MEDICAL LAW AND ETHICS EXAM
A doctor orders unnecessary tests and procedures because he is afraid of lawsuits.
Which of the following best describes this?
a) The tests are illegal and unethical
b) The tests are legal and ethical
c) The tests are illegal, but ethical
d) The tests are legal, but unethical - answer-d) The tests are legal, but unethical
A provider offers all patients, regardless of income, an influenza vaccine at a low cost.
What is this an example of?
a) Principle of justice
b) Principle of autonomy
c) Principle of beneficence
d) Principle of non-malfeasance - answer-a) Principle of justice
Which of the following is the best example of a legal issue in the medical field?
a) Advocating for a patient's wishes against medical orders
b) Practicing within the scope of your religious beliefs
c) Practicing outside one's licensure/certification
d) Expressing personal opinions about end-of-life care - answer-c) Practicing outside
one's licensure/certification
A concert pianist is injured in an accident. One of her arms is so badly injured that it
should be amputated, but the pianist doesn't want to lose one of her hands. What is this
an example of?
a) Ladder of responsibility
b) Medical dilemma
c) Medical morals
d) Clinical model - answer-b) Medical dilemma
Ethics must be grounded in
a) Sincerity
b) Reason and fact
c) Emotion
d) Religious belief - answer-b) Reason and fact
Which of the following is a common legal issue in the medical field?
a) Violation of confidentiality
b) Medication errors
c) Negligence causing harm
,d) All of the above - answer-d) All of the above
An example of the principle of autonomy is
a) A physician explains the benefits of an elective hysterectomy to a patient because the
patient is afraid.
b) A physician explains all of the risks and benefits of an elective hysterectomy to a
patient prior to her surgery.
c) A physician decides not to tell an elderly patient that he has a diagnosis of cancer
because the family requested that the patient not be told.
d) A physician decides to discuss an elderly patient's diagnosis with his family first so
they can decide if the patient should also be told. - answer-b) A physician explains all of
the risks and benefits of an elective hysterectomy to a patient prior to her surgery.
Which of the following is an example of the difference between law and ethics?
a) The law tells us how we should act, while ethics tells us which actions will lead to
consequences
b) The law tends to be universal, whereas ethics tend to be dependent on the situation
c) The law is simple and easy to understand, whereas ethics are complex and require
much more study
d) The law is official and enforced by the government, while ethics are unofficial but still
generally accepted by society - answer-d) The law is official and enforced by the
government, while ethics are unofficial but still generally accepted by society.
In general, an illegal act in the healthcare field is most likely
a) Forgiven
b) Warranted
c) Not discovered
d) Unethical - answer-d) Unethical
What is the last step in the seven-step decision model used to model an ethical
dilemma?
a) Make a decision
b) Assess the consequences
c) Compare values and alternatives
d) Define the precise ethical issue - answer-a) Make a decision
Private laws can be divided into six categories:
a) Criminal, administrative, constitutional, international, property, and inheritance law
, b) Inheritance, family, corporate, criminal, administrative, and constitutional law
c) Constitutional, international, tort, contract, property, inheritance law
d) Tort, contract, property, inheritance, family, and corporate law - answer-d) Tort,
contract, property, inheritance, family, and corporate law
What is the difference between Medicare and Medicaid?
a) Medicare is a federal program while Medicaid is run by states following federal
guidelines
b) Medicare is a state program while Medicaid is run by the federal government
c) Medicare is state funded while Medicaid is funded by the federal government
d) Medicare follows federal guidelines while Medicaid is not subject to federal regulations
- answer-a) Medicare is a federal program while Medicaid is run by states following
federal guidelines
A provider performs a biopsy on a patient without the patient's consent. This is an
example of
a) Battery
b) Assault
c) Fraud
d) Invasion of privacy - answer-a) Battery
A famous singer is being treated at your clinic. A newspaper calls and asks for an update
on the singer's condition. The assistant gives out an update to the newspaper. This is an
example of
a) Fraud
b) Invasion of privacy
c) Defamation of character
d) Statute of limitations - answer-b) Invasion of privacy
Which of the following best describes the effect of legislations and regulations on the
health care setting?
a) When a patient is unintentionally harmed, the caregiver is not considered negligent
b) A lack of physicians cannot be charged with malpractice for professional misconduct
c) Caregivers must practice within their scope of practice or face penalties
d) Caregivers are assumed negligent until proven otherwise - answer-c) Caregivers must
practice within their scope of practice or face penalties
