LSAT Explanation PT 28, S1, Q6: Hospital auditor: The Rodríguez family stipulated

LSAT Question Stem

Which one of the following is the main point at issue between the hospital auditor and the clinic administrator? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Disagree question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is D. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

Let's first analyze the argument in the passage. The hospital auditor states a premise that the Rodríguez family stipulated that the funds they donated to the neurological clinic be used to minimize patients' suffering. They then conclude that the clinic administration is violating those terms, as it has allocated nearly one fifth of those funds for research into new diagnostic technologies, instead of directly benefiting the patients. The clinic administrator counters this conclusion by providing a premise that the successful development of new technologies will allow early diagnosis of many neurological disorders, and in most cases, early treatment leads to less suffering.

The question type is a Disagree question, asking us to identify the main point at issue between the hospital auditor and the clinic administrator.

a) This answer choice is incorrect because both the hospital auditor and the clinic administrator are concerned about minimizing suffering, not with completely eliminating suffering. The issue is not the difference between minimizing and eliminating suffering, but between minimizing it and NOT minimizing it.

b) This answer choice is incorrect because the adequacy of current treatment for patients at the neurological clinic is not discussed by either the hospital auditor or the clinic administrator.

c) This answer choice is incorrect because the stipulation by the Rodríguez family is unique to the auditor's point and not mentioned by the administrator.

d) This answer choice is correct. The main point at issue between the hospital auditor and the clinic administrator is whether the neurological clinic is adhering strictly to the conditions the Rodríguez family placed on the allocation of the funds they donated to the clinic. The auditor believes that the clinic is not adhering to the stipulations because some funds are being used for research, while the administrator argues that the research will eventually minimize patients' suffering, thus adhering to the stipulations.

e) This answer choice is incorrect because neither the hospital auditor nor the clinic administrator discusses whether the Rodríguez family anticipated that some of the funds they donated to the neurological clinic would be used to pay for research into new diagnostic technologies.