Chapter 3: Medicolegal & Ethical
Responsibilities
Medical ethics - Answer Are not laws but are standards of conduct generally accepted
as a moral guide for behavior.
Oath of Hippocrates:
-based on the golden rule that to be a good physician one must first be good and kind
person. - Answer The first standards of medical conduct and ethics.
The Modern Hippocratic Oath - Answer Updated by Dr. Louis Lasagna
AMA - Answer American Medical Association
Generally accepted practice procedures:
A physician... - Answer 1) may ethically receive payments from patients but cannot
accept rebate of any kind
2) may accept small gifts (e.g., plastic anatomic models, stethoscopes, booklets) but
may not ethically accept large "gifts" from manufacturers or distributors of
pharmaceuticals, remedies, or equipment
3) may employ a collection agency to try to collect overdue bills but may not sell
delinquent accounts to the agency
Hippocrates - Answer (c. 460 B.C. - 733 B.C.)
-Greek physician aka the father of medicine
-developed a code, the Oath of Hippocrates
Bioethics - Answer -is the branch of ethics dealing with issues, questions, and problems
that arise in the practice of medicine and in biomedical research.
-emerged as a result of issues about the transplanting of organs, genetic engineering or
manipulation, maintaining life with life sustaining equipment, physician-assisted suicide,
cloning, abortion, fetal issue research, artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilization,
surrogate motherhood, stem cell research, and so on..
One of the most common unethical acts that occur in an office is - Answer Theft-in the
form of misuse of office equipment, such as copy machine to copy your taxes, using the
fax machine to send something personal, using company time to send e-mails or look at
Facebook, or taking office supplies home.
Ethical conduct, a medical assistant should: - Answer 1) remember that everything
seen, heard or read about a patient is confidential & should not leave the office; before
patient information is released, the patient must sign an authorization form for release of
info unless subpoenaed
, 2) apply discretion when speaking or using intercoms
3) avoid talking about anything of private nature when speaking to a physician via
cellular or telephone
4) never discuss a patient's condition within hearing distance
5) sidestep discussing a patient with acquaintances or the patient's friends
6)never leave a patient's records lying exposed
7) remain loyal to your employer; do not criticize the physician to a patient
8) communicate with courtesy
9) notify the physician if patient is being treated by another physician of the same
ailment
10) avoid dishonest or unethical coworkers
Medical etiquette - Answer is the customary code of conduct, courtesy, and manners in
the medical profession.
HIPAA - Answer Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996
1) enhance portability (transferability)
2) increase accuracy of data
3) protect private health info & the rights of patients
4) reduce fraud, abuse & waste
5) upgrade efficiency & financial management
6) expedite claim processing
7) lower admin costs & simplify implementation
8) promote medical savings accounts
9) avail better access to long-term care coverage
10) improve customer satisfaction to restore trust
Title I: Health Insurance Access, Portability, and Renewal - Answer increase
transferability of health insurance when employees change jobs. it does this by
prohibiting preexisting condition exclusions, disallowing discrimination of health
insurance coverage based on health status, and guaranteeing renewability for certain
group health plans.
Title II: Health Care Fraud, Abuse, Prevention, and Administrative Simplification -
Answer prevents fraud and abuse in health care delivery and payment for services,
establishes guidelines to simplify administrative procedures, provides national
standards to protect privacy, and mandates electronic transmission of certain health
information.
Title III: Medical Savings Account (MSA) Benefits - Answer addresses the MSA,
increases deductions, adds consumer protection, and addresses income tax refund
payments.
Title IV: Group Health Plan Directives - Answer details how group health plans must all
for portability, access, and renewability for members.
Responsibilities
Medical ethics - Answer Are not laws but are standards of conduct generally accepted
as a moral guide for behavior.
Oath of Hippocrates:
-based on the golden rule that to be a good physician one must first be good and kind
person. - Answer The first standards of medical conduct and ethics.
The Modern Hippocratic Oath - Answer Updated by Dr. Louis Lasagna
AMA - Answer American Medical Association
Generally accepted practice procedures:
A physician... - Answer 1) may ethically receive payments from patients but cannot
accept rebate of any kind
2) may accept small gifts (e.g., plastic anatomic models, stethoscopes, booklets) but
may not ethically accept large "gifts" from manufacturers or distributors of
pharmaceuticals, remedies, or equipment
3) may employ a collection agency to try to collect overdue bills but may not sell
delinquent accounts to the agency
Hippocrates - Answer (c. 460 B.C. - 733 B.C.)
-Greek physician aka the father of medicine
-developed a code, the Oath of Hippocrates
Bioethics - Answer -is the branch of ethics dealing with issues, questions, and problems
that arise in the practice of medicine and in biomedical research.
-emerged as a result of issues about the transplanting of organs, genetic engineering or
manipulation, maintaining life with life sustaining equipment, physician-assisted suicide,
cloning, abortion, fetal issue research, artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilization,
surrogate motherhood, stem cell research, and so on..
One of the most common unethical acts that occur in an office is - Answer Theft-in the
form of misuse of office equipment, such as copy machine to copy your taxes, using the
fax machine to send something personal, using company time to send e-mails or look at
Facebook, or taking office supplies home.
Ethical conduct, a medical assistant should: - Answer 1) remember that everything
seen, heard or read about a patient is confidential & should not leave the office; before
patient information is released, the patient must sign an authorization form for release of
info unless subpoenaed
, 2) apply discretion when speaking or using intercoms
3) avoid talking about anything of private nature when speaking to a physician via
cellular or telephone
4) never discuss a patient's condition within hearing distance
5) sidestep discussing a patient with acquaintances or the patient's friends
6)never leave a patient's records lying exposed
7) remain loyal to your employer; do not criticize the physician to a patient
8) communicate with courtesy
9) notify the physician if patient is being treated by another physician of the same
ailment
10) avoid dishonest or unethical coworkers
Medical etiquette - Answer is the customary code of conduct, courtesy, and manners in
the medical profession.
HIPAA - Answer Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996
1) enhance portability (transferability)
2) increase accuracy of data
3) protect private health info & the rights of patients
4) reduce fraud, abuse & waste
5) upgrade efficiency & financial management
6) expedite claim processing
7) lower admin costs & simplify implementation
8) promote medical savings accounts
9) avail better access to long-term care coverage
10) improve customer satisfaction to restore trust
Title I: Health Insurance Access, Portability, and Renewal - Answer increase
transferability of health insurance when employees change jobs. it does this by
prohibiting preexisting condition exclusions, disallowing discrimination of health
insurance coverage based on health status, and guaranteeing renewability for certain
group health plans.
Title II: Health Care Fraud, Abuse, Prevention, and Administrative Simplification -
Answer prevents fraud and abuse in health care delivery and payment for services,
establishes guidelines to simplify administrative procedures, provides national
standards to protect privacy, and mandates electronic transmission of certain health
information.
Title III: Medical Savings Account (MSA) Benefits - Answer addresses the MSA,
increases deductions, adds consumer protection, and addresses income tax refund
payments.
Title IV: Group Health Plan Directives - Answer details how group health plans must all
for portability, access, and renewability for members.
