Ethics, Law & Communication

Overview

Ethics, Law and Communication comes down to two questions: what you are allowed to do to a patient, and what you say while you do it. There is no math. The ARRT exam wraps each definition in a short scenario about somebody behaving badly in an imaging department and asks you to name the concept and the correct response.

The legal vocabulary carries the marks. Assault is the threat; battery is unconsented contact, such as taking a portable chest after the patient refused. Negligence is the unintentional tort, and a claim needs all four D's: duty, dereliction, direct cause, and damages, so no harm means no claim. Res ipsa loquitur lets negligence be presumed when the injury speaks for itself; respondeat superior makes the employer answer for the employee. Patient falls generate more suits against radiographers than anything else.

Consent has levels. The blanket form signed at admission covers routine care only; biopsies, sedation, and arteriography need a written informed consent that explains risks, benefits, alternatives, and the right to withdraw. A competent adult signs for themselves, a parent or guardian for a minor, and an emancipated minor may sign alone. Implied consent covers emergencies when nobody can be reached.

The ARRT Standards of Ethics is one document in two parts: an aspirational Code and 22 enforceable Rules, with violations reported to ARRT in writing within 30 days and errors reported immediately to your supervisor. HIPAA protects all identifiable health information, spoken included, and accessing a record without a care relationship is itself a breach. Identify every patient with at least two identifiers, and never the room number.