Ethics and Legal Duties Flashcards
7 cards from real MCCQE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Ethics and Legal Duties flashcards as text
A physician is treating a long-term patient who is also a close personal friend. Which ethical risk does this relationship most create?
Answer: Boundary violation and compromised objectivity
Dual relationships can compromise clinical objectivity, impair professional judgment, and create boundary violations.
A physician receives a gift worth $500 from a grateful patient. What is the most ethically appropriate response?
Answer: Decline politely or accept only nominal gifts and document accordingly
Accepting substantial gifts can create real or perceived conflicts of interest; physicians should decline or limit gifts to nominal value.
Which element is NOT required for legally valid informed consent in Canada?
Answer: Written signature on a consent form
Informed consent can be verbal or implied; a written signature is evidence of consent but not a legal requirement for validity.
A physician is called to testify as an expert witness in a malpractice case. What is their primary duty?
Answer: Provide impartial, objective evidence to assist the court
Expert witnesses have a duty to the court to provide honest, objective, and impartial testimony regardless of who retained them.
A patient with schizophrenia is stable on medication but refuses to take it, believing they no longer need it. Capacity assessment shows they are currently capable. What is the ethical course of action?
Answer: Respect the refusal and develop a safety plan
A currently capable patient's refusal must be respected; the physician should document, discuss risks, and plan for monitoring.
Which of the following situations creates a mandatory reporting obligation for a Canadian physician regardless of patient consent?
Answer: A patient with untreated epileptic seizures who holds a commercial driver's licence
Physicians in most provinces have a legal duty to report patients with seizure disorders who drive, particularly commercial drivers, to the relevant transport authority.
A terminally ill patient asks their physician to write a prescription for a lethal dose of medication to end their life on their own terms (assisted suicide). The patient does not qualify for MAID under current criteria. What should the physician do?
Answer: Decline, explain the legal limits, and explore palliative and MAID eligibility options
Assisted suicide outside MAID criteria remains illegal in Canada; the physician should decline, explore eligibility, and optimize palliative care.