MHA Professionalism and Ethics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A hospital administrator discovers that a senior physician is billing for services not rendered. The administrator's primary ethical obligation is to:
- Confront the physician privately and give them a chance to self-report
- Report the conduct through proper compliance channels immediately (Correct answer)
- Monitor the situation for several months before taking action
- Inform only the board chair without involving compliance
Correct answer: Report the conduct through proper compliance channels immediately
Healthcare administrators must report known fraud through established compliance channels without delay, as inaction creates legal and ethical liability.
Question 2: Which ethical principle most directly supports a patient's right to refuse treatment even when that refusal may result in death?
- Beneficence
- Justice
- Autonomy (Correct answer)
- Nonmaleficence
Correct answer: Autonomy
Autonomy is the principle that competent patients have the right to make their own healthcare decisions, including refusing life-sustaining treatment.
Question 3: An MHA student completing a residency observes their preceptor accepting gifts from a pharmaceutical vendor. The most appropriate first step is to:
- Report it directly to state licensing authorities
- Consult the organization's code of conduct and discuss concerns with a mentor (Correct answer)
- Ignore it as a common industry practice
- Post about it on professional social media for peer input
Correct answer: Consult the organization's code of conduct and discuss concerns with a mentor
Reviewing the organization's code of conduct and consulting a trusted mentor is the appropriate initial step before escalating a vendor gift concern.
Question 4: The principle of distributive justice in healthcare administration is best illustrated by:
- Ensuring informed consent is obtained before all procedures
- Allocating scarce ICU beds based on clinical need and likelihood of benefit (Correct answer)
- Protecting patient information from unauthorized disclosure
- Avoiding conflicts of interest in vendor contracting
Correct answer: Allocating scarce ICU beds based on clinical need and likelihood of benefit
Distributive justice concerns the fair allocation of resources, such as distributing scarce ICU beds according to need and expected outcomes.
Question 5: A healthcare organization's ethics committee is MOST valuable when:
- Making binding clinical decisions for physicians
- Providing consultation and guidance on complex ethical dilemmas (Correct answer)
- Replacing legal counsel in malpractice disputes
- Enforcing compliance with HIPAA regulations
Correct answer: Providing consultation and guidance on complex ethical dilemmas
Ethics committees serve as consultative bodies that help staff, patients, and families navigate difficult ethical dilemmas—they do not make binding decisions.
Question 6: When a healthcare administrator has a financial interest in a vendor that supplies their organization, the FIRST required action is:
- Divest the financial interest immediately without disclosure
- Disclose the conflict of interest to appropriate leadership and recuse from related decisions (Correct answer)
- Proceed normally if the vendor provides the lowest bid
- Seek board approval to retain the interest and continue overseeing the contract
Correct answer: Disclose the conflict of interest to appropriate leadership and recuse from related decisions
Disclosure and recusal are the required first steps when a conflict of interest exists, allowing the organization to manage the situation appropriately.
Question 7: Which federal law primarily governs the anti-kickback and self-referral concerns that healthcare administrators must monitor?
- HIPAA
- The Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute (Correct answer)
- The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA)
- The False Claims Act only
Correct answer: The Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute
The Stark Law prohibits self-referrals and the Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits inducements for referrals—both are central compliance concerns for healthcare administrators.
MHA Professionalism and Ethics 2
A hospital administrator discovers that a senior physician is billing for services not rendered.
The administrator's primary ethical obligation is to: