Online Continuing Education Courses

The Analysis of Ethical Problems in Professional Life, Ethics of Confidential Information, Informed Consent

The Analysis of Ethical Problems in Professional life

• Identify six steps in the analysis of ethical problems encountered in everyday professional life and how each plays a part in arriving at a caring response.
• Describe the central role of narrative and virtue theories in gathering relevant information for a caring response.
• List four areas of inquiry that will be useful when gathering relevant information to make sure you have the story straight.
• Describe the role of conduct-related ethical theories and approaches in arriving at a caring response.
• Describe why imagination is an essential aspect of seeking out the practical alternatives in an ethically challenging situation.
• Discuss how courage assists you in a caring response.
• Identify two benefits of taking time to reflect on and evaluate the action afterward.
• Become familiar with AOTA and APTA Code of Ethics
• Become familiar with the Guide to Professional Conduct for PT's

Ethics of Confidential Information

• Define the terms confidential information and confidentiality.
• Identify the relationship of a patient's legal right to privacy with his reasonable expectations regarding confidential information.
• Describe how the telling and keeping of secrets is relevant to understanding the importance of confidentiality.
• Discuss the ethical norms involved in keeping and breaking professional confidences.
• Name five general legal exceptions to the professional standard of practice that confidences should not be broken.
• Consider practical options that a professional can take when faced with the possibility of breaking a confidence.
• Discuss some important aspects of documentation that affect confidentiality.
• Compare ethical issues of confidentiality traditionally conceived with those that have arisen because of computerized medical records and patient care information systems.
• Describe the key ethical strengths and challenges of the recent U.S. federal regulations related to privacy considerations (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996).
• Become familiar with AOTA and APTA Code of Ethics
• Review and become familiar with the TX PT Rules
• Read case scenarios illustrating ethical decision making

Informed Consent

• Describe three basic legal concepts that led to the doctrine of informed consent.
• Describe three approaches to determining the disclosure standard for judging that a patient or client has been informed.
• Discuss three major aspects of the process of obtaining informed consent.
• Distinguish "general consent" from "special consent" documents.
• Differentiate between the never-competent and once-competent patient or client and the challenges posed by each in regard to informed consent.
• Compare informed consent as it is used in health care practice and in human studies research.
• Describe some considerations one must always take into account to be sure one is being culturally competent and honoring cultural difference when informed consent is the standard.