PA 250 - Legal Issues in Health Care

Credit Hours: 3

Designed as an elective for paralegal, health sciences, and liberal arts students, this course will provide the student with an overview of legal issues in healthcare. Topics include principles of justice, sources, and definition(s) of law, judicial process, legal tests, and professionalism. Case studies will be analyzed.

*Paralegal Elective - not required for a Paralegal degree. The course is designed for Health Science Students.

Course Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Understand the definition of ethical behavior and distinguish between the various theories of ethical rationale
Understand the concepts of Informed Consent and the Patient Bill of Rights
Comprehend, distinguish, and describe Criminal Law and Tort Law as well as their procedural applications to the medical field
Appreciate the importance of patient privacy and understand the edicts and exceptions to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Recognize the concepts of Implied Consent and Good Samaritan Statutes
Define, compare, and contrast the legal theories of Negligence and Medical Malpractice
Understand and define Medical Practice Acts, Licensure, and the graduated sanctions for unethical or illegal behavior

S (C)