BCP Ethical Principles & Patient Confidentiality 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary ethical principle guiding patient confidentiality?
- Beneficence
- Justice
- Autonomy (Correct answer)
- Non-maleficence
Correct answer: Autonomy
Respect for autonomy requires that a patient’s personal health information be kept private, allowing them control over who accesses their data.
Question 2: Under what condition may a psychometrist share confidential test data without client consent?
- When requested by family
- With a legal court order (Correct answer)
- To assist other patients
- When discussing with coworkers
Correct answer: With a legal court order
Confidential information can only be shared without consent if there is a legal requirement, such as a court order or subpoena.
Question 3: Which of the following is a violation of patient confidentiality?
- Securing data in a locked cabinet
- Discussing results in a private office
- Leaving reports in a shared printer tray (Correct answer)
- Sharing data with supervisor under consent
Correct answer: Leaving reports in a shared printer tray
Leaving test results in public view breaches confidentiality by exposing sensitive client data to unauthorized individuals.
Question 4: What is the role of informed consent in ethical psychometric testing?
- It removes liability from the tester
- It allows for easier data sharing
- It permits the skipping of protocols
- It promotes transparency and autonomy (Correct answer)
Correct answer: It promotes transparency and autonomy
Informed consent ensures that clients understand the purpose, process, and use of the test data before proceeding.
Question 5: Why must psychometrists avoid dual relationships with clients?
- To simplify scheduling
- To reduce testing time
- To maintain professional boundaries (Correct answer)
- To allow flexible billing
Correct answer: To maintain professional boundaries
Dual relationships can compromise objectivity and create conflicts of interest, violating ethical practice standards.
Question 6: When is it appropriate for a psychometrist to break confidentiality for safety?
- To update a research study
- To protect against imminent harm (Correct answer)
- To share with colleagues
- To improve office procedures
Correct answer: To protect against imminent harm
If a client poses a serious threat to themselves or others, confidentiality may be breached to prevent harm.
BCP Ethical Principles & Patient Confidentiality 1
What is the primary ethical principle guiding patient confidentiality?