PAM Medical Ethics & Patient Rights 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient refuses ultrasound therapy recommended by their physical therapist. Which ethical principle requires the therapist to honor this decision?
- Beneficence
- Nonmaleficence
- Autonomy (Correct answer)
- Justice
Correct answer: Autonomy
Autonomy is the ethical principle that upholds a competent patient's right to make their own healthcare decisions.
Question 2: When documenting informed consent for a PAM procedure, which element is LEAST critical to include?
- Expected benefits of the treatment
- Therapist's personal opinion of the patient (Correct answer)
- Potential risks and side effects
- Available alternative treatments
Correct answer: Therapist's personal opinion of the patient
A therapist's personal opinion of the patient is not a required or appropriate element of informed consent documentation.
Question 3: A therapist applies electrical stimulation beyond the prescribed parameters without notifying the supervising physician. This action most directly violates which principle?
- Justice
- Fidelity (Correct answer)
- Veracity
- Nonmaleficence
Correct answer: Fidelity
Fidelity refers to faithfulness to one's professional duties and commitments, which includes adhering to prescribed treatment parameters.
Question 4: Under HIPAA, a physical therapist may share a patient's treatment records without explicit authorization in which scenario?
- A neighbor asks about the patient's condition
- Treatment coordination with the patient's referring physician (Correct answer)
- A journalist investigating hospital practices
- An employer requesting injury details
Correct answer: Treatment coordination with the patient's referring physician
HIPAA permits disclosure of protected health information for treatment purposes, including coordination with other healthcare providers involved in the patient's care.
Question 5: Which scenario best represents a breach of patient confidentiality in a PAM clinical setting?
- Discussing a patient's progress with the referring physician
- Sharing de-identified case data in a professional journal
- Mentioning a patient's diagnosis to a family member without consent (Correct answer)
- Recording treatment notes in a secured electronic health record
Correct answer: Mentioning a patient's diagnosis to a family member without consent
Disclosing a patient's diagnosis to a family member without the patient's consent violates confidentiality, regardless of intent.
Question 6: A therapist suspects a pediatric patient is being abused. Ethically and legally, the therapist should:
- Wait for the patient to disclose the abuse voluntarily
- Report the suspicion to the appropriate child protective services (Correct answer)
- Discuss concerns only with clinic colleagues
- Document suspicions but take no further action
Correct answer: Report the suspicion to the appropriate child protective services
Healthcare providers are mandated reporters and are legally required to report reasonable suspicions of child abuse to child protective services.
Question 7: The principle of justice in healthcare ethics primarily requires that therapists:
- Always prioritize the most seriously ill patients first
- Distribute care fairly and without discrimination (Correct answer)
- Avoid any treatment that could cause harm
- Tell patients the complete truth about their prognosis
Correct answer: Distribute care fairly and without discrimination
Justice requires equitable distribution of resources and treatment without bias related to race, gender, age, disability, or socioeconomic status.
PAM Medical Ethics & Patient Rights 2
A patient refuses ultrasound therapy recommended by their physical therapist.
Which ethical principle requires the therapist to honor this decision?