law and medicine

A health care proxy is an agent named in a health care declaration to make medical decisions for the person signing the document (the principal) when they are unable to make decisions for themselves.

The informed consent doctrine is a legal principle that holds healthcare providers accountable for ensuring that their patients are fully informed about any medical procedures or treatments before they agree to them. The idea behind this principle is that individuals have the right to make informed decisions about their own health and that these decisions should be based on accurate and complete information.

• tort law

According to 29 CFR § 825.202, “intermittent leave is FMLA leave taken in separate, non-consecutive blocks of time due to a single qualifying reason.” For example, an employee may occasionally take a half-day off in the event there is a flare-up of a chronic health condition.

Marijuana, also spelled “marihuana,” refers to the cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa L.) and its psychoactive components. However, under the U.S. federal law 21 U.S. Code § 802, certain parts of the plant, such as the mature stalks, fibers, and seeds incapable of germination, are excluded from this definition. Additionally, the U.S. federal law also clarifies that hemp, as defined in 7 U.S.

Mental health and the law interact in numerous ways. The term "competence" signifies a legal conclusion that an individual is capable of entering into a binding contract, transferring assets, or participating in a legal proceeding.

A mercy killing is the intentional ending of life of a person who is suffering from a terminal, painful illness. The term—also called “right to die”—is most often used to describe voluntary euthanasia, though it is also used in reference to non-voluntary euthanasia and involuntary euthanasia.

Medical care aimed at improving quality of life and treating symptoms, rather than care intended to cure an illness. Palliative care may consist of medical, social, and emotional support and can be offered alongside curative treatment. Palliative care may be administered as part of the hospice program for the terminally ill or to those who suffer from a serious life-threatening illness, but not necessarily a terminal illness, such as cancer or Parkinson’s.

The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 is a federal statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1531, that bans partial-birth abortion, also referred to as intact dilation and extraction, to terminate a pregnancy. In passing the statute, Congress found that “[a] moral, medical, and ethical consensus exists that the practice of performing a partial-birth abortion. . .

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) (also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or “Obamacare”) was a major piece of healthcare legislation that intended to decrease the costs of healthcare and increase access to lower income individuals.

• "Obamacare"
• 42 U.S.C. § 18001

Physician-assisted suicide is an end of life measure for a person suffering a painful, terminal illness. It is considered a form of active voluntary euthanasia, also described as a mercy killing or the “right to die.” During a physician-assisted suicide, large doses of painkilling medication are administered by a licensed medical professional.