any patient-involving, unforeseen, damaging event occurring within a medical facility

A sworn, written statement made under oath or an affirmation before an authorized magistrate or officer of the court

Defenses used by defendants in medical profewssional liablility suit that allow the sccused to present factual evidence that the oatients condition was caused by some factor other than the defendants negligence

Programs that use goals and quotas to provide preferential treatment for minority persons determined to have been underutilized in the past

A federal act passed in 1967 making it illegal for employers with 20 or more employees working at least 20 weeks a year to discriminate against worker aged 40 years or older

The age at which full civil rights are accored

The relationship between a principal and hir/her agent

The lead federal agency responsible for tracking and improving the quality, safety,efficiency, adn effectiveness of health care for america

One who acts for or represents another. In performing workplace duties, the employee acts as the agent, or authorized representative, of the employer.

Literally, "different suffering"; referring to the medical philosophy that dictates training physicians to intervene in the disease process, through the use of drugs and surgery.

Settlement of civil disputes between parties using neutral mediators or arbitrators without going to court

Medical care provided in a facility such as a medical office, clinic, or outpatient surgical center for patients who can walk and are not bedridden

A 1987 federal act that defines elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, but does not deal with enforcement

A code of ethics for members of the American Medical Association written in 1847

Applying to employers with 15 or more employees who work at least 20 weeks a year, Titles I and III of this act took effect in January 1992 and lessened discrimination toward the disabled in the workplace and mandated full access in all public places

A test whereby the physician withdraws a sample of amniotic fluid (the fluid surrounding the developing fetus inside the mother's womb) from the uterus of a pregnant woman. The fluid is then tested for genetic or other conditions that may lead to abnormal development of the fetus

Assists the anesthesiologist in developing and implementing an anesthesia care plan. Duties can include preoperative and postoperative tasks, as well as operating room assistance

The phase of a trial, after the verdict, during which appeals may be submitted

The hearing and determination of a case in controversy by a third party, chosen by the parties concerned or appointed under statutory authority

The process by which a person charged with a crime is allowed to answer the indictment in court by pleading guilty, not guilty, or nolo contendere

The mechanical injection of viable semen into the vagina

The open threat of bodily harm to someone

A medical management system in which two or more physicians share office space and employees but practice individually

A legal defense that holds the defendant is not guilty of a negligent act, since the plaintiff knew of and accepted beforehand any risks involved

Works with attending and/or consulting physicians as an integral part of the health care team associated with physical training and sports

A health care practitioner who is educated in the science of hearing and is qualified to test patients' hearing and to prescribe some types of therapy for hearing problems

A postmortem examination to determine the cause of death or to obtain physiological evidence, as in the case of a suspicious death

Those individuals born between 1946 and 1964

Any bodily contact without permission

A discipline dealing with the ethical implications of biological research methods and results, especially in medicine

An agreement between two parties that is mutually acceptable

Specialists who consult with physicians, researchers, and others to help them make difficult ethical decisions regarding patient care

Applied biological science

The authority by which OSHA can levy fines, based upon guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control

Final cessation of bodily activity, used to determine when death actually occurs; circulatory and respiratory functions have irreversibly ceased, and the entire brain (including the brain stem) has irreversibly ceased to function

Failure to keep private information entrusted to a health care professional by a patient

Failure of either party to comply with the terms of a legally valid contract

The task of presenting testimony to prove guilt or innocence in a trial