Medicolegal and Ethics

Question 1

4 ethical principles

Answer 1

Safety
Virtue
Dignity
Fairness

Question 2

3 types of consent

Answer 2

Expressed
Implied
Substituted

Question 3

Capacity Assessment

Answer 3

The MCA says a person is unable to make a decision if they cannot:

1) understand the information relevant to the decision
2) retain that information
3) use or weigh up that information as part of the process of making the decision

Question 4

Mental Capacity Act age limit

Answer 4

It applies to people aged 16 and over.

Question 5

5 Mental Capacity act principles

Answer 5

The MCA says:

• assume a person has the capacity to make a decision themselves, unless it’s proved otherwise
• wherever possible, help people to make their own decisions
• do not treat a person as lacking the capacity to make a decision just because they make an unwise decision
• if you make a decision for someone who does not have capacity, it must be in their best interests
• treatment and care provided to someone who lacks capacity should be the least restrictive of their basic rights and freedoms

Question 6

Age at which a person is deemed to have capacity and can give consent

Answer 6

16

Question 7

Who can give consent for a child?

Answer 7

1) the child’s mother or father

2) the child’s legally appointed guardian

3) a person with a residence order concerning the child

4) a local authority designated to care for the child

5) a local authority or person with an emergency protection order for the child

Question 8

How many parents are needed to give consent for it to be valid?

Answer 8

By law, healthcare professionals only need 1 person with parental responsibility to give consent for them to provide treatment.

Question 9

What is Gillick Competent?

Answer 9

Children under the age of 16 can consent to their own treatment if they’re believed to have enough intelligence, competence and understanding to fully appreciate what’s involved in their treatment.

Question 10

For consent to be valid, it must be…

Answer 10

• voluntary
• informed
• and the person consenting must have the capacity to make the decision.

Question 11

What is Anchoring bias?

Answer 11

Cognitive bias that causes us to rely heavily on the first piece of information we are given about a topic

Question 12

What is Confirmation bias?

Answer 12

Favor of information confirming previous belief

Question 13

What is Framing bias?

Answer 13

Favor based on presentation of information in negative or positive context

Question 14

4 key principles of medical ethics

Answer 14

Autonomy
Beneficence
Non-maleficence
Justice