Legal and ethical issues in healthcare

TopicThreadsPostsLast PosWeek 2 

Patients have a bill of rights. Patients also consent to care and have a right to self-determine their care. Those who care for patients are to keep information protected.  

Select one of the patient rights (ethical or legal issues) from readings this week. Discuss with your colleagues the right, the legal and/or ethical basis for this right and how this translates into responsibility for a specific health service organization setting. Provide two specific real life legal case examples that you find on the internet or in the print media. Examples: assisted living facilities for disabled, long term care facility, a home care nursing association, a small physician practice, a hospital, a rehabilitation center, or a first responder/ambulance. Remember:

1. The patient right (with proper legal citation);

2. The setting; and

3. The health care organization’s responsibility.

Peer comments should compare and contrast the impact of the patient rights on each setting. Read the background articles. This discussion requires research beyond the above articles. See Discussion Expectations and Grading for rules on discussions.

Assigned reading materials:

• Federal Law on Advance Directives-http://www.nrc-pad.org/images/stories/PDFs/fedaddirectives2a.pdf 
• Patients’ rights, protections and the law-
• Partnership for patients-
• Shared decision making-