Medical Ethics, Professionalism, and Communication Skills
Medical Ethics, Professionalism, and Communication Skills tests consent, confidentiality, capacity, end-of-life decisions, resource allocation, and professional boundaries. Answers should respect autonomy while protecting patients from harm.
Core rules
- Valid consent requires capacity, adequate information, and voluntariness.
- Capacity is decision-specific: understand, retain, weigh, and communicate the decision.
- Minors: assess competence; confidentiality may be maintained when the young person understands the decision, unless there is risk of harm.
- Confidentiality can be breached only when required by law or necessary to prevent serious harm.
- End-of-life: advance care planning, symptom control, and avoiding futile treatment; the patient's wishes guide care.
Worked example
A 16-year-old asks for contraception and requests that her parents not be told. Reasoning: assess her understanding and voluntariness. If she is competent and there is no coercion or abuse, confidentiality can be maintained and contraception provided. Encourage family involvement but do not make it a condition. If there were signs of abuse, mandatory reporting would override confidentiality.
Traps
- Assuming a parent must consent for every adolescent decision.
- Breaking confidentiality to satisfy relatives.
- Confusing capacity with compliance.
- Continuing futile treatment to avoid a difficult conversation.