Springfield Technical Community College

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Course Number:	MAST 119	Department:	Medical Assistant	
Course Title:	Applied Legal Concepts	Semester:	Spring	Year:	1997	

Objectives/Competencies

Course Objective	Competencies	
1.	Define law.
2.	Define ethics.
3.	Describe why law and ethics are necessary in the practice of medicine.
4.	Compare and contrast four categories of employees in most ambulatory care sites.
5.	Compare and list the similarities and dissimilarities among non-licensed personnel.
6.	Explain four requirements for a physician to be licensed and conditions in which a physician’s license may be revoked.
7.	List guidelines helpful in preventing malpractice suits.
8.	Summarize the areas of public duties for physicians.
9.	Identify four professions the practitioners of which are required to report suspected child abuse.
10.	List three elements necessary for a contract to be valid.
11.	Put in order the four D’s of negligence for physicians and explain each.
12.	Explain tort and recognize 3 torts.
13.	Define consent and explain why consent is important.
14.	Differential among verbal consent, non-verbal consent and written consent. 
15.	Compare informed and uninformed consent.
16.	Evaluate the four elements of the Doctrine of Informed Consent.
17.	Explain special situations in consent: minors, spouses, language barriers, when consent is not necessary.
18.	Discuss your role in obtaining consent.
19.	Define confidentiality and right to privacy as it relates to medical records and the release of information.
20.	Explain how the physician-patient contact can be terminated.
21.	Describe one way in which a physician could be charged with abandonment.
22.	List five precautions the medical assistant should take to reduce the possibility of infringing on the patient’s right to confidentiality.
23.	Define medical practice acts.
24.	Define accreditation – federal and state requirements for      physician’s office, laboratories, and ambulatory centers.
25.	Compare and contrast OSHA and CLIA regulations.
26.	Describe Workers’ Compensation.
27.	Explain professional liability.

28.	Describe federal laws regarding Medicare/Medicaid      regulations.
29.	Describe state and federal laws regarding release of medical information; drug and alcohol rehabilitation, welfare disclosure, sexually active minors, HIV issues.
30.	Explain rescinding of authorization for release of information.
31.	Summarize legal aspects of appointment making.

	1.	Distinguish among civil law, criminal law and ethics.
2.	Given a copy of a valid contract, identify the three elements necessary for it to be valid.
3.	Place in correct order the four D’s of negligence.
4.	Given a list of several tort and non-tort situation.  Choose the 3 most common torts that can occur in the ambulatory care area.
5.	Demonstrate the proper procedure for correcting an error in the medical record.
6.	Draft a brief example of a letter stating that the physician terminating the relationship with the patient.
7.	Given a list of several patient situations, select those which infringe on patient confidentiality.