Professionalism & Ethical Medical Practice Flashcards
7 cards from real ABPS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Professionalism & Ethical Medical Practice flashcards as text
A physician is approached by media regarding a celebrity patient's condition. The appropriate response is to:
Answer: Decline to comment and refer media to the hospital's public relations office
Physician confidentiality extends to all patients regardless of celebrity status; all media inquiries should be redirected to authorized hospital representatives.
The principle of 'double effect' in medical ethics most commonly applies to:
Answer: Administering pain medication that may hasten death as a foreseen but unintended consequence
The doctrine of double effect permits actions with both good and bad effects when the harmful effect is unintended and the benefit outweighs the harm.
A physician realizes they made a medical error that caused patient harm. Ethically, the physician must:
Answer: Disclose the error honestly to the patient and apologize
Ethical and professional standards require physicians to disclose errors to patients, including an honest explanation and apology.
Which statement best defines informed refusal?
Answer: A patient's right to refuse treatment after being fully informed of risks and alternatives
Informed refusal is the corollary to informed consent, where a competent patient declines treatment after being fully informed of the consequences.
A surrogate decision-maker disagrees with the medical team about withdrawing life support. The most appropriate next step is:
Answer: Involve an ethics committee to mediate the conflict
Ethics committee consultation is the appropriate mechanism for resolving conflicts between surrogates and medical teams regarding end-of-life decisions.
Professional boundaries in the physician-patient relationship prohibit:
Answer: Treating immediate family members in non-emergencies
Treating close family members creates boundary issues and conflicts of interest; it is generally prohibited except in emergencies.
Which of the following is an example of a physician violating the principle of veracity?
Answer: Withholding a terminal diagnosis to prevent patient distress without consent
Veracity requires truthfulness; withholding a terminal diagnosis without the patient's prior consent to limit information violates this principle.