DO Bioethics and Medical Law 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which ethical principle requires physicians to act in the best interest of the patient?
- Beneficence (Correct answer)
- Autonomy
- Non-maleficence
- Justice
Correct answer: Beneficence
Beneficence obligates physicians to take positive actions that promote the health and well-being of their patients.
Question 2: A competent adult patient refuses a life-saving blood transfusion for religious reasons. The physician should:
- Respect the refusal and provide alternative care (Correct answer)
- Transfuse the patient against their will to save their life
- Seek a court order to override the decision
- Transfer the patient to another physician immediately
Correct answer: Respect the refusal and provide alternative care
A competent adult's right to refuse treatment, even life-saving treatment, is protected by the ethical principle of autonomy and upheld by US law.
Question 3: Informed consent requires the physician to disclose which of the following elements?
- Diagnosis, treatment options, risks, benefits, and alternatives (Correct answer)
- Only the recommended treatment plan
- Prognosis without mentioning risks
- Risks only if the patient asks
Correct answer: Diagnosis, treatment options, risks, benefits, and alternatives
Valid informed consent requires disclosure of the diagnosis, proposed treatment, material risks and benefits, alternatives, and consequences of refusal.
Question 4: Under HIPAA, protected health information (PHI) may be disclosed without patient authorization for which purpose?
- Public health reporting of communicable diseases (Correct answer)
- Marketing by a pharmaceutical company
- Sharing with the patient's employer
- Research for a private company without IRB approval
Correct answer: Public health reporting of communicable diseases
HIPAA permits disclosure of PHI without authorization for public health activities such as reporting communicable diseases to state health departments.
Question 5: A physician discovers that a colleague is impaired by substance use and posing a risk to patients. The physician's ethical obligation is to:
- Report the colleague to the appropriate authority or licensing board (Correct answer)
- Confront the colleague privately but take no further action
- Cover for the colleague to protect their career
- Ignore it unless a patient complains
Correct answer: Report the colleague to the appropriate authority or licensing board
Physicians have a professional duty to protect patients from harm, which requires reporting an impaired colleague to hospital administration or the state medical board.
Question 6: The legal doctrine of 'respondeat superior' means that in a medical malpractice case:
- An employer is liable for the negligent acts of employees acting within scope of employment (Correct answer)
- Physicians are immune from lawsuits for emergency care
- The burden of proof lies with the physician
- Expert testimony is not required to prove negligence
Correct answer: An employer is liable for the negligent acts of employees acting within scope of employment
Respondeat superior ('let the master answer') holds hospitals or physician employers vicariously liable for negligence committed by their employed staff.
DO Bioethics and Medical Law 1
Which ethical principle requires physicians to act in the best interest of the patient?