After studying this chapter, you should be able to

1. Explain why knowledge of law and ethics is important to health care practitioners.

2. Recognize the importance of professional codes of ethics.

3. Trace the history of medical ethics from the earliest written code to the current medical guidelines.

4. Distinguish among law, ethics, bioethics, etiquette, and protocol.

5. Define moral values and explain how they relate to law, ethics, and etiquette.

6. In a generalized sense, state the consequences of illegal and unethical behavior.

7. List and discuss at least five bioethical issues of concern to medical practitioners.