Lecture 25 - Legal and Ethical Issues

Question 1

A patient’s _______ to make decisions is determined by physicians, while ______ to make decisions is determined by a judge and supersedes a physician’s opinion.

Answer 1

Capacity

Competence

Question 2

To determine capacity, Patients must demonstrate:
1. _______ of their condition and relevant medical facts.

2. _______ –> ability to convey capacity intelligibly and consistently.
3. _______ –> logical reasoning, even if it tries to justify a poor decision.
4. ________ –> ability to demonstrate they know the situation is real.

Answer 2

1. Understanding
2. Communication
3. Rational
4. Appreciate

Question 3

Can someone have the capacity to make one decision but not another?

Answer 3

Yes