CCTC Ethical and Legal Considerations 2

Question 1

A family member insists on donating a kidney to a relative but privately tells the coordinator they feel coerced by other family members. What is the ethically appropriate next step?

Accepted Answer

Arrange an independent psychosocial evaluation and ensure private counseling

Answer

Proceed with donation since the patient consented verbally

Answer

Notify the transplant surgeon to override the family pressure

Answer

Document the concern and continue the evaluation process without intervention

Question 2

Under UNOS policy, which of the following best describes the concept of 'medical urgency' in organ allocation?

Accepted Answer

The likelihood that a candidate will die or become too sick to benefit without a transplant

Answer

The candidate's ability to pay for post-transplant care

Answer

The candidate's time on the waiting list relative to others

Answer

The geographic proximity of the donor hospital to the recipient center

Question 3

A brain-dead patient's legally designated healthcare proxy consents to donation, but adult children object. Who has legal authority to authorize donation?

Accepted Answer

The designated healthcare proxy, as legally authorized decision-maker

Answer

The adult children, because they are next of kin

Answer

The attending physician, because the patient is brain dead

Answer

The hospital ethics committee, which must resolve family disputes

Question 4

Which federal law requires hospitals to notify their Organ Procurement Organization of all deaths and imminent deaths?

Accepted Answer

The Conditions of Participation (CoP) for Medicare/Medicaid

Answer

The National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA)

Answer

The Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (UAGA)

Answer

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Question 5

A transplant candidate asks the coordinator to keep a serious medication non-adherence history from the transplant team. How should the coordinator respond?

Accepted Answer

Inform the patient that material clinical information must be shared with the team

Answer

Honor the request to maintain patient confidentiality

Answer

Report it only if the non-adherence directly caused organ failure

Answer

Defer the decision to the patient's primary care physician

Question 6

Which ethical principle most directly supports offering a transplant to an older candidate with lower expected graft survival over a younger candidate with higher expected survival?

Accepted Answer

Justice

Answer

Beneficence

Answer

Non-maleficence

Answer

Autonomy

Question 7

A coordinator discovers that a colleague falsified a recipient's lab values to improve their organ allocation score. What is the most appropriate immediate action?

Accepted Answer

Report the incident to institutional leadership and the OPO compliance department

Answer

Confront the colleague privately before taking further action

Answer

Document the observation and wait for corroborating evidence

Answer

Alert the transplant surgeon only, as they are responsible for the patient