NHI Professional Ethics 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient shares information about illegal drug use during an appointment. Under most circumstances, what governs whether this can be disclosed?
- The employer's personal judgment
- HIPAA and applicable state confidentiality laws (Correct answer)
- The facility's financial interests
- The provider's personal ethics only
Correct answer: HIPAA and applicable state confidentiality laws
HIPAA and state laws govern when and how patient health information, including sensitive disclosures, can be shared.
Question 2: Which of the following is an example of 'beneficence' in healthcare?
- Telling a patient the truth about their prognosis
- Performing actions that promote the patient's well-being (Correct answer)
- Distributing medical resources fairly
- Respecting a patient's right to refuse care
Correct answer: Performing actions that promote the patient's well-being
Beneficence is the ethical principle of acting in the best interest of the patient to promote their well-being.
Question 3: A healthcare worker is asked to perform a task they have not been trained to do. What is the most ethical response?
- Complete the task carefully to help the team
- Decline and inform the supervisor they lack the training (Correct answer)
- Watch a coworker do it once then attempt it
- Look up the procedure online and proceed
Correct answer: Decline and inform the supervisor they lack the training
Performing tasks without proper training risks patient harm and violates professional ethical and legal obligations.
Question 4: In the context of professional ethics, 'dual relationships' in healthcare refer to:
- Treating two patients at the same time
- Having both a professional and personal relationship with a patient (Correct answer)
- Working two jobs in the healthcare field
- Providing care under two different insurance plans
Correct answer: Having both a professional and personal relationship with a patient
Dual relationships occur when a professional has both a therapeutic and personal relationship with a patient, creating conflicts of interest.
Question 5: A patient's family member calls and demands a full update on the patient's condition. The patient has not given authorization. What should the healthcare professional do?
- Provide a general update to satisfy the family
- Refuse to share any information without the patient's authorization (Correct answer)
- Give information only if the family member sounds concerned
- Share information if the caller is a spouse
Correct answer: Refuse to share any information without the patient's authorization
Patient information cannot be shared with family members without the patient's explicit authorization under HIPAA.
Question 6: Which of the following actions demonstrates ethical use of social media by a healthcare professional?
- Posting an interesting patient case with details changed
- Never sharing any patient information on social media platforms
- Discussing de-identified cases in private online groups
- Posting general health tips unrelated to specific patients (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Posting general health tips unrelated to specific patients
Posting general, non-patient-specific health information is an appropriate use of social media for healthcare professionals.
Question 7: Which ethical principle is most directly applied when a healthcare facility ensures that services are available to patients regardless of their ability to pay?
- Fidelity
- Nonmaleficence
- Justice (Correct answer)
- Veracity
Correct answer: Justice
Justice requires fair distribution of healthcare resources and equitable access to services for all patients.
NHI Professional Ethics 5
A patient shares information about illegal drug use during an appointment.
Under most circumstances, what governs whether this can be disclosed?