title: Legalism and ethics in healthcare.
abstract: Legalism is the translation of moral problems into legal problems--the repression of moral debate for fear it will be translated into a legal mandate. Some assert that legalism interferes with the serious debate of significant moral issues, while others believe that it elevates moral judgments to moral standards. The purpose of this article is to describe legalism and its impact on ethical decision-making, particularly in the wound care setting.
authors.affiliation: SIZEWise Rentals, Ellis, Kansas, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Gallagher
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D004989:Ethics; D006801:Humans; D011057:Politics; D011640:Public Policy; D012067:Religion; D014481:United States