Concepts
A patient undergoing surgery signs an informed consent for the procedure. Which of the
following principles of health care ethics does informed consent protect?
A) Autonomy
B) Role fidelity
C) Confidentiality
D) Nonmaleficence
A
Informed consent is vital to preserving a health care consumer's autonomy. Role fidelity refers to
a health care practitioner being true to his role. Confidentiality involves keeping the patient
information private. Nonmaleficence, as paraphrased from the Hippocratic Oath, means the duty
to "do no harm."
A
Maslow defined needs 1 to 3 as deficiency or D-needs. Needs 1 to 3 include the physiological
needs of water and food, the safety needs of shelter, and the love and belongingness needs of
obtaining and giving affection. Needs 4 and 5 are growth needs, also known as being or B-needs.
Esteem needs are at level 4 and self-actualization is at level 5.
Autonomy is considered one of the seven universal principles of health care ethics. Which of
the following is an example of autonomy?
A) A physician performs health care screenings for impoverished patients.
B) A housekeeper in the hospital performs duties following safety procedures.
C) A health care practitioner makes competent decisions related to patient care.
D) An x-ray technician follows HIPAA regulations when displaying x-rays
C
Autonomy is characterized by competency, ability to act on decisions, and respect for the
autonomy of others. Performing screenings for impoverished patients is an example of
beneficence. Keeping patients safe is an example of nonmaleficence. Confidentiality is protected
when the HIPAA act is followed
Jean Piaget is one of the most famous researchers in value development. How did Piaget
formulate that there are four levels of moral development?
A) By interviewing families with children.
B) By interviewing grandparents.
C) By observing children at play.
D) By researching the discipline patterns of parents.
C
A variety of theories exist about how people develop values. Most focus on the stages of
development from childhood to adulthood. By observing children at play, Piaget described four
levels of moral development.
A doctor prescribes a placebo for a patient who he feels is complaining of pain that is not
there. This is an example of a violation of what principle of health care ethics?
A) Justice
B) Veracity
C) Role fidelity
D) Beneficence
B
Veracity or truth-telling has always had an ambiguous place in the health care practitioner's
world. Because medical providers want to do what is best for the patient, they may not always
tell the whole truth, as is the case in this example. Justice refers to what is due to an individual.
Role fidelity is being faithful to the health care role, and beneficence means helping people stay
healthy.
Which of these credentials is mandatory for certain health professionals to practice in their
field?
A) Certification
B) Accreditation
C) Registration
D) Licensure
D
Licensure is a mandatory process. Certification, registration, and accreditation are not licensure
methods
Which of the following credentials are voluntary, and require a national examination that
shows the level of competency for an individual?
A) Certification and Registration
B) Accreditation and Certification
C) Registration and Endorsement
D) Reciprocity and Certification
) A
Certification and registration are both voluntary and will require an exam. Reciprocity is when a
second state accepts the first state's credentials for licensing a health care provider. Licensure is a
mandatory process. Accreditation is used for organizations, not individuals. Endorsement is on a
case-by-case basis and infrequently used
What basic flaw do critics cite as the major problem with using virtue ethics as a decision-
making tool?
A) The decision-making framework is too rigid.
B) People in different walks of life would come to different decisions.
C) Not all people are moral or use common sense.
D) The past may not provide the right answer
D
Like the other theories, virtue ethics has its critics, especially because the past may not provide
the right answer. Situations that were appropriate in health care 10 years ago may not apply
today
A nurse caring for older adults in a nursing home has a paternalistic view about telling
patients the truth about their conditions. Which of the following best describes the practice of
paternalism?
A) Thinking that "I know what is best for the patient."
B) Being a strong patient advocate.
C) Acting like a parent to the patient.
D) Forcing patients to do things against their will
A
Some medical providers take a paternalistic view about truth telling, determining that what the
patient doesn't know won't hurt them. This practice does not always involve advocacy (acting in
a patient's best interest) and is not always acting like a parent to a child. Forcing patients to do
things against their will is a form of bullying or abuse.
The statutes in all 50 states that govern the practice of medicine are called
A) medical practice acts.
B) medical licensing acts.
C) occupational statutes.
D) physician licensing acts.
A
A medical practice act is established in each state to govern not just licensing but other practice
standards
The largest integrated health care system in the United States is (are)
A) Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance Companies.
B) Veterans Health Administration.
C) Federally Qualified Health Centers.
D) State Health Departments.
The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
oversees the accreditation process of a variety of individual allied health educational
programs. Which of the following educational programs is not accredited by the CAAHEP?
A) Medical assisting
B) Surgical Assistants
C) Emergency Medical Technicians
D) Registered Nurses
D
The nursing profession has several different accreditation agencies that are specific to nursing.
CAAHEP accredits 28 different health care educational programs.
A child tells a nurse that he stole money from his mother's purse because he needed to buy
some candy. He also states that he knows what he did was wrong and will not do it again.
Based on this conversation, what stage of moral development would this child be
experiencing?
A) sensorimotor stage
B) preoperational stage
C) concrete operational stage
D) formal operational stage
D
During the formal operational stage, children develop abstract thought and begin to understand
that there may be different degrees of wrongdoing. During this stage, intentions, such as lying (I
intend to deceive you) and stealing (I intend to take that money) are central to the decisions
made. D
During the formal operational stage, children develop abstract thought and begin to understand
that there may be different degrees of wrongdoing. During this stage, intentions, such as lying (I
intend to deceive you) and stealing (I intend to take that money) are central to the decisions
made.
A copayment is
A) a percentage of the fee for services provided that the patient pays.
B) a set amount that each patient pays for each office visit.
C) a portion of the fee that the physician must write off.
D) the actual payment the insurance company makes to the provider.
B
A copay and coinsurance are both related to what the patient pays. However, coinsurance is
always a percentage, not a set fee
Reciprocity may apply to
A) certified professionals.
B) licensed professionals.
C) licensed and certified professionals.
D) licensed and registered professionals
B
Reciprocity may be granted to individuals who are licensed in one state to practice in a second
state. Most certification and registration processes are national in scope.
What is the difference between licensure and certification?
Licensure is a mandatory credentialing process, and certification is a voluntary credentialing
process
Immanuel Kant defined categorical imperative as the guiding principle for all decision-
making. What is the meaning of this principle?
A) There are no exceptions to the rule.
B) It is imperative to solve problems in a timely fashion.
C) All categories of decision-making are subject to the same scrutiny.
D) The consequence of the act is more important than whether it was right or wrong
A
Deontological or duty-oriented theory focuses on the essential rightness or wrongness of an act,
not the consequences of the act. Immanuel Kant is considered the father of duty-oriented theory.
He defined the categorical imperative as the guiding principle for all decision making. This
principle means that there are no exceptions (categorical) from the rule (imperative). The right
action is the one based on a determined principle, regardless of outcome.
Coinsurance is
A) a percentage of the fee-for-services provided that the patient pays.
B) a set amount that each patient pays for each office visit.
C) a portion of the fee that the physician must write off.
D) the actual payment the insurance company makes to the provider
A
A copay and co-insurance are both related to what the patient pays. Coinsurance is always a
percentage, not a set fee
The Joint Commission accredits
A) educational institutions.
B) managed care organizations.
C) hospitals and other patient care organizations.
D) professional associations like the College of Health Care Executives.
C
The Joint Commission accredits hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, home care facilities, as well
as other institutional providers of health care. Educational institutions are accredited by a variety
of organizations and the National Committee on Quality Assurance accredits managed care
organizations.
What is the purpose of a practice act in health care?
The purpose of a practice act is to define what is meant by "practice of a specific health
profession" in each state, explain requirements and methods for licensure, provide for the
establishment of licensing boards, establish grounds for suspension or revocation of license, and identify conditions for license renewal.
or:
To set legal boundaries for what a health care professional can and cannot do
To protect the public by regulating health care professionals
To establish requirements for licensure, certification, or registration
To ensure safe and competent care
To outline duties, responsibilities, and limitations of a profession