1. A 45-year-old man with terminal pancreatic cancer requests assistance in ending his life. He is mentally competent and fully understands his prognosis. Which ethical principle primarily supports respecting his autonomy in this situation?
A. Beneficence
B. Nonmaleficence
C. Autonomy
D. Justice
Answer: C. Autonomy
Explanation: Autonomy refers to the patient’s right to make decisions about their own healthcare, even in situations involving end-of-life care.
2. A 16-year-old girl comes to the clinic requesting contraception. She does not want her parents to know. In most states, what is the most appropriate action?
A. Refuse to provide contraception without parental consent
B. Provide contraception and respect her confidentiality
C. Notify her parents immediately
D. Refer her to a psychiatrist for evaluation
Answer: B. Provide contraception and respect her confidentiality
Explanation: Minors can consent to certain medical services, such as contraception, without parental permission in many jurisdictions. Confidentiality is key to encouraging adolescents to seek care.
3. A physician is treating a patient who has been diagnosed with HIV. The patient refuses to disclose their status to their spouse, despite being advised to do so. What is the most appropriate next step?
A. Inform the spouse without the patient’s consent
B. Respect the patient’s confidentiality and do nothing
C. Report the case to public health authorities
D. Encourage the patient to disclose and offer counseling
Answer: D. Encourage the patient to disclose and offer counseling
Explanation: Physicians should first encourage voluntary disclosure and provide support. Reporting to public health authorities may be necessary in some cases, but breaching confidentiality without legal justification is unethical.
4. A 78-year-old woman with advanced dementia is admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. Her advance directive states she does not want intubation or mechanical ventilation. Her family insists on full treatment. What should the physician do?
A. Follow the family’s wishes and intubate the patient
B. Honor the patient’s advance directive and avoid intubation
C. Seek a court order to resolve the conflict
D. Transfer care to another physician
Answer: B. Honor the patient’s advance directive and avoid intubation
Explanation: Advance directives are legally binding documents that reflect the patient’s wishes and must be respected unless there is clear evidence they are invalid.
5. A medical student observes a senior surgeon making derogatory comments about a patient during surgery. What is the most appropriate action for the student to take?
A. Ignore the comments and focus on learning
B. Confront the surgeon directly during the procedure
C. Report the behavior to the appropriate hospital authority
D. Discuss the incident with peers to decide on a course of action
Answer: C. Report the behavior to the appropriate hospital authority
Explanation: Unprofessional behavior undermines patient dignity and trust. Reporting it ensures accountability and upholds ethical standards.
6. A 30-year-old woman with schizophrenia refuses life-saving treatment for a bowel obstruction due to delusional beliefs. She is deemed incompetent to make medical decisions. What is the most appropriate next step?
A. Proceed with treatment against her will
B. Obtain a court order to override her refusal
C. Wait until she regains competence before proceeding
D. Respect her decision and provide palliative care
Answer: B. Obtain a court order to override her refusal
Explanation: When a patient is incompetent and their refusal poses an immediate risk to life, physicians may seek legal intervention to provide necessary care.
7. A pharmaceutical company offers a physician a significant financial incentive to prescribe their newly approved medication, despite cheaper alternatives being equally effective. Accepting this incentive would violate which ethical principle?
A. Autonomy
B. Beneficence
C. Nonmaleficence
D. Justice
Answer: D. Justice
Explanation: Justice requires fairness in the distribution of resources and avoiding conflicts of interest that could compromise patient care.
8. A 10-year-old child requires a blood transfusion to survive, but the parents refuse due to religious beliefs. What is the most appropriate action?
A. Respect the parents’ wishes and provide only supportive care
B. Seek a court order to override the parents’ refusal
C. Transfer care to another physician
D. Persuade the parents through prolonged discussion
Answer: B. Seek a court order to override the parents’ refusal
Explanation: When a child’s life is at risk, the state has a duty to intervene to protect the child’s welfare.
9. A researcher conducting a clinical trial realizes that the experimental drug is causing severe side effects in participants. What is the most ethical course of action?
A. Continue the trial to maintain scientific integrity
B. Stop the trial immediately and inform the participants
C. Modify the study protocol to minimize risks
D. Withhold information from participants to avoid panic
Answer: B. Stop the trial immediately and inform the participants
Explanation: Researchers have an ethical obligation to prioritize participant safety and transparency.
10. A physician discovers that their colleague has been falsifying patient records to meet performance metrics. What is the most appropriate action?
A. Confront the colleague privately
B. Report the behavior to the hospital administration
C. Ignore the issue unless it directly affects patient care
D. Discuss the matter with other colleagues to gather opinions
Answer: B. Report the behavior to the hospital administration
Explanation: Falsifying records is unethical and potentially illegal. Reporting ensures accountability and protects patients.
Category 1: Informed Consent & Autonomy
- A 34-year-old woman with advanced breast cancer refuses chemotherapy, stating she prefers alternative medicine. Her oncologist believes treatment could prolong her life. What is the ethically appropriate action?
a) Respect her refusal and document her decision
b) Involve the hospital ethics committee to override her choice
c) Persuade her family to consent on her behalf
d) Administer chemotherapy against her will - A 16-year-old patient with severe depression requests antidepressants but asks the doctor not to inform her parents. She is deemed competent. How should the doctor proceed?
a) Prescribe the medication and maintain confidentiality
b) Refuse treatment unless parents are informed
c) Contact social services immediately
d) Refer her to a psychiatrist without parental consent
Category 2: Confidentiality
- A patient discloses during a consultation that he plans to harm his neighbor. What is the doctor’s primary ethical obligation?
a) Maintain confidentiality and do nothing
b) Warn the neighbor and contact the police
c) Refer the patient to a psychiatrist
d) Discuss the threat with the patient’s family - An HIV-positive patient asks the doctor not to inform his spouse. The spouse is also a patient at the clinic. What should the doctor do?
a) Respect confidentiality and say nothing
b) Encourage the patient to disclose voluntarily
c) Inform the spouse without consent
d) Contact public health authorities
Category 3: End-of-Life Decisions
- A terminally ill patient with a “Do Not Resuscitate” (DNR) order experiences cardiac arrest. The family demands CPR. What action aligns with ethical principles?
a) Follow the family’s wishes to avoid conflict
b) Honor the patient’s documented DNR order
c) Delay CPR until the ethics committee arrives
d) Perform CPR and revoke the DNR order - A patient with motor neuron disease requests euthanasia, which is illegal in the country. How should the physician respond?
a) Secretly administer a lethal dose
b) Offer palliative sedation to relieve suffering
c) Refer the patient to a country where euthanasia is legal
d) Refuse further involvement in the case
Category 4: Reproductive Ethics
- A pregnant woman refuses a cesarean section despite fetal distress, citing religious beliefs. What is the ethical course of action?
a) Obtain a court order to perform the surgery
b) Respect her autonomy and monitor the fetus
c) Persuade her husband to consent instead
d) Proceed with surgery to save the baby - A couple undergoing IVF requests preimplantation genetic testing to select a child’s gender for family balancing. Is this ethically permissible?
a) Yes, if they pay privately
b) No, unless medically justified
c) Yes, as part of reproductive rights
d) No, under any circumstances
Category 5: Resource Allocation
- During a pandemic, two patients need the last ventilator: a 25-year-old athlete and a 70-year-old with diabetes. Who should receive it?
a) The younger patient due to life-years saved
b) The older patient due to first-come-first-served
c) Randomly allocate the ventilator
d) Let the patients’ families decide - A hospital must cut costs. Which option prioritizes distributive justice?
a) Reduce funding for palliative care
b) Limit expensive cancer drugs for rare cancers
c) Cancel free screenings for low-income populations
d) Charge wealthy patients extra for priority access
Answer Key & Explanations
1. Answer: a) Respect her refusal and document her decision
Explanation: Competent patients have the right to refuse treatment, even if it risks their life (autonomy).
2. Answer: a) Prescribe the medication and maintain confidentiality
Explanation: In the UK, Gillick competence allows minors <16 to consent if they understand treatment implications.
3. Answer: b) Warn the neighbor and contact the police
Explanation: The “duty to warn” overrides confidentiality when there’s an immediate threat (Tarasoff principle).
4. Answer: b) Encourage the patient to disclose voluntarily
Explanation: Doctors should balance confidentiality with public health. Disclosure without consent is a last resort.
5. Answer: b) Honor the patient’s documented DNR order
Explanation: A valid advance directive takes precedence over family requests.
6. Answer: b) Offer palliative sedation to relieve suffering
Explanation: Palliative sedation is legal and ethical; euthanasia remains illegal in most jurisdictions.
7. Answer: b) Respect her autonomy and monitor the fetus
Explanation: Competent pregnant women retain the right to refuse treatment, even if it risks fetal harm.
8. Answer: b) No, unless medically justified
Explanation: Gender selection for non-medical reasons is ethically controversial and often prohibited.
9. Answer: a) The younger patient due to life-years saved
Explanation: Utilitarian ethics prioritizes maximizing benefit (e.g., saving more life-years).
10. Answer: b) Limit expensive cancer drugs for rare cancers
Explanation: Distributive justice requires prioritizing treatments that benefit the largest number.
1. Informed Consent & Autonomy
Q1. A 45-year-old man with schizophrenia refuses life-saving surgery for a ruptured appendix, claiming his “voices” told him to avoid hospitals. He has a history of fluctuating capacity. What is the most ethical action?
a) Proceed with surgery under the Mental Health Act
b) Respect his refusal and provide palliative care
c) Seek a second opinion on his capacity to decide
d) Administer sedatives and perform surgery
Answer: c) Seek a second opinion on his capacity to decide
Explanation: Capacity is decision-specific. A patient with schizophrenia may retain capacity for certain decisions. The Mental Capacity Act (UK) requires assessing whether he understands, retains, and weighs the risks/benefits. If capacity is impaired, doctors can act in his best interests.
2. Confidentiality & Privacy
Q2. A doctor discovers a patient’s coworker has hepatitis B during a routine occupational health screening. The patient works as a surgeon. What should the doctor do?
a) Inform the hospital to revoke the surgeon’s clinical duties
b) Maintain confidentiality unless there’s a direct patient risk
c) Disclose the diagnosis to the surgeon’s patients
d) Advise the surgeon to voluntarily resign
Answer: b) Maintain confidentiality unless there’s a direct patient risk
Explanation: Confidentiality can only be breached if there’s a significant risk to others (GMC guidelines). The doctor should counsel the surgeon to modify practice and report to occupational health if he refuses.
3. End-of-Life Care
Q3. A patient with terminal cancer requests a lethal prescription, which is illegal in the UK. How should the physician respond?
a) Refer the patient to a psychiatrist for depression screening
b) Offer palliative care and symptom management
c) Secretly prescribe a lethal dose to respect autonomy
d) Transfer care to another doctor
Answer: b) Offer palliative care and symptom management
Explanation: Euthanasia is illegal in the UK. Physicians must focus on alleviating suffering through legal palliative options, including sedation, while respecting patient autonomy within legal boundaries.
4. Reproductive Ethics
Q4. A couple requests IVF with preimplantation genetic testing to avoid having a child with deafness, a trait present in the father’s family. Is this ethically acceptable?
a) Yes, to prevent disability
b) No, as deafness is not a life-limiting condition
c) Yes, if the couple pays privately
d) No, under any circumstances
Answer: b) No, as deafness is not a life-limiting condition
Explanation: The UK’s HFEA permits embryo selection only for serious medical conditions. Deafness, as a cultural identity for some, raises ethical concerns about disability discrimination.
5. Pediatric Ethics
Q5. Parents of a 6-year-old with leukemia refuse chemotherapy, opting for herbal remedies. What action is ethically justified?
a) Respect parental autonomy
b) Seek a court order to override parental refusal
c) Involve social services for neglect charges
d) Offer a compromise with alternative medicine
Answer: b) Seek a court order to override parental refusal
Explanation: The child’s right to life outweighs parental autonomy when refusal leads to significant harm. Courts often intervene to mandate life-saving treatment.
Section 1: Informed Consent & Autonomy
1. A 28-year-old patient with a history of schizophrenia refuses antipsychotic medication, stating it makes him feel “numb.” He is currently stable but at risk of relapse. What is the most ethical action?
a) Respect his refusal and monitor for relapse
b) Involve a psychiatrist to assess capacity
c) Administer medication involuntarily
d) Contact his family to consent on his behalf
Answer: b) Involve a psychiatrist to assess capacity
Explanation: Under the Mental Capacity Act (UK), capacity is decision-specific. Even with schizophrenia, a patient may retain capacity to refuse treatment if they understand the risks. A formal assessment is required before overriding autonomy.
2. A 17-year-old patient with anorexia nervosa refuses hospitalization despite severe malnutrition. She is deemed competent. What should the doctor do?
a) Respect her decision and provide outpatient care
b) Involve social services for forced hospitalization
c) Seek a court order for compulsory treatment
d) Persuade her parents to consent on her behalf
Answer: c) Seek a court order for compulsory treatment
Explanation: In life-threatening cases, even competent minors can be overridden under the Children Act 1989 if refusal poses severe harm. Courts often prioritize the child’s best interests.
Section 2: Confidentiality & Privacy
3. A patient with HIV admits to having unprotected sex with a partner unaware of his status. He refuses to inform the partner. What is the doctor’s obligation?
a) Maintain confidentiality and counsel the patient
b) Inform the partner without consent
c) Contact public health authorities
d) Refuse further treatment until he agrees
Answer: a) Maintain confidentiality and counsel the patient
Explanation: GMC guidelines allow breaching confidentiality only if there’s a significant public health risk. Doctors must first encourage voluntary disclosure.
4. A colleague confides in you that they are struggling with alcohol abuse but insists you keep it secret. You notice errors in their clinical work. What action is ethical?
a) Respect confidentiality and say nothing
b) Report them to the hospital board
c) Encourage them to self-refer to occupational health
d) Discuss the issue anonymously with their supervisor
Answer: c) Encourage them to self-refer to occupational health
Explanation: Patient safety overrides colleague confidentiality. The GMC mandates that doctors in unsafe practice must be supported to self-refer. If they refuse, escalation is required.
Section 3: End-of-Life Care & Euthanasia
5. A patient with advanced ALS requests assistance to end his life, which is illegal in the UK. How should the physician respond?
a) Offer palliative sedation to relieve suffering
b) Refer the patient to Dignitas in Switzerland
c) Prescribe a lethal dose in secret
d) Refuse further involvement
Answer: a) Offer palliative sedation to relieve suffering
Explanation: Euthanasia is illegal in the UK. Physicians must prioritize legal palliative options, including sedation, to alleviate suffering while respecting autonomy.
6. A family demands full resuscitation for a 90-year-old patient with terminal cancer and a valid DNACPR order. What should the clinical team do?
a) Follow the family’s wishes to avoid conflict
b) Honor the DNACPR order
c) Delay until the ethics committee reviews
d) Perform CPR but withhold other treatments
Answer: b) Honor the DNACPR order
Explanation: A valid DNACPR reflects the patient’s prior wishes. Family requests cannot override it unless there’s evidence the patient changed their mind.
Section 4: Reproductive Ethics
7. A pregnant 14-year-old requests an abortion without parental knowledge. She is deemed competent. What is the ethical response?
a) Require parental consent
b) Proceed with abortion and maintain confidentiality
c) Involve social services
d) Refuse due to her age
Answer: b) Proceed with abortion and maintain confidentiality
Explanation: Under Gillick competence, minors under 16 can consent to treatment if they fully understand it. Confidentiality applies unless harm is imminent.
8. A couple seeks IVF to have a “savior sibling” for their child with leukemia. Is this ethically permissible?
a) Yes, if the HFEA approves
b) No, as it exploits the donor child
c) Yes, but only for life-threatening conditions
d) No, under any circumstances
Answer: a) Yes, if the HFEA approves
Explanation: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) permits savior siblings if the procedure is in the donor child’s best interests and no other options exist.
Section 5: Pediatric & Adolescent Ethics
9. Parents of a 5-year-old with a rare cancer refuse chemotherapy, opting for prayer healing. The child’s prognosis is poor without treatment. What action is justified?
a) Respect parental autonomy
b) Seek an emergency court order
c) Involve religious leaders to mediate
d) Offer alternative herbal therapies
Answer: b) Seek an emergency court order
Explanation: Courts prioritize the child’s right to life over parental beliefs. Treatment can be mandated under the Children Act 1989 if refusal causes significant harm.
10. A 15-year-old with gender dysphoria requests puberty blockers. Parents oppose it. The patient is deemed competent. What is the ethical course?
a) Prescribe blockers with patient consent
b) Require parental consent
c) Refer to a specialist without treatment
d) Seek a court ruling
Answer: d) Seek a court ruling
Explanation: In the UK, puberty blockers for minors often require court approval if parents and clinicians disagree, as per the Bell v Tavistock ruling (2020).
1. Informed Consent
A 65-year-old man with a history of hypertension and hyperlipidemia is diagnosed with prostate cancer. His physician recommends a prostatectomy. Before signing the consent form, the patient asks the physician about alternative treatments. What is the most appropriate response?
- A) “I am the expert; you should trust my recommendation.”
- B) “Surgery is your best option, and we do not need to discuss alternatives.”
- C) “I will refer you to a specialist for a second opinion.”
- D) “There are alternative treatments, including radiation therapy and active surveillance, which I can discuss with you.” (Correct Answer)
- E) “You should rely on your family’s decision rather than your own.”
2. Competency vs. Capacity
A 78-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s disease is admitted with pneumonia. She refuses antibiotics, stating, “I just want to rest.” Her daughter insists on treatment. A psychiatric evaluation confirms that the patient understands her condition and the consequences of her choice. What is the best course of action?
- A) Treat the patient with antibiotics against her will
- B) Follow the daughter’s request and treat the patient
- C) Respect the patient’s decision (Correct Answer)
- D) Seek a court order for treatment
- E) Transfer decision-making authority to the hospital ethics committee
3. Advance Directives
A 70-year-old woman with terminal lung cancer presents in respiratory distress. Her living will states that she does not want mechanical ventilation. However, her family requests that she be intubated. What should the physician do?
- A) Intubate the patient as per the family’s request
- B) Honor the living will and provide comfort care (Correct Answer)
- C) Call a court judge for emergency guidance
- D) Consult the ethics committee before making a decision
- E) Transfer the patient to another facility
4. Confidentiality
A 16-year-old girl visits the clinic for a pregnancy test, which turns out to be positive. She requests that her parents not be informed. Which of the following is the most appropriate response?
- A) Inform her parents, as she is a minor
- B) Encourage her to inform her parents but respect her confidentiality (Correct Answer)
- C) Refuse to provide care without parental consent
- D) Contact child protective services
- E) Call her parents immediately to discuss next steps
5. Physician-Assisted Suicide
A 68-year-old man with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) requests a prescription for medication to end his life. The state does not permit physician-assisted suicide. What is the most appropriate response?
- A) Prescribe the medication as per the patient’s request
- B) Decline the request and discuss palliative care options (Correct Answer)
- C) Refer the patient to a state where assisted suicide is legal
- D) Tell the patient there is nothing else that can be done
- E) Contact the police
6. Child Abuse Reporting
A 3-year-old girl is brought to the emergency department with multiple bruises on her back and arms. Her mother says she “falls a lot.” X-rays show healing fractures. What is the most appropriate next step?
- A) Document the findings and discharge the child
- B) Confront the mother about child abuse
- C) Contact child protective services (Correct Answer)
- D) Discharge the child to home with a follow-up appointment
- E) Wait for more injuries before taking action
7. Treatment of a Minor Without Parental Consent
A 15-year-old boy presents to the clinic requesting treatment for a sexually transmitted infection (STI). He does not want his parents to know. What should the physician do?
- A) Treat the patient and maintain confidentiality (Correct Answer)
- B) Refuse treatment until parental consent is obtained
- C) Inform the parents
- D) Involve child protective services
- E) Call the school counselor
8. Futility of Treatment
A 92-year-old man with end-stage heart failure is admitted to the ICU. His physician believes further treatment is futile, but the family insists on full resuscitative efforts. What is the best course of action?
- A) Withhold treatment without discussing with the family
- B) Explain the concept of medical futility and offer palliative care (Correct Answer)
- C) Proceed with aggressive treatment despite poor prognosis
- D) Seek a court order to stop treatment
- E) Discharge the patient to another facility
9. Organ Donation
A 34-year-old woman is declared brain dead after a motor vehicle accident. Her driver’s license indicates organ donor status, but her family refuses to give consent. What should the physician do?
- A) Follow the family’s wishes
- B) Proceed with organ donation as per the patient’s documented wishes (Correct Answer)
- C) Seek a court order
- D) Wait for the family to change their minds
- E) Contact an ethics committee
10. Physician-Patient Relationship
A 45-year-old man with hypertension refuses to take his prescribed medication. He states that he prefers herbal remedies. What is the best response?
- A) Dismiss him from the practice
- B) Respect his choice but educate him on the risks (Correct Answer)
- C) Force him to take the medication
- D) Report him to public health authorities
- E) Tell him that you will not continue to see him as a patient
Professional boundaries and conflicts of interest
1. A physician frequently accepts expensive gifts from a pharmaceutical representative in exchange for prescribing their medications. This behavior violates which ethical principle?
A. Autonomy
B. Beneficence
C. Nonmaleficence
D. Justice
Answer: D. Justice
Explanation: Accepting gifts from pharmaceutical companies creates a conflict of interest that may compromise fair and unbiased decision-making, violating the principle of justice.
2. A surgeon develops a close friendship with a patient after performing successful surgery. The patient invites the surgeon to their wedding. What is the most appropriate response?
A. Accept the invitation to maintain a positive relationship
B. Politely decline the invitation to maintain professional boundaries
C. Attend the wedding but avoid discussing medical matters
D. Transfer care to another surgeon before attending
Answer: B. Politely decline the invitation to maintain professional boundaries
Explanation: Physicians must maintain professional boundaries to avoid blurring the line between personal and professional relationships, which could affect objectivity and trust.
3. A physician owns stock in a company that manufactures a drug they frequently prescribe. They fail to disclose this financial interest to patients. This scenario represents a violation of which ethical concept?
A. Informed consent
B. Confidentiality
C. Professional integrity
D. Distributive justice
Answer: C. Professional integrity
Explanation: Failing to disclose a financial conflict of interest undermines professional integrity and erodes trust in the physician-patient relationship.
4. A medical student is asked by a patient to provide personal contact information for future consultations. What is the most appropriate response?
A. Provide the contact information to ensure continuity of care
B. Politely decline and refer the patient to the clinic’s official channels
C. Give the information only if the patient insists
D. Report the patient’s request to a supervisor
Answer: B. Politely decline and refer the patient to the clinic’s official channels
Explanation: Providing personal contact information can blur professional boundaries and create inappropriate expectations.
5. A physician rents office space in a building owned by a close friend. The friend offers a significant discount on rent in exchange for referring patients to their other businesses. What should the physician do?
A. Accept the discount as a gesture of friendship
B. Decline the discount to avoid a conflict of interest
C. Accept the discount but disclose it to patients
D. Negotiate a different arrangement that benefits both parties
Answer: B. Decline the discount to avoid a conflict of interest
Explanation: Accepting preferential treatment could influence the physician’s decisions, creating a conflict of interest that compromises professional ethics.
6. A psychiatrist begins dating a former patient six months after terminating their therapeutic relationship. This action raises concerns about which ethical issue?
A. Breach of confidentiality
B. Violation of professional boundaries
C. Lack of informed consent
D. Exploitation of power dynamics
Answer: B. Violation of professional boundaries
Explanation: Romantic or personal relationships with former patients are discouraged due to the potential for exploitation and harm, even after the therapeutic relationship has ended.
7. A physician serves as an expert witness in a malpractice case and exaggerates the severity of the defendant’s errors to secure a higher fee. This behavior violates which ethical principle?
A. Autonomy
B. Beneficence
C. Nonmaleficence
D. Integrity
Answer: D. Integrity
Explanation: Exaggerating facts for personal gain undermines the physician’s professional integrity and harms the justice system.
8. A medical resident feels pressured to falsify documentation to cover up a minor error made by their supervising attending physician. What is the most appropriate action?
A. Refuse to falsify the documentation and report the incident
B. Comply with the request to avoid conflict
C. Discuss the issue with the attending physician privately
D. Ignore the situation since the error was minor
Answer: A. Refuse to falsify the documentation and report the incident
Explanation: Falsifying records is unethical and illegal. Reporting ensures accountability and protects patients.
9. A physician volunteers at a free clinic and notices that some colleagues are overcharging patients for unnecessary tests. What is the most appropriate action?
A. Confront the colleagues directly
B. Report the behavior to the clinic’s administration
C. Ignore the behavior since it does not involve their own practice
D. Advise patients to seek care elsewhere
Answer: B. Report the behavior to the clinic’s administration
Explanation: Overcharging and performing unnecessary tests exploit patients and violate ethical principles. Reporting ensures proper oversight and accountability.
10. A medical journal editor receives a manuscript authored by a close friend. The manuscript contains significant flaws but the friend requests expedited publication. What is the most appropriate action?
A. Publish the manuscript to support the friend
B. Reject the manuscript outright
C. Send the manuscript for peer review without disclosing the relationship
D. Disclose the relationship and recuse themselves from the decision
Answer: D. Disclose the relationship and recuse themselves from the decision
Explanation: Disclosing the relationship and recusing oneself ensures transparency and avoids bias in the editorial process.