Radiography Professional Ethics

Radiographers are responsible for upholding ethical principles in their professional communications. Sensitivity, appropriateness, and confidentiality are crucial.
Radiographers have a duty to protect four patient rights.
Discussing the ethical handling of genetic information is crucial due to its sensitive nature.
Informed consent is legally required; this involves understanding the legal requirements for a valid informed consent document.
Definitions of negligence and malpractice are essential for radiographers to understand.
Three acts of intentional and three acts of unintentional misconduct in radiology departments should be known.
Accurate medical records are essential for several reasons, including malpractice prevention and reporting unusual occurrences or misconduct.

Advance directive, assault, battery, charting, contributory negligence, corporate negligence, defendant, e-chart, empathy, EMR, ethical analysis, ethics, false imprisonment, felony, gross negligence, health insurance portability and accountability act (HIPAA), informed consent, libel, malpractice, misdemeanor, moral agent, negligence, plaintiff, radiology information management system (RIMS), res ipsa loquitor, respondeat superior, slander, tort, vicarious liability.

Health professionals are responsible for their own well-being.
Professionals should also serve as role models to patients and the community. The pyramid shows different levels of needs: oxygen, nutrition, elimination, sleep, safety, security, love/acceptance, activity, recreation, recognition/esteem, and self-actualization.

Medical equipment is expensive, and appropriate use demonstrates ethical behavior.

Activities to advance the profession should be provided, while also promoting leadership skills among its members.

Ethics are defined as a system or code of conduct and morals advocated by a particular individual or group.
Ethics is a system of understanding determination and motivations based on individual conceptions of right and wrong.
Imaging and radiation science professionals face various challenges in medical imaging because of modality differences, leading to specific ethical dilemmas.
Ethical behavior involves honesty, fairness, and equity in interpersonal, professional, and academic relationships, as well as research and scholarly activities. Ethical behavior respects the dignity, diversity, and rights of individuals and groups of people.
Ethical behavior is designed to help improve patient outcomes, respecting patient rights and conducting relationships with patients and the public ethically.

Individual rights are different from group rights
Rights are legal, social, or moral freedoms to act or refrain from acting and are established to maintain social order within a society

Radiologic technologists conduct themselves professionally, providing quality patient care.
Technologists aim to advance the profession's objective of providing services to humanity with dignity.
Technologists deliver patient care and service without personal bias.
Technologists practice technology based on knowledge and concept within appropriate parameters and procedures.
Technologists assess situations, exercising care, discretion, and judgment.
Technologists act as agents through observation and communication to collect relevant information for the physician.

Considerate and respectful care, provision of information, privacy and confidentiality, informed consent, right to refuse treatment, death with dignity.

Hospital computers are used extensively for clerical functions, billing, entering charges, generating orders, entering, accessing, and storing information, and are conveniently located.
Access to computers is secured by passwords or scannable badges.
Computer use is inappropriate for personal communication.

RIMS provides comprehensive imaging-specific documentation and recording.
RTs have access to vital patient information (room, allergies, diagnostic tests).
Imaging orders and billing are managed through the system.
Some systems offer an all-encompassing medical record viewable by radiographers, physicians, and nursing staff.

Charts are extensive patient medical records digitally stored (EMR/E-chart).
Digital charts are more user-friendly, with legibility, storage efficiency, and ready access.
Information is easily retrieved via tabs or menus.

Charting involves recording all data within the chart; responsibilities for documenting patient care, including contrast media, patient status changes, reactions, and treatments received, fall on RTs.
Entries should be precise, impartial, pertinent, with complete signatures and maintained confidentiality within the medical records.
Addendums are required for any chart updates.
Charts serve as legal documents in negligence or malpractice cases and as precedent-setting records of behavior.

Keeping accurate, pertinent medical records is vital to track patient progress and current status for healthcare team members.
These records prevent repetitive diagnostic tests by different professionals.
Well-kept records allow for more thorough treatment plans and serve as valuable research resources.

Images are legally part of a patient's medical record
Images belong to the institution where they were created
The standard retention period for medical images is 5-7 years
HIPAA regulations dictate patient rights and require releases for sharing images.

Any incident, accident, or fall resulting in injury or potential harm must be promptly reported to the supervisor and radiologist.
Reporting such occurrences is critical to the hospital's risk management program.

The scope of the medical imaging/radiation therapy professional encompasses providing optimal patient care, relaying/documenting orders, validating patient histories, confirming informed consent for procedures, and assuming responsibility for patient needs during procedures and preparing patients for imaging.

Competence (adhering to standards), compliance with policies and procedures (avoiding injuries), charting completely to defend against claims, communication to avoid mishaps, confidentiality of information, courtesy (rapport-building), and caution (preventing unforeseen situations).