Ethics Flashcards
True/False
Autonomy, ethically, is more important than beneficence
True
Order of decision making for family members if the patient has lost capacity
Spouse > Adult children > Parents > Siblings
When is a court order the right answer?
A patient has no capacity and no proxy; his family is split about whether to continue care
Caregivers want to withdraw care and the ethics committee cannot reach a conclusion
What exceptions exist for minors to have decision-making capacity?
Contraception, prenatal care, substance abuse treatment, and STDs
When do you have to tell the parents if a minor wants an abortion?
Legally, the states are split
Look for an answer that says something similar to “tell the minor to notify her parents”
If a patient is brain dead, can you stop treatment even if the family demands that they stay on mechanical ventilation?
Yes
Court order and ethics committee are wrong answers in this scenario
What to DNRs refer to?
Do not resuscitate orders refer only to withholding CPR
They do NOT refer to any other form of therapy (abx, chemo, surgery)
Terminal Sedation and Law of Double Effect
It is acceptable to administer pain medication even if there is a possibility of the treatment shortening the patient’s life
The question is one of intent (okay if pain management is the primary goal, not okay if the goal is to shorten life)
When is payment for organ and tissue donation acceptable?
For sperm and egg donation
Payment for organ donation is unacceptable
Who can obtain consent for organ donation?
Only the organ donor network
It is unethical for the physician to ask
Can a family refuse organ donation even if the patient has an organ donor card?
Yes
When can a patient’s right to confidentiality be broken?
Danger to others
STDs (HIV/AIDS), airborne communicable diseases (TB), Homicidal ideation
When are you required to provide health-related protected records to government agencies, including law enforcement?
If they present a valid warrant or subpoena
Do HIV-positive healthcare workers have to disclose their status to their patients or their employer?
No
What do you do when a patient has a seizure disorder and refuses to stop driving?
The answer will be “suggest they find another means of transportation”
States have no uniformity of laws
