Medical Law and Ethics Flashcards
AAMA CMA Flashcards
| Front | Back |
| Define battery in a medical context | Intentional unpermitted physical contact with a patient |
| Define ethics committee role | Advise on complex ethical issues in patient care and policy development |
| Define medical malpractice | Failure to meet standard of care causing patient harm |
| Define patient confidentiality | Obligation to keep patient information private and secure |
| List the four D’s of malpractice | Duty dereliction direct cause and damages |
| What are the five elements of informed consent | Competence disclosure voluntariness understanding and consent |
| What constitutes a conflict of interest in healthcare | When personal or financial interests compromise professional judgment |
| What is a durable power of attorney for healthcare | Legal document appointing someone to make medical decisions if patient is incapacitated |
| What is a living will | Advance directive specifying treatment preferences if incapacitated |
| What is duty of care | Legal obligation to provide care at accepted professional standards |
| What is mandatory reporting | Legal requirement to report certain injuries or diseases to authorities |
| What is professional negligence | Failure to exercise the skill and care expected of a healthcare professional |
| What is respondeat superior | Legal doctrine holding employers vicariously liable for employee actions |
| What is standard of care | Level of care expected of a reasonably competent professional under similar circumstances |
| What is the difference between negligence and intentional tort | Negligence is careless harm; intentional tort is deliberate harm |
| What is the Good Samaritan law | Legal protection for providers assisting in emergencies outside of workplace |
| What is the HIPAA Privacy Rule | Protects patient health information from unauthorized disclosure |
| What is the purpose of an Institutional Review Board | Ensure ethical and safe conduct of human subjects research |
| What is the purpose of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) | Require hospitals to provide emergency care regardless of ability to pay |
| What is the Stark Law | Prohibits physician self-referral for certain designated health services to entities they have financial interests in |
| Who enforces HIPAA | Office for Civil Rights (OCR) under the Department of Health and Human Services |
About the Flashcards
Flashcards for the AAMA CMA exam provide focused review of healthcare law and ethics vocabulary, key legal principles, and patient rights. Cards reinforce definitions such as HIPAA privacy protections and enforcement, elements of informed consent, standard of care, and the components of medical malpractice that commonly appear on exams.
Use the set to practice distinguishing torts and negligence from intentional wrongdoing, identify advance directives and powers of attorney, and recall statutes and policies including EMTALA and the Stark Law. Other cards cover research oversight by Institutional Review Boards, mandatory reporting, respondeat superior, Good Samaritan protections, conflicts of interest, and ethics committee roles.
Topics covered in this flashcard deck:
- HIPAA and patient privacy
- Informed consent elements
- Medical malpractice and negligence
- Torts and intentional wrongs
- Advance directives and power of attorney
- EMTALA and Stark Law