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WorksheetsHealthcare Ethics — Knowledge Check
Total questions: 34
Worksheet time: 17mins
Can a person adhere to their own morals and violate an ethical principle at the same time?
Yes
No
Can a person adhere to ethical principles and violate their own morals at the same time?
Yes
No
Can a person adhere to the law and violate ethical principles at the same time?
Yes
No
Do ethical principles always align with the law?
Yes
No
Which primary ethical principle emphasizes a healthcare consumer’s control over their body and independence in healthcare decisions?
Autonomy
Beneficence
Justice
Non-maleficence
Conditions that must be met for a person to exercise autonomy include being free of coercion or persuasion, being competent to make decisions, and being informed about healthcare diagnoses and treatments. Which statements are required? (Select all that apply.)
Free of coercion or persuasion
Competent to make decisions
Informed about healthcare diagnoses and treatments
Under sedation to remain calm
Agreeing with the clinician’s recommendation
Which practice is closely associated with autonomy and requires clinicians to share information accurately and understandably?
Honesty
Deception
Withholding pertinent information
Coercion
In this material, individual preferences are described as a person’s wishes based on their perception of value regarding their health and well-being. Which option best matches that description?
Wishes grounded in the individual’s own values about their health and well-being
Choices based solely on a clinician’s recommendation
Decisions determined by family members without input
Preferences that are the same for people with the same religion
Paternalism occurs when someone makes a decision or takes action that they feel is in the best interest of another person. Which option best defines paternalism in clinical care?
Deciding for another person because it is believed to be best for them
Providing only what the person specifically requests
Always following advance directives without exception
Letting the person choose even when they lack decision-making capacity
Which scenario reflects hard paternalism as described in the material?
Performing a procedure without informed consent or concealing pertinent information
A parent making decisions for their minor child
A surrogate deciding for an incapacitated adult
Clarifying information before a person signs consent
Veracity, a virtue associated with autonomy, most closely means what in clinical communication?
Speaking the truth by sharing comprehensive, accurate, understandable information
Giving only positive news to avoid distress
Telling partial truths to speed decision-making
Deferring disclosure to family members
People have a right to be informed about medical mistakes, yet malpractice risk can deter disclosure. Which additional factors could reasonably deter a clinician from being truthful? (Select all that apply.)
Fear of damaging the therapeutic relationship
Organizational pressure to avoid disclosure
Concern about causing significant distress to the person
Confidence that full disclosure always guarantees faster recovery
Fidelity, a virtue associated with autonomy, is described as honoring one’s professional commitment. Which option best captures fidelity in practice?
Maintaining loyal, trusting relationships and providing competent, high-quality care
Prioritizing financial incentives over patient needs
Limiting information to expedite workflow
Letting personal beliefs override professional obligations
For informed consent, providers must share information about a procedure or treatment. Which items are required to be discussed? (Select all that apply.)
Risks
Benefits
Alternatives
Prognosis with and without the procedure or treatment
The clinician’s salary history
To give consent, the person must meet certain requirements. Which are required? (Select all that apply.)
Be conscious
Be able to convey a preference and permission
Be able to comprehend information
Have decision-making rights (which may vary by state)
Be free from all financial responsibility
When providing information necessary for informed consent, which actions should clinicians take? (Select all that apply.)
Investigate the person’s cultural beliefs
Ensure all relevant information is delivered in an understandable way
Answer questions and provide clarity
Never use coercion and assess for coercion by others
Respect the right to refuse or withdraw consent at any time
The informed consent process is at risk for hard paternalism when clinicians deliberately leave out or adjust information to sway a decision. Which option best identifies this risk?
Altering or omitting information to influence consent
Providing teach-back to confirm understanding
Offering balanced alternatives and their risks
Encouraging the person to involve a support person
According to the rights listed, people are entitled to safe, respectful care consistent with their beliefs and preferences, complete information about their condition, care, and prognosis, and appropriate assessment and treatment of pain. Which of the following are rights identified here? (Select all that apply.)
Safe, respectful care aligned with individual beliefs and preferences
Complete information about condition, care, and prognosis
Appropriate assessment and treatment of pain
Free elective cosmetic procedures upon request
A person or surrogate may demand nonbeneficial treatment, but providers have a duty to practice responsibly and may refuse futile treatments. Limiting which principle does this exception primarily describe?
Autonomy
Justice
Non-maleficence
Veracity
Beneficence is described as the act of doing good that maximizes the person’s well-being. Which option best defines beneficence in this material?
The duty to provide care that promotes the person’s well-being, which may include supporting psychological health or quality of life
The obligation to avoid all risk, even when benefits outweigh risks
Strictly following the person’s preferences regardless of harm
Limiting care to physical health outcomes only
Practice implications of beneficence include several protective actions. Which of the following are entailed by beneficence? (Select all that apply.)
Ensuring safety
Being an advocate
Aiding those with disabilities
Serving those in jeopardy
Protecting the vulnerable
When a person has severe mental illness or suicidal ideation and is at risk of self-harm, which principle may supersede autonomy to protect the person?
Beneficence
Justice
Veracity
Confidentiality
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits payments to induce or reward referrals for services paid by federal programs. Which items could constitute illegal rewards under this statute? (Select all that apply.)
Cash
Free or reduced rent
Expensive accommodations and meals
Excessive compensation for medical directorships or consults
Education paid personally by the provider with no referral expectation
The Stark Law prevents which type of referral by physicians?
Referrals for health services when the physician or an immediate family member has a financial relationship with the service provider
Referrals to facilities outside the physician’s hospital network
Referrals across state lines
Referrals for preventive services only
Under the Federal False Claims Act, which action constitutes a violation?
Knowingly billing for services that were not provided
Submitting accurate codes supported by documentation
Providing only medically necessary services
Refunding overpayments promptly when discovered
Which of the following are examples of False Claims Act violations as described? (Select all that apply.)
Providing services that are not medically necessary
Up-coding by submitting inaccurate billing codes to receive greater reimbursement
Knowingly billing for services not provided
Providing pro bono services to those in need
A person undergoes outpatient radiology testing and, after referral, the admitting provider unnecessarily repeats the same test, exposing the person to harm and creating unnecessary claims to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Which statute is primarily implicated by this scenario?
False Claims Act
Anti-Kickback Statute
Stark Law
EMTALA
Consider this: How might implicit and explicit biases (for example, beliefs that some racial groups feel less pain or that underserved neighborhoods are dangerous) affect how a healthcare professional cares for people within these groups? Select the most likely outcome for patient care.
They result in unequal treatment, such as undertreating pain, increased mistrust, and reduced access to appropriate services.
They consistently improve vigilance and lead to better-than-average clinical outcomes for marginalized patients.
They have no measurable effect on decision-making, so care quality remains the same across groups.
They mainly cause longer documentation time but do not change clinical judgments or resource allocation.
When making care decisions to overcome your biases, which self-reflective questions should you ask yourself?
How might I be grouping this person in my unconscious thoughts (for example, age, race, gender, socioeconomic status, religion)?
What stereotypes of these groups might be driving my thoughts and decisions?
If this person was in a different group, would I treat them differently (for example, young versus old, Black versus White, wealthy versus poor)?
How would you want to be treated?
With the rule of double effect, what determines if an action is ethical?
Harm
Intention
Principle
Nonmaleficence
Dr. Nance is caring for Thelma, a 72‑year‑old widow with a history of depression and anxiety. He suspects a quickly progressing terminal illness and Thelma’s daughter urges him to keep the prognosis quiet to protect her mother from stress. If you were Dr. Nance, what would you do?
Disclose the prognosis to Thelma after assessing her decision‑making capacity and providing supportive communication, while engaging her daughter in the process.
Keep the prognosis confidential indefinitely to honor the daughter’s wishes.
Inform only the daughter and avoid discussing the prognosis directly with Thelma.
Delay disclosure until the daughter’s planned job change allows more time with Thelma.
In Step 3 (Gather relevant facts) for Thelma’s case, which of the following are appropriate questions to ask?
Is the person competent enough to understand their prognosis?
Why does the daughter feel that Thelma knowing her prognosis will cause undue harm?
Will the family gain anything from Thelma not knowing the prognosis?
Are other family members involved, and what are their feelings?
Will healthcare options be affected?
In Step 3 (Gather relevant facts) for Thelma’s case, which of the following are appropriate questions to ask?
Are financial implications involved?
What resources are available to help Thelma cope with her prognosis?
Are there laws involved in the case?
When identifying the ethical question as the first step in an ethical decision‑making process, the ethical question usually starts with what word?
What
How
Should
Must
