MEDICAL ASSISTING · CHAPTER 3

Legal & Ethical Issues

Law, consent, malpractice, and ethics — broken into small, colorful pieces so nothing feels like a wall of legalese.

14
Objectives
79
Key terms
6
Malpractice elements
10
Quiz questions
✅ WHAT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO

Chapter Objectives

Tap each one as you master it. Watch the progress bar up top fill in.

🔤 WORDS TO KNOW

Key Terms Glossary

Filter by category or search, then tap a card to flip open the definition.

📜 THE FOUNDATIONS

Sources of Law & Criminal vs. Civil

Where law comes from, and how the two main branches compare.

📚 Sources of Law

Where laws affecting a medical practice come from

    ⚔️ Criminal vs. Civil Law

    Two very different playing fields

    🚨 Criminal

    • Government prosecutes on behalf of society
    • Standard: beyond a reasonable doubt
    • Includes felonies & misdemeanors
    • Penalty: fines and/or imprisonment

    🤝 Civil

    • Plaintiff sues a defendant
    • Standard: preponderance of the evidence
    • Includes torts like negligence & malpractice
    • Remedy: compensatory / punitive damages
    📋 LEGISLATION

    Legal Acts Affecting Medical Practice

    Tap a card to flip it and see what each law actually does.

    🩺 PROVING A CASE

    The 6 Elements of Medical Malpractice

    All six must be present for a malpractice claim to hold up.

    🧭 RIGHT vs. WRONG vs. LEGAL

    Law, Ethics & Morals

    They overlap, but they're not the same thing — and the lines aren't always clean.

    🏢 Personal vs. Professional vs. Organizational Ethics

    You're expected to align your personal views with your profession's and employer's standards
    📌 STICKY NOTES

    Big Takeaways

    The chapter summary, broken into digestible sticky notes instead of one giant paragraph.

    🧠 CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

    Quick Quiz

    All the answer choices are laid out below — just tap the one you think is right.