Medical Ethics Principles
This principle requires healthcare providers to do no harm to patients.
What is nonmaleficence?
Patients have this right to accept or refuse any treatment or procedure.
What is the right to refuse treatment?
This professional is primarily responsible for coordinating patient care and administering medications.
Who is the nurse?
When a patient refuses treatment that could save their life, this dilemma arises between respecting choice and promoting health.
What is autonomy vs. beneficence?
This U.S. law protects the privacy of patient health information.
What is HIPAA?
Respecting a patient’s right to make their own healthcare decisions is called this.
What is autonomy?
This document lets patients specify their wishes for medical care if they become unable to communicate.
What is an advance directive?
This role performs surgeries and diagnoses illnesses.
Who is the physician (doctor)?
Deciding how to fairly allocate limited ICU beds during a pandemic is an example of this dilemma.
What is justice/resource allocation?
This law requires healthcare providers to report certain communicable diseases to public health authorities.
What is mandatory reporting?
This principle stresses fairness in distributing healthcare resources.
What is justice?
Patients have the right to access and obtain copies of this.
What are their medical records?
This healthcare worker assists patients with daily living activities and provides support in long-term care.
Who is the nursing assistant (CNA)?
A nurse witnessing a colleague breaking safety protocols faces this ethical challenge.
What is reporting misconduct vs. loyalty?
This regulation ensures that disabled individuals have equal access to healthcare facilities.
What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?
This principle calls for honesty and truth-telling in the patient-provider relationship.
What is veracity?
This right protects patients’ health information from being shared without permission.
What is confidentiality?
This professional manages the hospital’s finances, staffing, and operations.
Who is the healthcare administrator?
Choosing between extending life with aggressive treatment or focusing on comfort care is this kind of dilemma.
What is quality of life vs. prolonging life?
This law governs the ethical use of human subjects in medical research.
What is the Common Rule?
The obligation to keep promises and maintain trust is known as this.
What is fidelity?
Patients have the right to receive care without discrimination based on race, gender, or religion, an example of this right.
What is equal treatment?
This team member provides counseling and emotional support to patients and families.
Who is the social worker?
Balancing the patient’s confidentiality with the need to inform family members about serious conditions is this dilemma.
What is confidentiality vs. disclosure?
This law protects patients from being discriminated against in health insurance due to pre-existing conditions.
What is the Affordable Care Act (ACA)?