Professional Ethics & Standards Flashcards

Which ethical concept describes the obligation to keep promises made to patients, such as ensuring their pain will be managed postoperatively?

Answer: Fidelity

Fidelity refers to keeping commitments and maintaining trust; promising adequate pain management and then delivering on that promise exemplifies fidelity.

A CAA is asked by a medical student to demonstrate an intubation on a patient without the patient's knowledge. The CAA should:

Answer: Refuse and explain that separate informed consent is required for teaching procedures

Patients have the right to know when trainees will be involved in their care; performing procedures for teaching purposes without consent violates patient autonomy.

A CAA believes a planned anesthesia technique is not in the patient's best interest but the supervising anesthesiologist insists. The CAA should FIRST:

Answer: Communicate their clinical concerns clearly to the supervisor and document them

The CAA has a professional duty to voice clinical concerns through appropriate channels, starting with direct communication with the supervising anesthesiologist.

Under HIPAA, a CAA may share patient health information without explicit patient authorization in which situation?

Answer: When required by law, such as reporting certain communicable diseases

HIPAA permits disclosure of protected health information without authorization for legally mandated public health reporting activities, such as notifiable disease reporting.

The ethical obligation of non-abandonment in anesthesia means the CAA must:

Answer: Not withdraw from a patient's care without ensuring appropriate continuity

Non-abandonment prohibits abruptly withdrawing care without ensuring another qualified provider takes over, as this could leave the patient in a vulnerable and unsafe position.

A CAA is offered an opportunity to participate in a clinical research study involving anesthesia patients. Ethically, participant enrollment requires:

Answer: Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval and fully informed voluntary patient consent

Human subjects research requires IRB oversight to protect participants' rights and welfare, plus fully informed voluntary consent from each patient enrolled.

Which statement best describes the CAA's ethical responsibility when an anesthetic complication causes patient harm?

Answer: Disclose the adverse event honestly to the patient and document it accurately

Ethical standards and most state laws require timely, honest disclosure of adverse events to patients, which supports trust, patient autonomy, and systemic quality improvement.