CDT Medical Ethics & Patient Rights 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A dyslexia therapist wants to share a student's progress data with a university research team. What is required before disclosing this information?
- Written informed consent from the student or guardian (Correct answer)
- Verbal permission from the student only
- Approval from the therapist's supervisor
- A signed agreement between the therapist and the university
Correct answer: Written informed consent from the student or guardian
Written informed consent from the student or their legal guardian is required before sharing identifiable information with any third party, including researchers.
Question 2: Which principle of biomedical ethics obligates a CDT therapist to act in the best interest of the student, even when that may conflict with institutional policies?
- Autonomy
- Non-maleficence
- Beneficence (Correct answer)
- Justice
Correct answer: Beneficence
Beneficence requires the practitioner to act in the patient's or student's best interest, prioritizing their welfare above institutional convenience.
Question 3: A parent requests that a CDT therapist withhold the student's dyslexia diagnosis from the student themselves. Ethically, how should the therapist respond?
- Comply fully with the parent's request
- Share the diagnosis with the student in an age-appropriate manner after discussing with the parent (Correct answer)
- Immediately disclose the diagnosis without consulting the parent
- Refer the case to another therapist to avoid conflict
Correct answer: Share the diagnosis with the student in an age-appropriate manner after discussing with the parent
The therapist should discuss the importance of age-appropriate disclosure with the parent, as withholding a diagnosis can harm the student's self-understanding and autonomy.
Question 4: Under FERPA, which of the following has the right to access a minor student's educational records?
- Any licensed healthcare provider involved in the student's care
- The student's parents or legal guardians (Correct answer)
- Teachers who are not directly involved in the student's instruction
- The therapist's professional licensing board
Correct answer: The student's parents or legal guardians
FERPA grants parents or legal guardians the right to access their minor child's educational records, which may include therapy and assessment documentation.
Question 5: A CDT therapist discovers that a colleague is using an unvalidated assessment tool and misrepresenting results to families. What is the most appropriate ethical course of action?
- Ignore it to maintain collegial relationships
- Report the concern through appropriate professional or institutional channels (Correct answer)
- Confront the colleague publicly at a staff meeting
- Advise the families directly without consulting the colleague
Correct answer: Report the concern through appropriate professional or institutional channels
Reporting through proper channels, such as a supervisor or ethics board, addresses the concern while following due process and protecting all parties.
Question 6: Which concept describes a patient's right to make decisions about their own care, including the right to refuse services?
- Beneficence
- Justice
- Autonomy (Correct answer)
- Non-maleficence
Correct answer: Autonomy
Autonomy is the ethical principle that upholds a person's right to self-determination, including the right to accept or refuse interventions.
Question 7: A CDT therapist is ending services with a student due to relocation. What is the ethically required step regarding continuity of care?
- Provide the family with a list of qualified referral providers (Correct answer)
- Immediately discharge the student without further action
- Transfer all records to a new therapist without parental consent
- Continue services remotely without assessing the student's needs
Correct answer: Provide the family with a list of qualified referral providers
Ethical practice requires the therapist to facilitate continuity of care by providing referrals so the student's progress is not interrupted.
CDT Medical Ethics & Patient Rights 2
A dyslexia therapist wants to share a student's progress data with a university research team.
What is required before disclosing this information?