Medical ethics: therapeutic privilege: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Forensic Medicine · Medical ethics: therapeutic privilege

Sample item

A doctor decides not to reveal the full details of a grave diagnosis to an extremely anxious elderly patient because he believes disclosure would seriously harm the patient. Which doctrine is being invoked?

ADoctrine of necessityBImplied consentCPrivileged communicationDTherapeutic privilege

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Therapeutic privilege

Therapeutic privilege allows a doctor to withhold information when he reasonably believes that disclosure would cause serious harm to the patient. It is narrowly applied, and information is shared with a suitable relative where possible. It is not a licence to avoid telling the patient generally.

Option by option

A. Doctrine of necessity
Doctrine of necessity justifies treatment in emergencies without consent.
B. Implied consent
Implied consent describes consent inferred from conduct such as offering an arm.
C. Privileged communication
Privileged communication protects confidential statements from disclosure in court.
D. Therapeutic privilege (correct)
Correct. Withholding information to prevent serious harm is therapeutic privilege.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is D, Therapeutic privilege. Therapeutic privilege allows a doctor to withhold information when he reasonably believes that disclosure would cause serious harm to the patient.

Why is "Doctrine of necessity" not the answer?

Doctrine of necessity justifies treatment in emergencies without consent.

Why is "Implied consent" not the answer?

Implied consent describes consent inferred from conduct such as offering an arm.

Why is "Privileged communication" not the answer?

Privileged communication protects confidential statements from disclosure in court.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Medical ethics: therapeutic privilege in Forensic Medicine. It is narrowly applied, and information is shared with a suitable relative where possible. It is not a licence to avoid telling the patient generally.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Medical ethics: therapeutic privilege?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.