Medical Ethics, Professionalism and Health Law
Medical Ethics, Professionalism and Health Law tests consent, confidentiality, capacity, error disclosure, and resource allocation. The exam asks what a doctor should do when values conflict.
Core rules
- Valid consent requires capacity, adequate information, and voluntariness.
- Confidentiality can be breached only with consent or a lawful justification such as serious public health risk.
- A competent adolescent may consent to confidential sexual health care in many settings; assess capacity rather than using age alone.
- In an emergency, treat without consent if delay would cause serious harm.
Worked example
A 16-year-old requests STI testing and asks that parents not be told. Assess capacity and confidentiality, explain limits, and offer testing. Encourage parental involvement but do not disclose without justification. If the law requires reporting a specific condition, explain that before testing.
Traps
- Breaching confidentiality because a family member asks.
- Obtaining consent from a patient who lacks capacity without involving a surrogate.
- Hiding a medical error to avoid conflict; disclose and explain.
- Refusing emergency care until payment is arranged.