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Capacity and consent — RCPSC IM MCQ

Instant feedback + full explanation. One question, done properly.

HardGeneral IM, Ethics, CanMEDSCapacity and consentRCPSC IM

A 46-year-old with nonspecific fatigue has a normal examination, CBC, creatinine, liver enzymes, TSH and ferritin. She asks for annual whole-body CT screening for cancer. What is the best response?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

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Correct answer: C — Explain harms and low yield; do not order whole-body CT screening

The best answer is “Explain harms and low yield; do not order whole-body CT screening”. Whole-body CT has no evidence-based screening role in this low-risk presentation and can generate radiation harm, false positives, invasive follow-up and anxiety. Shared decision making addresses the concern while avoiding low-value testing; PET-CT and repeated regional CT create the same or greater problems.

Reference: Choosing Wisely Canada, imaging recommendations: https://choosingwiselycanada.org/recommendations/