Ethics & Law · single question
A companion is accompanying a patient with Alzheimer's disease. The companion requests information about the patient's care. What ethical principle does the need for informed consent primarily address in this situation?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Veracity (truth-telling)
Veracity refers to truth-telling and honesty in the patient-provider relationship. Informed consent is fundamentally a veracity-based ethical obligation — providing truthful, complete information to the patient (or legal surrogate/guardian) about the proposed treatment. In a patient with Alzheimer's who lacks decision-making capacity, the legal guardian or healthcare proxy holds informed consent authority. The process must still be honest and transparent.
- A. CORRECT. Veracity (truth-telling) is the ethical principle most directly associated with informed consent — ensuring honest disclosure of information to the patient or their authorized surrogate.
- B. Incorrect. Nonmaleficence means 'do no harm' — it relates to avoiding harmful treatment, not to the process of information disclosure.
- C. Incorrect. Justice refers to fair and equitable distribution of healthcare resources and treatment — not specifically to consent.
- D. Incorrect. Beneficence means acting in the patient's best interest — it relates to the outcome of care, not specifically to the consent process.