Medical Ethics & Patient Rights Flashcards
7 cards from real CHP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Medical Ethics & Patient Rights flashcards as text
A physician discovers that a colleague is impaired while on duty. The physician's ethical obligation under most professional codes is to:
Answer: Report the impairment to appropriate supervisory or licensing authorities
Professional ethics require reporting an impaired colleague to protect patient safety, which takes precedence over collegial loyalty.
Which document allows a patient to appoint someone to make healthcare decisions if the patient becomes incapacitated?
Answer: Durable power of attorney for healthcare
A durable power of attorney for healthcare designates a specific person (healthcare proxy) to make medical decisions when the patient cannot.
A patient's right to access their own medical records under HIPAA is primarily governed by:
Answer: The Privacy Rule's individual access provision
HIPAA's Privacy Rule (45 CFR §164.524) grants individuals the right to inspect and obtain copies of their own PHI.
A research hospital wants to use patient data for a new study. To maintain ethical standards, participants must provide:
Answer: Written informed consent that is voluntary and comprehension-based
Research ethics require prospective, voluntary, written informed consent that ensures participants understand risks and benefits.
The ethical principle of non-maleficence most directly prohibits a provider from:
Answer: Performing unnecessary procedures that risk patient harm
Non-maleficence ('do no harm') prohibits actions that expose patients to unnecessary risk or injury without commensurate benefit.
A patient requests that their HIV-positive status not be documented in their electronic health record. The provider should:
Answer: Explain that clinically significant information must be documented for safe care
Providers have an ethical and legal duty to maintain accurate records; withholding clinically significant information could compromise safe and coordinated care.
Which ethical framework evaluates the morality of an action based solely on its consequences and overall outcome?
Answer: Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism judges actions by whether they maximize overall benefit and minimize harm across all affected parties.