PATIENT CARE MANAGEMENT

FOR TECHNOLOGIST
Prepared by : Aldrin Lopez, RRT, MSRT
• PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR
• Morals and Ethics
• Moral principles that govern one’s course of
action.
• Systematic reflection on morality.
• Principles of right and wrong.
• ETHICS refer to rules provided by an external source,
e.g., codes of conduct in workplaces or principles in
religions.

• MORALS refer to an individual's own principles

regarding right and wrong.
•SET OF ETHICS PRINCIPLE HAS BEEN DERIVED
FROM PHILOSOPHIES
• Utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue
• UTILITARIANISM
• Aka : consequentialism
• Base on the result of the action
• advocates that action are morally correct or right when the large
number of person is benefited by the decision made.

• DEONTOLOGY
• Greek word meaning “ duty”
• therefore you judge action by deciding it is an obligation .
• Since the health care provide the duty “ do not harm “
• Deontology and utilitarianism are more or less opposite , the more
critically injured patients would get the highest priority.
• VIRTUE
• New philosophical belief
• Wisdom rather than emotional and intellectual solving
• With virtue of each individual. How the family and friends
of the victims would be affected by the triage decision
would be the deciding factor in who gets first treatment.
• ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
• A) Autonomy:
• Refers to the right of all persons to make rational
decisions free from external pressures

• B) Beneficience:
• Refers to the fact that all acts must be meant to
attain a good result or to be beneficial.
• “ prevent harm “
•C) Confidentiality:
•Refers to the concept of privacy

•D) Double Effect:

•Refers to the fact that some actions may
produce both a good and a bad effect.
•FOUR CRITERIA FOR DOUBLE EFFECT TO
BECOME PERMISSIBLE :
a) The act is good or morally neutral.
b) The intent is good, not evil, although a bad result may
be foreseen.
c) The good effect is not achieved by means of evil
effects.
d) The good effect must be more important than the evil
effect, or at least there is favorable balance between
good over bad.
• E) FIDELITY:
• Refers to the duty to fulfill one’s commitments and applies to
keeping promises both stated and implied.

• F) JUSTICE:
• Refers to all persons being treated equally or receiving equal
benefits according to need.

• G) NONMALEFICENCE:
• Refers to the duty to abstain from inflicting harm and also the duty
to prevent harm
• H) PATERNALISM:
• Refers to the attitude that sometimes prompts health care
workers to make decisions regarding a person’s care
without consulting the person affected.

• I) SANCTITY OF LIFE:
• Refers to the belief that life is the highest good and
nobody has the right to judge that another person’s
quality of life is so poor that his or her life is not of value
and should be terminated.
• J) VERACITY:
• Refers to honesty in all aspects of one’s professional life.

• K) RESPECT FOR PROPERTY:

• Refers to keeping the patients’ belongings safe and taking
care not to intentionally damage or waste equipment or
supplies with which one works.
• PATIENT RIGHTS
a. High quality hospital care.
b. clean and safe environment
c. Involvement in your care
d. Protection of your privacy.
e. Preparing you and your family for when you leave
the hospital.
f. Help with your bill and filing insurance claims.
• GOOD SAMARITAN LAWS
• These laws were enacted to protect persons who give medical
aid to persons in emergency situations from civil or criminal
liability for their actions or omissions under these
circumstances.
• INFORMED CONSENT
• A consent is a contract wherein the patient voluntarily gives
permission to someone to perform a procedure or service.

• Informed consent is required for the following procedures:

a) Invasive procedures such as a surgical incision, a biopsy, a
cystoscopy, or paracentesis
b) Procedures requiring sedation and/or anesthesia
c) A nonsurgical procedure such as an arteriography that may
carry risk to the patient
d) Procedures that involve radiation
• SEVERAL LEVELS OF INFORMED CONSENT:
1) SIMPLE CONSENT
• matter of obtaining a patient’s permission to perform a procedure
without knowledge of that procedure.
a) EXPRESS CONSENT :
• occurs when the patient does not stop the procedure from
taking place by allowing the procedure to occur.
b) Implied Consent
• occurs in emergency situations when it is not possible to
obtain consent from the patient his or her parents, or a legal
representative.
• 2) INADEQUATE CONSENT
• Aka : ignorant consent
• occurs when the patient has not been informed
adequately to make a responsible decision.
• CRITERIA FOR VALID INFORMED CONSENT
a) Voluntary Consent
• Valid consent must be freely given, without coercion.

b) Incompetent Patient
• Legal definition: individual who is NOT autonomous
and cannot give or withhold consent (e.g., individuals
who are mentally retarded, mentally ill, or comatose).
• C) INFORMED SUBJECT
• Informed consent should be in writing. It should
contain the following:
a) Explanation of procedure and its risks
b) Description of benefits and alternatives
c) An offer to answer questions about the procedure
d) Instructions that the patient may withdraw consent
e) A statement informing the patient if the protocol
differs from customary procedure
•D) Patient Able to Comprehend
•Information must be written and
delivered in language understandable to
the patient.
• Questions must be answered to facilitate
comprehension if material is confusing.
• RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF RADIOLOGIC
TECHNOLOGISTS
• 1.) To promote health
• 2.) To prevent illness
• 3.) To restore health
• 4.) To alleviate suffering
•PRIMARY SOURCE OF LAW IN THE PHILIPPINES
•1. Philippine constitution
•2. Statutory law
•3. Regular and judgement of administrative
bureaus
•4. Court decisions
• CONSTITUIONAL LAW
• State the principle and provisions for establishment of specific law
• Example: such as the power to tax and spend for the welfare of
the population.

• STATUTORY LAW / LEGISLATURE

• Refers to laws enacted by congressional state, or local legislative.
• Responsible for enacting laws
• Congress body
• Example: exclusive authority to amend the budget or budgets
• JUDICIARY SYSTEM
• Responsible for reconciling controversies and
conflicts
• Interpret the law

• COURT DECISION
• involve the interpretation of statutes and various
regulation in decision involving individuals
• COMMON LAW
• Body of law and accumulated decision
• Example: rule that a judge made

• ADMINISTRATIVE LAW
• executive power of the president
• Made by the executive law of government
• Example : manufacturing, the environment, taxation,
broadcasting, immigration
• TWO BASIC KINDS OF LAW
• 1. PUBLIC LAW
• Law in which the government is directly involved
• Regulate the relationship between individual and government
• Example: crime, murder.

• 2. PRIVATE LAW
• Regulates the relationship among people
• Examples: relating contracts, ownership of properties & practice
of Radiologic Technology
• LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS
• Criminal law
• deals offenses against the state or against society at large.
• Ex : crime
• FELONY
• serious crime punishable by imprisonment.
• MISDEMEANOR
• Less significant crime punishable by fine or
imprisonment less than a year
• CIVIL LAW
• Deals with the rights and duties of individuals with respect to one another.
• Seek damage rather than punishment
• satisfied by court-ordered payment to the injured party by the defendant.
In
• TORT
• A civil wrong committed by one individual against the person or
property of another.
• PLANTIFF
• Person or government bringing a lawsuit against another.
• A person who sues another person or accuses another person of a
crime in a court of law
• Defendant party being sued.
• TORTS
• Intentional Misconduct
• Ex : assault, battery, false imprisonment, invasion of
privacy, libel, and slander (defamation)

a) FALSE IMPRISONMENT
• Unjustifiable detention of a person against his or her
will.
b) INVASION OF PRIVACY
• result when confidentiality has not been maintained
or when the patient's body has been improperly and
unnecessarily exposed or touched.
a) LIBEL
• written information
b) SLANDER
• Oral or verbal communication
c) Assault
• Threatening or threat of touching in an injurious
d) Battery
• Cary out the threat
• defined as unlawful touching of a person,
• UNINTENTIONAL MISCONDUCT
• Negligence and malpractice
• NEGLIGENCE
• refers to the neglect or omission of reasonable
care or caution
• MALPRACTICE
• Aka : Professional negligence
• An act of negligence in the context of such a
relationship is defined
• FOR NEGLIGENT TORT LIABILITY,
• FOUR ELEMENTS MUST BE PRESENT
• Duty (what should have been done)
• Breach (deviation from duty)
• Injury sustained
• Cause (as a result of breach)
• MALPRACTICE PREVENTION ; 7 C’s
1) Competence. Knowing and adhering to professional standards
2) Compliance. The compliance by health professionals with policies
and procedures in the medical office , avoid patient injuries and
allegation.
3) Charting. objectively can be the best defense against a malpractice
claim.
4) Communication. Improve health care and patient communication
to avoid malpractice
5) Confidentiality. Protecting the confidentiality of medical
information
6) Courtesy . courteous attitude and demeanor can improve patient
rapport and lessen the likelihood of lawsuits.
7) Carefulness . Personal injuries can occur unexpectedly on the
premises and may lead to lawsuits.
• Four elements to claim malpractice :
1) The defendant (person or institution being sued) had a duty
to provide reasonable care to the patient.
2) The patient sustained some loss or injury.
3) The defendant is the party responsible for the loss.
4) The loss is attributable to negligence or improper practice
• TYPES OF NEGLIGENCE
a) GROSS NEGLIGENCE
• Higher degree of negligence
• negligence refers to negligent acts that involve
"reckless disregard for life or limb.
b) CONTRIBUTORY NEGLIGENCE
• an act of negligence in which the behavior of the
injured party contributed to the injury
c) CORPORATE NEGLIGE
• The hospital as an entity is negligence
•The doctrine of res ipsa loquitur
• “The thing speaks for it self “
• Obvious negligence

•The doctrine of respondeat superior

• “ let the master answers “

•The doctrine of the "borrowed servant,”

• DOCTRINE OF RES JUDICATA
• A thing or matter settled by justice

• DOCTRINE OF STARE DECISIS

• Refers to a matter settled by precedent

• REASONABLY PRUDENT PERSON DOCTRINE

• How a professional who has similar education, training, and
experience would perform the act
 ❖KEY REVIEW POINTS
❖Torts: Violations of civil law; personal injury law
❖Intentional misconduct: Assault (patient is apprehensive about being injured)

❖Intentional misconduct: Battery (unlawful touching or touching without consent); may

also include radiographing the wrong patient or wrong body part or performing
radiography against a patient’s will

❖Intentional misconduct: False imprisonment (unjustified restraint of a person)

❖Intentional misconduct: Invasion of privacy (violation of confidentiality of information;

unnecessary or improper exposure or touching of the patient’s body)
 ❖KEY REVIEW POINTS
❖Intentional misconduct: Libel (written information that results in
defamation of character or loss of reputation)

❖Intentional misconduct: Slander (orally spreading false information that

results in defamation of character or loss of reputation)

❖Unintentional misconduct: Negligence (neglect or omission of reasonable

care)
❖Unintentional misconduct: Based on doctrine of the reasonably
prudent person

❖Reasonably prudent person doctrine: How a reasonable person

with similar education and experience would perform under
similar circumstances

❖Gross negligence: Acts that demonstrate reckless disregard for

life or limb
 ❖KEY REVIEW POINTS
❖Four conditions needed to establish malpractice: (1) Establishment of standard of
care; (2) demonstration that standard of care was violated by the radiographer; (3)
demonstration that loss or injury was caused by radiographer who is being sued; (4)
demonstration that loss or injury actually occurred and is a result of the negligence
❖Respondeat superior (“Let the master answer”): Legal doctrine stating that an
employer is held liable for an employee’s negligent act
❖Res ipsa loquitur (“The thing speaks for itself”): Legal doctrine stating that cause of the
negligence is obvious (e.g., forceps left inside a patient during surgery)
❖Charting: Entering clear statements regarding the patient’s condition, reaction to
contrast agents, and amount of contrast material injected
❖Radiographic images: Legal documents; must include patient identification, anatomic
markings (including left and right markers), and date of exposure
• Arm and leg restraints applied without either the patient's
permission or a physician's order could result in charges of:

• A. false imprisonment.
• B. negligence.
• C. invasion of privacy.
• D. battery
• Standards of correct behavior by professional groups
are called:

• A. morals.
• B. codes of ethics.
• C. torts.
• D. regulations
• The radiographer who mistakenly administers an
incorrect drug to a patient may be guilty of a

• a. Tort
• b. Negligence
• c. Crime
• d. Battery
• As a radiographer, you refuse to work with a patient because
you do not care for persons of the patient’s religion. You are
guilty of violating

• a. The law
• b. The ethics of your profession
• c. You own moral values
• d. Both a and b
• What describes torts?

• a. Violations of criminal law

• b. Considered part of personal injury law
• c. Provide for compensation for injury
• d. Violations of civil law that are part of personal injury
law and provide for compensation for injury
• Which of the following may be considered as an example of battery?

• a. Violating HIPAA
• b. Radiographing the wrong patient or body part
• c. Verbally abusing a patient
• d. Criticizing a physician’s order in front of a patient
• Assault means:

• a. Threatening the patient or causing the patient to

• be apprehensive
• b. Striking the patient
• c. Touching the patient without consent
• d. Performing radiography against the patient’s will
• Which of the following is an example of invasion of
privacy?

• a. Radiographing the wrong patient

• b. Unjustified restraint of patient
• c. Improperly exposing the patient’s body
• d. Radiographing the wrong body part
• Unintentional misconduct is also called:
• a. Negligence
• b. An accident
• c. Libel
• d. Slander
• The concept of the reasonably prudent person is interpreted as:
• a. How a reasonable jury member would perform the act
• b. How a professional who has similar education, training, and
experience would perform the act
• c. How a prudent attorney would interpret the act
• d. How a reasonable and prudent judge would rule on the act
• Respondeat superior means:

• a. “The thing speaks for itself ”

• b. A radiographer has no need to carry malpractice
insurance
• c. The reasonable and prudent person should make the
decision
• d. “Let the master answer”
• Gross negligence is:
• a. A case that includes the injured person as a contributing
party to the injury
• b. Loss of life or limb
• c. An act that shows reckless disregard for life or limb
• d. Found in criminal cases only
• A case involving obvious negligence would be defined by the
doctrine of:
• a. Respondeat superior
• b. Slander
• c. Libel
• d. Res ipsa loquitur