Exam: Activities-Based Assessment on Medical Ethics and Confidentiality

Exam: Activities-Based Assessment on Medical Ethics and Confidentiality

Section 1: Match the Concepts

Match the following concepts with their correct descriptions:

Section 2: Fill in the Blanks

1. The ________ is a historical oath emphasizing non-maleficence and confidentiality in medical practice.
2. ________ refers to the right of individuals to control access to their personal information.
3. Ethical guidelines for research involving human subjects were first outlined in the ________ Code in 1947.
4. ________ is a key legal framework in the U.S. that protects patient health information.
5. In healthcare ethics, ________ focuses on the greatest good for the greatest number.

Section 3: Scenario-Based Questions

Scenario 1:
A patient with leukemia refuses a blood transfusion due to religious beliefs.

• Question: Identify and explain the ethical principle that supports respecting the patient’s decision despite medical advice.

Scenario 2:
A healthcare provider learns that a patient is planning to harm another individual.

• Question: Should confidentiality be breached? Justify your answer with ethical and legal principles.

Scenario 3:
A hospital experiences a data breach compromising patient records.

• Question: What administrative and technical safeguards could have prevented this issue?

Section 4: True or False

1. The principle of beneficence requires healthcare providers to avoid causing harm.
2. GDPR is a legal framework that regulates health information in the United States.
3. Ethics committees provide support for ethical dilemmas in healthcare settings.
4. In the principle of justice, prioritizing high-risk patients during a pandemic reflects fairness.
5. The Belmont Report outlines ethical principles for patient confidentiality in clinical practice.

Answer Key

Section 1: Match the Concepts

1. c) Autonomy
2. a) Non-Maleficence
3. b) Justice
4. d) Beneficence
5. e) Confidentiality

Section 2: Fill in the Blanks

1. Hippocratic Oath
2. Privacy
3. Nuremberg
4. HIPAA
5. Utilitarianism

Section 3: Scenario-Based Questions
Scenario 1 Answer:

• The principle of Autonomy supports respecting the patient’s decision. It emphasizes the patient’s right to make informed decisions about their healthcare, even if it conflicts with medical advice.

Scenario 2 Answer:

• Yes, confidentiality may be breached under the ethical principle of Non-Maleficence and the legal duty to warn. Protecting third parties from imminent harm justifies the breach, as outlined in legal mandates like the duty to warn.

Scenario 3 Answer:

• Administrative safeguards: Regular training, strict access policies, and internal audits.
• Technical safeguards: Data encryption, multi-factor authentication, and secure firewalls to protect electronic health records.

Section 4: True or False

1. False (This is Non-Maleficence, not Beneficence.)
2. False (GDPR is a European Union regulation.)
3. True
4. True
5. False (The Belmont Report focuses on ethical principles in research involving human subjects.)

Exam: Activities-Based Assessment on Medical Ethics and Confidentiality

Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. What is the primary purpose of the principle of autonomy in medical ethics?
a) To ensure fair distribution of resources
b) To allow patients to make informed decisions about their healthcare
c) To prioritize public safety over individual rights
d) To avoid harm to patients

2. Which legal framework is used to protect patient privacy in the United States?
a) GDPR
b) HIPAA
c) Belmont Report
d) Nuremberg Code

3. The ethical principle of justice ensures:
a) Patients receive equal access to treatment
b) Doctors act in their best interest
c) Information is kept private
d) Research guidelines are followed

4. What does the principle of beneficence emphasize?
a) Respecting patient decisions
b) Avoiding harm to others
c) Acting in the patient’s best interest
d) Maintaining professional confidentiality

5. Which of the following is NOT an exception to confidentiality?
a) Duty to warn about harm
b) Subpoenas or court orders
c) Public health reporting
d) Personal curiosity of healthcare providers

Section 2: Fill in the Blanks

1. ________ refers to the ethical obligation to do no harm to patients.
2. The ________ established ethical principles for research involving human subjects post-World War II.
3. In healthcare ethics, the principle of ________ focuses on protecting sensitive patient information.
4. ________ and ________ are key technological measures to safeguard electronic health records.
5. Confidentiality can be breached in cases involving ________ danger to others.

Section 3: Short Answer Questions

1. Define the principle of non-maleficence and provide an example of its application in healthcare.

2. Explain how the principle of justice can be applied during a pandemic to allocate limited medical resources.

3. Discuss the ethical implications of breaching confidentiality in a case where a patient threatens harm to others.

Section 4: Case Study Analysis

Case Study 1:
A psychiatrist learns that a patient has been contemplating harming themselves.

• Question: What steps should the psychiatrist take, considering both confidentiality and ethical obligations?

Case Study 2:
A nurse accidentally shares a patient’s test results with the wrong person.

• Question: What corrective actions should the healthcare institution implement to address this breach and prevent future occurrences?

Case Study 3:
A hospital must decide who gets the last available ventilator between a young healthy patient and an elderly patient with multiple comorbidities.

• Question: Based on the principles of utilitarianism and justice, how should the decision be made?

Section 5: True or False

1. The Belmont Report introduced principles to protect patient privacy in medical settings.
2. Encryption is a physical safeguard to protect patient information.
3. Non-maleficence is the principle of avoiding harm to patients.
4. HIPAA applies to protecting patient data globally.
5. Healthcare providers must always breach confidentiality when a patient is at risk of harming someone else.

Answer Key

Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. b) To allow patients to make informed decisions about their healthcare
2. b) HIPAA
3. a) Patients receive equal access to treatment
4. c) Acting in the patient’s best interest
5. d) Personal curiosity of healthcare providers

Section 2: Fill in the Blanks

1. Non-maleficence
2. Nuremberg Code
3. confidentiality
4. encryption; secure passwords
5. imminent

Section 3: Short Answer Questions

1. Non-maleficence requires healthcare providers to avoid causing unnecessary harm. Example: Avoiding high-risk surgery if the harm outweighs the potential benefits.
2. Justice ensures fair resource distribution by prioritizing patients based on medical need, prognosis, or vulnerability during a pandemic.
3. Breaching confidentiality to protect others involves balancing non-maleficence with the duty to warn, ensuring public safety while limiting harm to the patient.

Section 4: Case Study Analysis
Case Study 1 Answer:
The psychiatrist should assess the immediacy of the threat, involve appropriate mental health support, and breach confidentiality only to protect the patient’s safety.

Case Study 2 Answer:
The institution should conduct training on patient privacy, implement double-check systems for sharing sensitive data, and discipline the nurse as necessary.

Case Study 3 Answer:
Utilitarianism supports saving the younger patient with a better prognosis, while justice ensures transparency and adherence to fair allocation protocols.

Section 5: True or False

1. False (It focuses on research ethics.)
2. False (It is a technical safeguard.)
3. True
4. False (HIPAA is a U.S.-specific law.)
5. False (Confidentiality breaches are context-dependent.)