PCE Professional Standards and Ethics 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A physiotherapist working in a rural community is the only rehabilitation provider within 150 km. A patient with whom they have a personal friendship requires physiotherapy. What is the best course of action?
- Refuse treatment and refer the patient to a distant provider
- Treat the patient while documenting the dual relationship and managing boundaries carefully (Correct answer)
- Ask a colleague in another city to assume care entirely
- Treat the patient informally without formal documentation
Correct answer: Treat the patient while documenting the dual relationship and managing boundaries carefully
In rural settings, treating known persons may be unavoidable; the physiotherapist must document the relationship and maintain clear professional boundaries.
Question 2: According to Canadian physiotherapy ethical standards, which principle requires that patients receive fair access to care without discrimination?
- Non-maleficence
- Justice (Correct answer)
- Autonomy
- Veracity
Correct answer: Justice
Justice requires equitable distribution of care and prohibits discrimination based on race, gender, disability, or socioeconomic status.
Question 3: A physiotherapist observes that a student they are supervising uses incorrect manual therapy technique that could harm the patient. The therapist should:
- Allow the student to complete the technique to avoid embarrassment
- Intervene immediately to protect the patient, then debrief the student (Correct answer)
- Report the student to the university without providing feedback
- Document the error and address it after the patient leaves
Correct answer: Intervene immediately to protect the patient, then debrief the student
Patient safety always takes precedence; the supervisor must intervene immediately then use the situation as a learning opportunity.
Question 4: Which document outlines the ethical obligations of physiotherapists in Canada and is issued by the Canadian Physiotherapy Association?
- The Canada Health Act
- The Code of Ethics for Physiotherapists (Correct answer)
- The Regulated Health Professions Act
- The National Competency Profile
Correct answer: The Code of Ethics for Physiotherapists
The Canadian Physiotherapy Association's Code of Ethics outlines the ethical principles and obligations guiding physiotherapy practice across Canada.
Question 5: A patient with dementia is unable to provide informed consent for a physiotherapy procedure. Who should the physiotherapist obtain consent from?
- The treating physician
- The patient's substitute decision-maker or legal guardian (Correct answer)
- No one — implied consent applies in all clinical settings
- The hospital ethics committee
Correct answer: The patient's substitute decision-maker or legal guardian
When a patient lacks decision-making capacity, the substitute decision-maker or legal guardian is authorized to provide informed consent on their behalf.
Question 6: A physiotherapist provides treatment that falls outside the evidence base to satisfy a patient's strong preference. Which ethical principle is most at risk?
- Justice
- Autonomy
- Beneficence and non-maleficence (Correct answer)
- Veracity
Correct answer: Beneficence and non-maleficence
Providing non-evidence-based care risks patient harm and fails to promote their best interest, violating both beneficence and non-maleficence.
Question 7: A physiotherapist is offered a financial incentive by a pharmaceutical company to recommend their products to patients. This arrangement is best described as:
- A legitimate professional partnership
- An unethical conflict of interest that must be declined or disclosed (Correct answer)
- A marketing arrangement outside the scope of professional ethics
- Acceptable if the products are evidence-based
Correct answer: An unethical conflict of interest that must be declined or disclosed
Financial incentives tied to product recommendations create conflicts of interest that compromise clinical objectivity and violate professional ethics codes.
PCE Professional Standards and Ethics 3
A physiotherapist working in a rural community is the only rehabilitation provider within 150 km.
A patient with whom they have a personal friendship requires physiotherapy.
What is the best course of action?