Deck 3: Ethical and Legal Responsibilities

Question 1

Health care professionals cannot be held legally responsible for the actions of their employees if the employees have not followed the employer's instructions.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Ethical systems are based on the laws of a country.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Patient confidentiality can be broken, if necessary, to report suspected abuse.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

It is legal to take organs after a patient's death, without his prior permission or that of his family, if there are patients in the same facility waiting for transplants.

Question 5

It is illegal for the physician who signs a patient's death certificate to participate in any activities that involve removing organs from a deceased patient for transplant in another patient.

Question 6

Some laws have unintended consequences that negatively affect patients and the care they receive.

Question 7

The term "euthanasia" means :

A) withdrawing artificial life support.
B) following the advance directive not to administer CPR or artificially prolonging the dying process.
C) providing emergency treatment.
D) taking deliberate action that results in death.

Question 8

Personal values must sometimes be put aside if they conflict with facility policies regarding patient care.

Question 9

Health care professionals should be familiar with the code of ethics for their occupational area in order to:

A) ensure that they follow the laws that apply to their occupations.
B) stay within their scope of practice.
C) avoid malpractice lawsuits.
D) know the standards of behavior for their occupations.

Question 10

Which is the best action for health care professionals to take if they believe that their facility has a policy that is not in the best interest of the patients?

A) Discuss it with coworkers.
B) Talk with their supervisor privately about their concerns.
C) Do what they think is best for the patients.
D) Gather the opinions of patients about the issue.

Question 11

Which statement correctly describes the laws of the United States?

A) All laws are in the best interest of society and should be strictly followed.
B) Some laws result in unintended negative results.
C) Laws always agree with and support our society's ethical principles.
D) They do not have to be followed if they contradict one's religious beliefs.

Question 12

Health care facilities are required by federal law to inform patients of their right to prepare advance directives.

Question 13

Laws can conflict with the moral beliefs of some members of society.

Question 14

The answers to most ethical issues in health care can be found in the code of ethics for your occupational area.

Question 15

Personal values are best described as:

A) what an individual believes to be most important in life.
B) a person's religious beliefs.
C) individual likes and dislikes.
D) one's cultural background.

Question 16

A leading cause of malpractice lawsuits is poor interpersonal relationships between patients and health care providers.

Question 17

It is becoming more acceptable in our society to discontinue the use of artificial means of life support because:

A) it has become too expensive to maintain patients by these means.
B) it is difficult to care for patients who are in a vegetative state.
C) it allows a death that is going to happen anyway as a result of the patient's current illness or injury.
D) it is believed that resources should be used to help patients who have a chance of recovering.

Question 18

Every health care professional is likely to face occasional ethical dilemmas, which are:

A) problems that involve life and death issues.
B) issues that can only be resolved by the law.
C) situations in which there are no clear answers.
D) always related to religious beliefs.

Question 19

Which of the following patient care examples is both legal and demonstrates respect for a patient's autonomy?

A) Keeping in the hospital a seriously ill man who wants to go home
B) Allowing a patient to refuse treatment, even if it will negatively affect his health
C) Giving an injection to control pain after a patient states that she does not want to take medications
D) Arguing with a patient until he consents to life-saving surgery

Question 20

As long as a patient gives permission for a procedure, the health care professional is guaranteed protection from charges of battery.

Question 25

Which of the following is NOT a generally accepted criterion for deciding which patient should receive an organ transplant?

A) Probable benefit to the patient
B) Urgency of patient's condition
C) Impact on life improvement
D) Financial status of the patient

Question 32

What does the Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act require health care providers to do if they suspect child abuse?

A) Report it to the proper authorities.
B) Confront the parents with their suspicions.
C) Treat the child and release him or her to the parents.
D) Document the child's injuries in the medical record so future incidents can be evaluated.

Question 33

Which of the following is NOT a necessary component of a legal contract?

A) An offer or action that starts the process of forming a contract
B) A signed document outlining the terms of the agreement
C) The agreement of both parties to enter the contract by doing something specific
D) The exchange between the parties of something of value

Question 35

What is the purpose of the American Hospital Association's Patient Care Partnership?

A) Provide free medical care for uninsured patients
B) Develop fair billing practices for hospitals
C) Partner with hospitals to develop healthy living guidelines
D) Outline the rights of patients who are hospitalized

Question 38

What does the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protect?

A) Physicians against malpractice lawsuits
B) Privacy of patient's health information
C) Patients against harm from incompetent medical treatment
D) Health care professionals who aid victims of emergencies

Question 40

Which of the following is an example of implied consent?

A) Patient signs a consent form for surgery after discussing the procedure with her physician.
B) Patient makes an appointment and arrives at imaging center for an X-ray.
C) Patient fills out advance directive documents with instructions if she becomes unable to make decisions.
D) Patient does not want treatment, but it is given because the physician believes the patient needs it.

Question 41

It is not recommended that a patient be told that he will soon be "as good as new" after suffering a serious heart attack, because the statement may be interpreted as an enforceable _____.

Question 43

A(n) _____ ______ contains written instructions about what a patient wants if he or she becomes unable to make health care decisions.

Question 46

A(n) ______ _______ is at least 18 years of age or meets certain requirements, such as being married.

Question 48

It is essential that patients give their _____ before any medical procedures are performed.

Question 51

If an individual provides appropriate emergency assistance to a consenting victim of an accident, it is likely the person giving aid will be protected by _____ _____ laws.

Question 54

Schedule 1 controlled substances are those that have a high potential for __________ which means that a patient may have great difficulty stopping their use.

Question 55

Performing patient care duties that you have not been trained to do, even if done in good faith, can result in charges of _________________________.