Question

Ethics Issue 3:

Answer 1

Answer:

The PA must communicate the patient's psychological situation to the attending physician.

Explanation:

The PA is the professional who works in conjunction with a doctor to assist you, so a PA should not hide any patient information from the attending physician because all the information is important for efficient treatment to be developed. In the case shown in the question above, the PA learned that the patient undergoing a heart transplant is depressed and no longer wants to live. This is very serious information and needs to be taken to the doctor in charge of the case so that the patient receives the necessary assistance for his/her problem.

Answer 2

The matter should be discussed with the patient's physician, because when a person receives a transplant and loses their will to live, the patients body reacts to this and the transplanted organ will typically fail and be "wasted" for lack of a better word. The physician needs to know this to try and improve the patients will to live, or to refuse the surgery so the heart is not "wasted"