xviii To the Student We developed this book to provide you with a sense of how the pro- fessional rules of ethics and the legal system support efforts to provide good professional care to patients while honoring patient autonomy and protecting their rights. We hope you will enjoy reviewing our descrip- tion of how professional ethics and law support your participation in the healthcare system while serving people regardless of where they are in their lifespan. We have limited our discussion to the healthcare and legal systems in the United States. You should be aware that each country has varying rules and there are few, if any, enforceable standards between countries. While there are some efforts to develop international standards, the global system is still unregulated. You must be cautious if you intend to perform any work outside the United States. While we provide some history, much of this book focuses on the nature and complexity of the current US legal system. Professional asso- ciations, the federal government, state governments, and local govern- ments are each involved in the healthcare system. Therefore, if you wish to work in healthcare, you will need to know the framework created for your career by a network of standards, rules, written laws, and evolving case law. We hope to take the mystery and fear out of the complexity of the US system and give you some confidence in how rewarding your career in healthcare can be. To take the mystery and fear out of reading this book, please take a few minutes to scan through the table of contents to see how the book is organized into major sections that contain several specialized chapters. This structure provides a pathway through this challenging material and may give you a useful framework for addressing real life situations as they arise in your career. Our book is divided into three major sections, or units. Foundations of Medical Law and Ethics includes an introduction to and background on legal and ethical rules. The Healthcare Environment describes the frame- work of certification and licensing and the context of civil laws, criminal laws, and specific healthcare-related statutes. Within this framework are methods for managing risk and the patient-professional relationship. This section also covers health information technology, genetics and drugs, and facilities administration. Healthcare, Law, and Ethics across the Lifespan includes a discussion of laws related to minors, adults, and older adults.