Importance Questions: Strategy

Importance questions present a different challenge from appropriateness questions. Instead of rating actions, you rate considerations — factors that should (or should not) influence a decision. This lesson provides a strategy for consistently rating considerations correctly.

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How Importance Questions Differ from Appropriateness Questions

Feature	Appropriateness	Importance
You are rating	Actions (things to do)	Considerations (factors to think about)
The scale	Very appropriate → Very inappropriate	Very important → Not important at all
What you are assessing	Whether the action is professionally correct	Whether the factor should influence the decision
Key question	"Should you do this?"	"Should this affect your decision?"

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The Rating Scale for Importance

"Very Important"

This consideration is essential and must be taken into account. Ignoring it would be negligent, dangerous, or unprofessional.

Characteristics of "very important" considerations:

• Directly related to patient safety
• A legal or professional obligation (e.g., confidentiality, consent)
• Involves core ethical principles (autonomy, non-maleficence)
• Would significantly change the decision if ignored