Sponsored by the
UMDNJ-Center for Continuing and Outreach Education

PRIM~E
Ethical Infractions

Database

The PRIM~E course is an educational intervention for ethical boundary violations in the practice of medicine. The following situations have been represented by attendees in the PRIM~E program:

Moral Turpitude (Failure to live up to the expectations of a civilized society): Inability to demonstrate good moral character; disorderly persons' arrest; failure to file income tax returns.

Lying or omitting information to mislead or defraud: Failure to disclose license restrictions on licensing application.

Deception or misrepresentation of personal credentials: claiming specialty certification or graduate degrees not earned.

Sexual misconduct; sexual harassment; drugs for sex.

Harassment or physical abuse of patients.

Unprofessional conduct toward other professionals. Endangerment of patients and colleagues.

Altering, falsifying or destroying medical records. Failure to maintain adequate records; failure to provide medical records.

Violation of, and lack of respect for, patient's rights.

Failure to inform patient of medical mistake; failure to inform patient's other treating physicians of mistake.

Insurance fraud. Conviction of Medicare/Medicaid Fraud.

Internet prescribing without a bona-fide physician-patient relationship.

Failure to keep adequate medical records.

Writing prescriptions for patient is another person's name; stealing another physician's prescription pad and forgery of other physician's signature for self-medication of addiction.

Falsification of research data for publication.

Misleading and deceptive advertising.

Abuse of the physician-patient relations by recommending use of proprietary medications.

Allowing unlicensed individuals to perform medical tests and treatment.

Taking photographs or videos of patients during procedures without informed consent; taking photographs of children without consent of parents (supposedly for research purposes).

False billing; two-tiered billing; "up-billing"; "un-bundling" of fees; excessive fees; fee-spliting.

Use of "runners" for obtaining patient billinging information from other providers.

Referrals to self-owned medical diagnostic or treatment facilities.

Inappropriate disposal of medical waste. Failure to obtain Department of Health permit as "generator of medical waste."

Unnecessary testing or treatment.

Borrowing money from patients.

Abandonment of patient in distress; failure to provide referrals when requested.

Breach of patient confidentiality.

Refusal to treat, i.e., HIV+ discrimination.

Falsification of clinic attendance records to disguise pattern of absenteeism. Falsification of supervisory signatures.

Performing 2nd trimester terminations in medical office in violation of state law.