Ethics!

Question 1

Communitarism/community ethics?

Answer 1

Is the act good for everyone who will be affected by the act?

Question 2

Deontology?

Answer 2

Is the act right or wrong in itself, irrespective of benefits for me, or other consequences?
Abiding to “duty of care”

Question 3

Consequentialism/utilitarianism?

Answer 3

Whether an action is right or wrong is dependent on the consequences – the action is right if it maximises the greatest positive consequence

Question 4

Religious theory

Answer 4

Does the act respect the sanctity of human life?

Question 5

Virtue ethics

Answer 5

Am I being honest to myself + consistent in my acts?

Professionalism and morals matter most

Question 6

4 ethical principles (Beauchamps & Childress)

Answer 6

Autonomy (free will)
Beneficence (do good)
Non-maleficence (do no harm)
Justice (fair distribution of gain/cost)

Question 7

A doctor deciding not to fully disclose a diagnosis to a 13 year old as they don’t seem to have full capacity to understand the illness and its implications, plus the news might be too distressing for the patient which ethical theory applies?

Answer 7

Utilitarianism or beneficience

Question 8

A 20 year old asks her GP to run some tests as she has been feeling very tired- which ethical theory applies?

Answer 8

Autonomy
Request is justifianle - patient wishes should be respected
Patients can refuse treatments and can ask for treatments
cannot demand - dr decides if in patinet’s best interests

Question 9

A 42 y/o patient is disappointed to be told she is not eligble for IVF free on the nhs- which ethical theory applies?

Answer 9

Community ethics

NHS limited resources, fair to set limits on some treatments, esp v expensive ones IVF

Question 10

An 82-year old patient with severe dementia, who does not even remember his name anymore, is refusing to
swallow his medication. The team therefore considers mixing the medication into his drink - which ethical theory applies?

Answer 10

Beneficence/ utilitarianism

Question 11

A GP says that he cannot refer a patient requesting abortion as it is against his beliefs, but refers her to his GP
colleague - which ethical theory applies?

Answer 11

Virtue ethics

Question 12

A 42-year old patient, who is terminally ill, asks her medical team to switch off her life support (ventilator).
This decision is respected and the ventilator is switched off. - which ethical theory applies?

Answer 12

Autonomy

Question 13

Deontology is?

Answer 13

Do what you think is right

Question 14

A patient from a wealthy background and an IV drug user from a run down area of Dundee both break their hips. What ethical principle is important in remembering when treating them

Answer 14

Justice - treat patients equally