BS - Ethics (Ethical situations) Flashcards
Give the appropriate response to the following situation: Patient is not adherent.
Attempt to identify the reason for nonadherence and determine his/her willingness to change; do not coerce the patient into adhering or refer him/her to another physician
Give the appropriate response to the following situation: Patient desires an unnecessary procedure.
Attempt to understand why the patient wants the procedure and address underlying concerns. Do not refuse to see the patient or refer him/her to another physician. Avoid performing unnecessary procedures.
Give the appropriate response to the following situation: Patient has difficulty taking medications.
Provide written instructions; attempt to simplify treatment regimens; use teach-back method (ask patient to repeat medication regimen back to physician) to ensure patient comprehension.
Give the appropriate response to the following situation: Family members ask for information about patient’s prognosis.
Avoid discussing issues with relatives without permission of the patient.
Give the appropriate response to the following situation: A patient’s family members asks you not to disclose the results of a test if the prognosis is poor because the patient will be “unable to handle it.”
Attempt to identify why the family member believes such information would be detrimental to the patient’s condition. Explain that as long as the patient has decision-making capacity and does not indicate otherwise, communication of information concerning his/her care will not be withheld.
Give the appropriate response to the following situation: A child wishes to know more about his/her illness.
Ask what the parents have told the child about his/her illness. Parents of a child decide what information can be relayed about the illness.
Give the appropriate response to the following situation: A 17-year-old girl is pregnant and request an abortion.
Many states require parental notification or consent for minors for an abortion. Unless she is at medical risk, do not advise a patient to have an abortion regardless of her age or the condition of the fetus.
Give the appropriate response to the following situation: A 15-year-old girl is pregnant and wants to keep the child. Her parents want you to tell her to give the child up for adoption.
The patient retains the right to make decisions regarding her child, even if her parents disagree. Provide information to the teenager about the practical issues of caring for a baby. Discuss the options, if requested. Encourage discussion between the teenager and her parents to reach the best decision.
Give the appropriate response to the following situation: A terminally ill patient requests physician assistance in ending own life.
In the overwhelming majority of states, refuse involvement in any form of physician-assisted suicide. Physicians may, however, prescribe medically appropriate analgesics that coincidentally shorten the patient’s life.
Give the appropriate response to the following situation: Patient is suicidal.
Assess the seriousness of the threat; if it is serious, suggest that the patient remain in the hospital voluntarily; patient can be hospitalize involuntarily if he/she refuses.
Give the appropriate response to the following situation: Patient states that he/she finds you attractive.
Ask direct, close-ended questions and use a chaperone if necessary. Romantic relationships with patients are never appropriate. Never say, “There can be no relationship while you are a patient,” because this implies that a relationship may be possible if the individual is no longer a patient.
Give the appropriate response to the following situation: A woman who had a mastectomy says she now feels “ugly.”
Find out why the patient feels this way. Do not offer falsely reassuring statements (e.g., “You still look good.”).
Give the appropriate response to the following situation: Patient is angry about the amount of time he/she spent in the waiting room.
Acknowledge the patient’s anger, but do not take a patient’s anger personally. Apologize for any inconvenience. Stay away from efforts to explain the delay.
Give the appropriate response to the following situation: Patient is upset with the way he/she was treated by another doctor.
Suggest that the patient speak directly to that physician regarding his/her concerns. If the problem is with a member of the office staff, tell the patient you will speak to that person.
Give the appropriate response to the following situation: A drug company offers a “referral fee” for every patient a physician enrolls in a study.
Eligible patients who may benefit from the study may be enrolled, but it is never acceptable for a physician to receive compensation from a drug company. Patients must be told about the existence of a referral fee.
