Medical Ethics

Question 1

What is ethics?

Answer 1

The discipline of dealing with moral principles or values that guide our personal conduct

Question 2

What are morals?

Answer 2

Precepts which form one’s behavior and dictate the conduct in which we engage

Question 3

What are values?

Answer 3

Core beliefs that guide and motivate attitudes and actions – not all values are ethical or moral ex: happiness

Question 4

What are the moral foundations?

Answer 4

Care, liberty, fairness, loyalty, authority, sanctity

Question 5

How do ethics and the law differ?

Answer 5

The law sets minimum standards for societal behavior while ethics establish higher than minimum standards for behavior that individuals should strive for as ideal

Question 6

What is biomedical ethics?

Answer 6

a branch of study of ethical behavior applied to the clinical environment– making choices considering all possible options, considering the best option for a particular individual, and considering the potential results of options

Question 7

What is a code of ethics?

Answer 7

Ethical guidelines and expectations of performance for a group or class of individuals

Question 8

What does a code of ethics represent?

Answer 8

Represents ideal relationships and standards of conduct/behavior demanded of individuals within a profession: duties, responsibilities, obligations

Question 9

What are the four fundamental principles of medical ethics?

Answer 9

Patient autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice

Question 10

What is the 5th medical ethics standard from the AOA?

Answer 10

Non-patient professional relationships – doctors and staff, community, sales people

Question 11

What codes of ethics do we have in optometry?

Answer 11

Code of ethics, standards of conduct, and optometric oath

Question 12

What are the two focuses of the AOA code, standards, and oath?

Answer 12

Primary: the doctor-patient relationship// secondary doctor-society relationships

Question 13

Explain patient autonomy

Answer 13

Duty to involve the patient in care and treatment decisions in a meaningful way// control vs dominance

Question 14

Explain veracity vs candor

Answer 14

veracity is telling the truth while candor is telling the WHOLE truth

Question 15

Explain non-maleficence

Answer 15

Do no harm// duty to avoid acts of omission (not doing something) or commission (doing something) that would harm a patient

Question 16

Explain Eye Care vs I Care

Answer 16

Patients often cannot discern the quality of care being provided but can recognize the quality of caring

Question 17

Explain beneficence

Answer 17

Do good// duty to serve the needs of the patient and the public proactively regarding eye, vision, and general health

Question 18

What are examples of beneficence for optometrists?

Answer 18

Professional organizations, community screenings, public awareness campaigns

Question 19

Explain justice

Answer 19

Duty to treat patients, colleagues, and society fairly and without prejudice

Question 20

Explain justice in advertising

Answer 20

All claims should be truthful and in accordance with regulations, must identify professional degree/profession

Question 21

Explain justice in optometry advertising

Answer 21

No claims of superior knowledge or credentials other than degree, certification, and license// illegal to claim specialty

Question 22

Explain non-patient professional relationship

Answer 22

Obligation to conduct themselves with integrity and without conflicts of interest in all of their professional relationships

Question 23

What does it mean to be a professional?

Answer 23

Striving to do good, minimizing risks, respecting autonomy, fairness, confidentiality, protecting the vulnerable, being an exemplary citizen