* medical record: a
document that outlines patient evaluation, findings, diagnosis,
and/or treatment (para 3-1).
* mental capacity: the ability to make decisions and weigh alternatives; a clinical
determination made by the physician (para 1-24c).
morality: conformity to the rules of right conduct (para 1-4).
moral dilemma: a no-win situation in which the choice is between conflicting
moral principles of equal importance (para 2-7).
N
negligence: conduct which falls below a standard established by the law for the
protection of others against unreasonable risk of harm; failure to exercise such
care as would be expected of a reasonable person (para 4-4a).
normative ethics: a type of ethics that formulates ethical theories and specifies
behaviors that support ethical standards (para 1-5d).
O
P
* paternalism: a practice of treating people in an authoritarian manner, especially
by taking care of their needs without giving them any responsibility for health care
decisions (para 2-12d).
* persistent vegetative state: a
chronic state of
diminished consciousness
resulting from severe generalized brain injury, in which there is no reasonable
possibility of improvement to a cognitive (perceiving and knowing) state
(para 2-8b).
placebo effect: a
positive therapeutic effect resulting from an
inert medication,
preparation, or intervention given for its psychological influence, or as a control in
an experiment (para 1-1f).
plaintiff: See "claimant."
* privacy:
the right "to be
let alone," to be
free from unwarranted publicity, to
live
without having one's name, picture, or private affairs made public or published
against one's will (para 3-6).
private law: a body of laws governing the relationship between private
individuals and organizations (para 3-7b).
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