Health care legislation

Description

The patients` rights and responsibilities of health practitioners and the possible repercussions and prosecutions in relation to medical treatment negligence or malpractice.

Alternative labels

patient’s rights and practitioners’ responsibilities
healthcare laws and regulations
healthcare legislation
medical law

Skill type

knowledge

Skill reusability level

cross-sector

Relationships with occupations

Essential knowledge

Health care legislation is an essential knowledge of the following occupations:

Doctors’ surgery assistant: Doctors’ surgery assistants support doctors of medicine in medical measures, in performing simple support activities during medical procedures, standardised diagnostic programmes and standardised point-of-care tests, ensuring surgery hygiene, cleaning, disinfecting, sterilising and maintaining medical devices and performing the organisational and administrative tasks required for operating a doctor`s surgery under supervision, following the orders of the doctor of medicine.
Medical records clerk:
Medical records clerks organise, keep up-to-date and archive patients` records for medical staff availability. They transfer medical information from a patient’s paper records to an electronic template.
Acupuncturist: Acupuncturists make use of thin needles and insert them into acupuncture points in the body in order to restore the imbalances of the human body and overall good health. Acupuncturists focus on energy meridians to treat various conditions.
Biomedical scientist: Biomedical scientists perform all laboratory methods required as part of medical examination, treatment and research activities, particularly clinical-chemical, haematological, immuno-haematological, histological, cytological, microbiological, parasitological, mycological, serological and radiological tests. They perform analytical sample testing and report the results to the medical staff for further diagnosis. Biomedical Scientists may apply these methods in particular in the infection, blood or cellular sciences.
Occupational therapist: Occupational therapists assist individuals or groups who have occupational limitations due to diseases, physical disorders, and temporary or permanent mental disabilities, in regaining their ability to perform daily activities. They provide treatment and rehabilitation to enable them to actively participate in society, to live their lives according to their wishes and to perform those activities that are meaningful to them.
Front line medical receptionist: Front line medical receptionists greet clients and patients as they arrive at the medical facility and check them in, collect patient notes and make appointments work under the supervision and direction of healthcare institution manager.
Music therapist: Music therapists use music-therapeutic interventions to treat patients with behavioural disorders and pathogenic conditions to prevent, mitigate or eliminate symptoms and to change behaviours and attitudes requiring treatment. They promote and maintain or restore the development, maturity and health of the patient/client by music-therapeutic interventions. Music therapy especially provides help for people with with emotional, somatic, intellectually or socially induced behavioural disorders and pathogenic conditions, such as psychoses (schizophrenic disorders, bipolar disorders) and personality development disorders.
 
Healthcare inspector: Healthcare inspectors visit healthcare facilities to ensure proper care is given to all patients in accordance with legal requirements. They also inspect if equipment, processes and staff operate adequately to prevent the spreading of infections and diseases.
Healthcare institution manager: Healthcare institution managers supervise the operations of healthcare institutions, such as hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, home care services and elderly care institutions to ensure the organisation meets requirements, the patients and residents are cared for, the organisation is maintained and the necessary equipment present. They also supervise the staff and ensure record maintenance.
Clinical perfusion scientist: Clinical perfusion scientists operate heart-lung equipment during surgical operations to ensure breathing and blood circulation. They work as part of the surgical team, connect patients to the heart-lung machines in preparation for surgery, monitor their condition during surgery, report to the team on the patients’ status and determine the necessary techniques according to their needs.
Nuclear medicine radiographer: Nuclear Medicine Radiographers plan, prepare and perform nuclear medicine examinations, post-processing and treatment with a wide range of equipment and techniques using X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging and radiopharmaceuticals.
Healthcare consultant: Healthcare consultants advise health care organisations on the development of plans to improve patient care and safety. They analyse health care policies and identify issues, and aid in the development of improvement strategies.
Emergency ambulance driver: Emergency ambulance drivers use emergency vehicles to respond to medical emergencies and support the work of paramedics, move patients safely, take note of changes in the patient’s vital signs and report to the paramedics in charge, ensuring the medical equipment is well stored, transported and functional, under supervision and on order of a doctor of medicine.
Dietetic technician: Dietetic technicians assist dietitians in planning nutritional programmes and in planning menus for patients as part of an overall treatment plan under supervision of a dietitian. Under supervision of a dietitian, dietetic technicians assist dietitians in patient reviews, enteral feeding discharge planning, and clinical auditing which includes nutritional screening.
Optician: Opticians help to improve and correct an individual’s vision according to prescriptions provided by a specialised doctor in ophthalmology or an optometrist. They fit spectacle lenses and frames, contact lenses, and other devices to the specifications of both the individual and the prescription. Opticians do not test patients vision nor write prescriptions for visual correction. Their scope of practice varies according to national regulations.
Radiographer: Radiographers use a range of technologies to examine, treat and care for patients. They work in the fields of Medical Imaging, Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine and apply ionising radiation, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging and radioactive sources.
Orthoptist: Orthoptists diagnose and treat anomalies of binocular vision. They examine, assess and treat vision impairments, squint, amblyopia and eye motility disorders. Orthoptists apply these methods in particular in the fields of paediatrics, neurology, neuro-ophthalmology, ophthalmology, orthoptics, optometry, pleoptics and strabology assessing functional diseases of the eye for improving functional disorders of the visual system. They also provide counselling, preventive measures and training activities and may refract and prescribe glasses, such as prism corrective glasses.
 
Respiratory therapy technician: Respiratory therapy technicians assist doctors and surgeons to treat respiratory problems. They work in hospitals and medical facilities where they operate medical equipment to test patients’ respiratory conditions and aid in their treatment. Respiratory therapy technicians also tend to breathing equipment and machines during surgery.
Diagnostic radiographer: Diagnostic radiographers plan, prepare and perform diagnostic imaging examinations and post processing, with a wide range of equipment and techniques using X-rays, strong magnetic fields or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and high frequency sound (Ultrasound).
Speech and language therapist: Speech and language therapists focus on the aetiology, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of communication and swallowing disorders in people of all ages in order to help them maintain, promote, improve, initiate, or recover the ability to communicate both verbally and nonverbally. They address the development of language, speech, vocal and hearing functions, and disorders and disabilities in the cranial, facial, and oral area.
Auxiliary nursing and midwifery vocational teacher: Auxiliary nursing and midwifery vocational teachers instruct students in their specialised field of study, auxiliary nursing and midwifery, which is predominantly practical in nature. They provide theoretical instruction in service of the practical skills and techniques the students must subsequently master. Auxiliary nursing and midwifery vocational teachers monitor the students’ progress, assist individually when necessary, and evaluate their knowledge and performance on the subject of auxiliary nursing and midwifery through assignments, tests and examinations.
Nurse assistant: Nurse assistants provide basic patient care under direction of nursing staff. They perform duties such as feed, bathe, dress, groom, move patients or change linens and may transfer or transport patients.

Dietitian: Dietitians assess specific nutritional requirements of populations or individuals throughout their lives and translate this into advice which will maintain, reduce risk to, or restore people’s health. Using evidence-based approaches, dietitians work to empower individuals, families and groups to provide or select food which is nutritionally adequate, safe, tasty and sustainable. Beyond healthcare, dietitians improve the nutritional environment for all through governments, industry, academia and research.
Nurse responsible for general care: Nurses responsible for general care are in charge of promoting and restoring patients` health by providing physical and psychological support to patients, friends, and families. They also supervise assigned team members.
Midwife: Midwives assist women in childbirth by providing the necessary support, care and advice during pregnancy, labour and the postpartum period, conduct births and provide care for the new-born. They advise on health, preventive measures, preparation for parenthood, detection of complications in mother and child, accessing of medical care, promoting normal birth and carrying out emergency measures.
Medical records manager: Medical records managers are responsible for managing activities of medical records units which maintain and secure patient data. They supervise, oversee and train employees while implementing medical department policies.
Osteopath: Osteopaths provide therapeutic treatment of disorders in the musculoskeletal system to patients with physical issues such as back pain, joint pain and digestive disorders. They mainly use manipulation of the body tissues, touch, stretching and massage techniques to relieve the patients` pain and promote a healthy lifestyle.
Therapeutic radiographer: Therapeutic radiographers prepare and perform safe and accurate high-energy radiation treatments to patients, using a wide range of sophisticated equipment and techniques, to target the area to be treated, and computer planning to produce a plan of the dose distribution across the area to be treated.
Audiologist: Audiologists assess, diagnose and treat patients ( children or adults) with audiological and vestibular disorders caused by infectious, genetic, traumatic or degenerative conditions, such as hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness, imbalance, hyperacusis and auditory processing difficulties. They can prescribe a hearing aid and have a role in assessing and managing patients who may benefit from cochlear implants. 
 
Cytology screener: Cytology screeners examine under a microscope samples of human cells obtained from various body parts such as the female reproductive tract, the lung or gastrointestinal tract, assist in identifying cell abnormality and disease such as cancer or infectious agents under supervision, following the orders of the doctor of medicine.The abnormal cells are being transferred to the pathologist for medical diagnosis. They may also work under the supervision of a biomedical scientist. They do not treat patients or assist in medical treatments.

 
Public health policy officer: Public health policy officers develop and implement strategies for the improvement of a community’s health care policy. They advise governments on policy changes and identify problems in current health care policies.
Art therapist: Art therapists help patients overcome psychological and emotional difficulties through an artistic process which reflects emotions and feelings, focusing on patients who suffer a variety of problems such as mental, psychological, and behavioural disorders in order to facilitate self-understanding and awareness.

Optional knowledge

Health care legislation is optional for these occupations. This means knowing this knowledge may be an asset for career advancement if you are in one of these occupations.

Medicine lecturer: Medicine lecturers are subject professors, teachers, or lecturers, and often doctors who instruct students who have obtained an upper secondary education diploma in their own specialised field of study, medicine, which is predominantly academic in nature. They work with their university research assistants and university teaching assistants for the preparation of lectures and of exams, for grading papers and exams, for leading laboratory practices, and for leading review and feedback sessions for the students. They also conduct academic research in their respective field of medicine, publish their findings and liaise with other university colleagues.
Emergency medical dispatcher: Emergency medical dispatchers respond to urgent calls made to the control center, take information about the emergency situation, the address and other details and dispatch the nearest ambulance or paramedic helicopter.
Vocational teacher: Vocational teachers instruct students in their specialised field of study, which is predominantly practical in nature. They provide theoretical instruction in service of the practical skills and techniques that the students must subsequently master in the specialised vocation of their choice and aid in the development of the according attitudes and values. Vocational teachers monitor the students progress, assist individually when necessary, and evaluate their knowledge and performance on the subject through assignments, tests and examinations.
Occupational therapy assistant: Occupational therapy assistants support occupational therapists by working with people and communities to enhance their ability to engage in the occupations they want to, need to, or are expected to do, or by modifying the occupation or the environment to better support their occupational engagement. They work under the supervision of an occupational therapist.

 
Massage therapist: Massage therapists provide therapeutic massage treatments to improve the well-being of their clients. They perform a variety of massage types such as shiatsu and swedish massage, according to their client’s needs and preferences.
Lawyer: Lawyers provide legal advice to clients and act on their behalf in legal proceedings and in compliance with the law. They research for, interpret and study cases to represent their clients in a variety of settings such as courts and administrative boards. They create arguments on behalf of their clients for lawsuits in different contexts with the aim of finding a legal remedy.
Patient transport services driver: Patient transport services drivers transfer disabled, vulnerable and elderly patients to and from health care facilities such as hospitals or social care settings. They drive the ambulance and maintain all the related equipment but under non-emergency circumstances.
Healthcare specialist lecturer: Healthcare specialist lecturers are subject professors, teachers, or lecturers, and often doctors who instruct students who have obtained an upper secondary education diploma in their own specialised field of healthcare, which is predominantly academic in nature. They work with their university research assistants and university teaching assistants for the preparation of lectures and of exams, for grading papers and exams, for leading laboratory practices, and for leading review and feedback sessions for the students. They also conduct academic research in their respective field of specialist healthcare, publish their findings and liaise with other university colleagues.
First aid instructor: First aid instructors teach students immediate lifesaving emergency measures, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the recovery position, and injury care. They provided practice materials such as a specialised manikin.
Complementary therapist: Complementary therapists use a range of complementary and alternative therapies to work simultaneously with the clients` body, mind, and spirit in a holistic approach. They offer practices and services for holistic wellbeing, health maintenance, health education, health promotion and prevention of illness, along with the sustainable treatment of certain illnesses, especially chronic illnesses. Their practices include but are not limited to acupuncture, aromatherapy, banotherapy, homeopathy, and herbal medicine.
Recreational therapist: Recreational therapists offer treatment to persons who have behavioural disorders or conditions. They use techniques and interventions such as art, music, animals and dance to promote, maintain and restore the development and health of the patient.
Corporate lawyer: Corporate lawyers provide legal consulting services and representation to corporations and organisations. They give advice on matters relating to taxes, legal rights and patents, international trade, trademarks, and legal financial issues arising from operating a business.

 


 

References

  1. Health care legislation – ESCO

 

Last updated on September 20, 2022