Midterm Study CH 1-6 Flashcards
A health care practitioner completes a course in law and ethics. Which of the following is one of the most important reasons health care professionals should be familiar with this field of study?
a. to help avoid legal entanglements
A new employee in a large medical practice is looking for the professional etiquette staff members are expected to follow. Which would be the best source for learning these rules?
b. the office policy manual
A pledge for physicians that remains influential today is:
d. Hippocratic oath
A precedent is a
d. a case that serves as a model for future cases.
A radiology technician approaches a new patient and states: “I am Jennifer and I will be taking care of you today.” This is an example of which of the three “C’s”?
e. Courtesy.
A student medical assistant doing his/her internship in a physician’s office refuses to wipe up a spilled drink in the exam room hallway because she he/she believes housekeeping is not part of his/her job description. The student is demonstrating the absence of which quality deemed necessary for successful health care practitioners?
e. common sense
An attorney files a motion that pleads there is no basis for a trial. This is called:
b. summary judgment
Another term for legal responsibility is:
d. liability
Bioethics is concerned with:
b. ethical implications of biological research methods and results
Formed through the influences of family, culture, and society, these serve as the basis for ethical conduct:
e. moral values
Laws applying specifically to the practice of medicine in a certain state are called:
d. Medical Practice Acts
The defendant in a lawsuit is the
e. party against who criminal or civil charges have been filed.
The first step in a critical thinking problem solving is to
e. clarify the problem.
The plaintiff in a lawsuit is the
d. party filing the civil charges.
Unethical behavior is always:
e. unacceptable
Unlawful acts are always:
a. unethical
What do professional organizations create to govern their members?
a. codes of ethics
What document serves as a guideline for employees about professional behavior and etiquette?
d. the office policy manual
What is the meaning of the term litigious?
d. increase in the number of lawsuits
What is the purpose of formalized codes of ethics in the health care professions?
e. to increase the competence within the profession
Which of the following is a synonym for “good manners”?
d. etiquette
Which of the following is an example of a health care practitioner displaying compassion for a patient?
b. A physician sits down with a patient and addresses all the patient’s concerns.
Which of the following is considered a technical skill?
d. computer literacy
Which of the following is/are not enacted by government?
e. etiquette rules
Written codes of ethics for health care practitioners:
b. evolved primarily to serve as moral guidelines for those who provide care
A child life specialist caring for children in the pediatric ward plays a game with a young patient who is enjoying the game, but makes up the rules as she goes along. This behavior is characteristic of what stage of moral development?
a. preoperational stage
A child tells a nurse that he stole money from his mother’s purse because he needed money to buy some candy. He also states that he knows what he did was wrong and will not do it again. Based on this conversation, what stage of moral development would this child be experiencing?
c. formal operational stage
A doctor prescribes a placebo for a patient who he feels is complaining of pain that is not there. This is an example of a violation of what principle of health care ethics?
a. veracity
A health practitioner is interviewing a 6-year-old male child who is in Piaget’s preoperational stage. Which of the following is characteristic of this stage?
b. The child views the world from his own perspective.
A healthcare facility administrator considers the principle of utility when making decisions that affect the employees of the facility. Which of the following describes this principle?
a. It brings about positive results when generalized to a wide variety of situations.
A lab technician is speaking loudly about the reason a patient is having a blood test outside the patient’s door. What principle of health care ethics has the tech violated?
e. confidentiality
A nurse caring for older adults in a nursing home has a paternalistic view about telling patients the truth about their conditions. Which of the following best describes the practice of paternalism?
a. acting like a parent to the patient
A nurse practitioner is also a manager in a small practice with three physicians. One of the medical assistants comes to her and says that another employee is falsifying her work hours. The nurse practitioner knows that the two employees don’t get along. What would be the next step the nurse would take if following the problem-solving process?
b. Collect the facts.
A patient undergoing surgery signs an informed consent for the procedure. Which of the following principles of health care ethics does informed consent protect?
e. autonomy
A patient who was injured in a fall in a health care facility due to the negligence of the nurse is filing a medical malpractice lawsuit. Which ethical principle applies in this situation?
d. justice
A person who makes a commitment to universal principles such as social justice, equal rights, and respect for the dignity of all people is in what stage of Kohlberg’s developmental theory?
d. post-conventional morality, Stage 2
A physician running a busy practice makes decisions for his employees on a regular basis. The physician would describe himself as “moral man with common sense, a sense of justice, and courage who makes the right decisions in life by focusing on these moral traits.” What theory of decision making is being employed by this physician?
e. virtue ethics
According to MacIntyre’s theory of virtue ethics, what principle helps the decision maker arrive at a decision?
c. loyalty to the role he or she plays
An X-ray technician witnesses a nurse diagnosing a medical problem for a patient. Which of the seven principles of health care ethics has this nurse violated?
b. role fidelity
Immanuel Kant defined categorical imperative as the guiding principle for all decision making. What is the meaning of this principle?
b. there are no exceptions to the rule
In Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs, the need for basic life (food, shelter), a safe environment, and to belong and be loved are designated “D” needs. What does “D” stand for?
deficiency
Virtue ethics focuses on the traits, characteristics, and virtues that a moral person should have. Who is the most well-known ethicist to write about this ethical decision making process?
b. Alasdair MacIntyre
What basic flaw do critics cite as the major problem with using value ethics as a decision-making tool?
c. The past may not provide the right answer.
What is the unique focus of health care providers that challenges them to make sound ethical decisions?
a. the health and well-being of the patient
Which of the following theorists believed that human behavior is based on specific human needs that must often be met in a specific order?
a. Abraham Maslow
A copayment is
b. a set amount that each patient pays for each office visit.
A health care provider is explaining to staff members about the accreditation process. Which of the following may be accredited?
a. a hospital
A method used by a health plan to measure the amount and appropriateness of health services used by its members is called a(n)
d. utilization review.
A patient portal is
c. online access to a variety of health care services and communications with providers.
A physician is entering a residency to complete her education. Which of the following accurately describes this process?
a. a period of practical postgraduate training in a hospital
A physician is undergoing professional peer review related to an incident of fraud in his practice. Which federal law requires that professional peer review action be taken in this case and also limits the damages for the professional review?
e. Health Care Quality Improvement Act
A remote consultation with physicians or other health care professionals is called
c. telemedicine.
A valid out-of-state license is accepted as the basis for issuing a license in a second state without reexamination. This is called:
a. reciprocity
As a provision of the Accountable Care Act, health care insurers were encouraged to unite with health care providers to form what type of an organization?
e. accountable care organization
Both Doctors of Medicine (MDs) and Doctors of Osteopathy (DOs) follow requirements to obtain a degree in their field. Which of the following is the basic difference between these two degrees?
a. MDs are trained in allopathic medicine.
Coinsurance is
b. a percentage of the fee for services provided that the patient pays.
Facebook, Twitter, and blogs are examples of
e. social media
Medical practices are being consolidated in many forms. Which of the following is not one of those forms?
b. sole proprietorship
The most popular mobile medical app function is
e. drug references.
The National Practitioner Data Bank may disclose information to which of the following groups?
e. state licensing boards
The statutes in all 50 states that govern the practice of medicine are called:
e. medical practice acts
Under the provisions in the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies must cover dependent children up to age ________.
d. 26
Under this type of plan, a patient may see providers outside the plan, but the patient pays a higher portion of the fees.
a. preferred provider plan.
What federal legislation created health insurance exchanges that provide individuals with an ability to purchase insurance?
d. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
What federal legislation provided employees the ability to keep health insurance coverage when transferring to another job?
a. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
Which of the following credentials is a voluntary, national examination that shows the level of competency for an individual?
d. certification
Which of the following is not sufficient grounds for revoking a medical license?
d. misdiagnosis
Which of the settings below provides limited liability for the providers?
c. professional corporation
Which of these credentials is mandatory for certain health professionals to practice in their field?
a. licensure
Which practice management system allows for a sharing of expenses without sharing profits and liability?
c. associate practice
A court of last resort is commonly known as a:
c. supreme court
A felony is:
b. a more serious criminal act
A misdemeanor is
d. a less serious criminal act.
A nurse who steals drugs from a medication cart is committing an offense under what kind of law?
a. criminal law
A physician assistant provides treatment to a person who has come to the emergency room for treatment of a painful rash. This is an example of a(n)
d. limited contract.
Amanda is a nurse in Dr. Smith’s pediatric practice. She accidently gives a patient the wrong medication. Dr. Smith is held responsible under:
c. respondeat superior
Assault is defined as:
b. the open threat of bodily harm
Battery is defined as:
a. the action that causes bodily harm to someone
Both parties in the physician-patient relationship have certain rights and responsibilities. Which of the following is a physician responsibility?
a. Exercise his or her best professional judgment in all cases.
Broad enabling statutes defining an agency’s powers and procedures are known as
b. administrative laws
Dr. Giles and his practice manager are considering charging interest on unpaid balances. Which law says the doctor must first tell the patients of this change in policy?
e. Regulation Z of the Consumer Protection Act
For which of the following actions would an employer be responsible under respondeat superior?
a. An employee accidently prescribes the wrong medication.
From which of the following does an implied contract result?
b. the actions of the parties involved
Laws enacted by state or federal legislatures are called:
e. statutes
Practicing medicine without a license is an example of which of the following types of laws?
a. criminal law
The Easy Collection Agency continues to call Susan at work to talk to her about her past due account at St. John’s Hospital. The Easy Collection Agency is violating which law?
e. Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
The highest law in our country is:
d. the U.S. Constitution
The law of ________ makes employers liable for the actions of their employees.
b. agency
The President of the United Sates exercises limited legislative powers when issuing:
e. executive orders
There are ________ branches of the federal government.
c. three
Those responsibilities not set by the United States Constitution are left to the states. Which of the following is an exclusive power of state governments?
b. issue licenses
Unintentionally, a health care provider fails to exercise what is considered ordinary care. This is called ________ and the provider may be sued by the patient.
e. negligence
When entering into a contract, certain conditions must pertain to the offer. Which of the following accurately describes one of these conditions?
a. It must be communicated.
Which list describes the elements of a contract?
d. agreement, consideration, legal subject matter, and contractual capacity
Which of the following must be in writing?
a. third-party contract for health care coverage
A deposition may be taken in which phase of the lawsuit?
b. interrogatory
A jury is selected in the ________ stage of a lawsuit.
a. trial
A medical assistant takes universal precautions while drawing blood for analysis. This is an example of:
c. standard of care
A medical assistant who is recording data in a patient’s medical record maintains confidentiality at all times. Which of the following describes this practice?
e. not releasing patient information to unauthorized individuals
A patient is properly cared for by the nurse practitioner. Which of the following describes one of the elements that the nurse practitioner has successfully met?
a. duty
A physician is a specialist in obstetrics. Which of the following is true regarding the standard of care expected of this physician?
b. The physician will be held to the same standard of care as other obstetricians.
A physician working in an emergency room is obligated to treat all the patients who come through the door. This is an example of which of the following concepts?
e. duty of care
A plea made for a case to be reviewed by the higher court occurs in the ________ phase of a lawsuit.
c. appeal
A provider breaches duty of care to a patient. This element of negligence is defined as:
b. dereliction
A surgeon removes the wrong kidney from a patient. The patient can sue under which of the following legal doctrines?
e. res ipsa loquitur
A(n) ________ is issued by the clerk of the court and is delivered with a copy of the complaint to the defendant.
c. summons
Alternative dispute resolution has become increasing popular over the years. What is the reason for this increase?
c. overcrowding of court calendars
As employers, physicians have general liability for many aspects of their business. Which of the following does not fall under the responsibility of the employers?
e. employees driving to and from the workplace
If a patient is injured because a health care professional failed to exercise the care and expertise that under the circumstances could reasonably be expected of a professional with similar experience and training, then that professional may be liable for
b. reasonable person standard.
In a hospital, a certain standard of care is expected of health care practitioners. Which of the following best describes this concept?
c. an expected level of performance
In an informal proceeding of arbitration, each side presents evidence and witnesses. In the dispute resolution method referred to as med-arb, who resolves the dispute if the two parties are unable to reach an agreement after mediation?
b. the mediator
Instead of going to court, two parties in dispute agree to a neutral third party listening to both sides of the argument and helping to resolve the dispute. What is the term for this type of dispute resolution?
b. mediation
Some states require mediation and/or arbitration for certain civil cases, while in other states alternative dispute resolution methods are voluntary. Under the terms of a written contract, who chooses an arbitrator?
d. the American Arbitration Association
The definition of liability is:
a. the legal responsibility of competent adults for their own acts
The failure to act when one should is called:
c. nonfeasance
Those damages awarded by the court to punish the defendant are called:
a. punitive
What is the difference between a subpoena and subpoena duces tecum?
b. A subpoena duces tecum requires that documents and records be brought to court.
When no written contract exists, who chooses an arbitrator to resolve disputes?
d. The two parties select an arbitrator and the two arbitrators select a third to act.
Which of the following is an example of a privileged communication?
b. A patient tells her physician that she uses illegal drugs.
Which of the following is not a violation of patient confidentiality?
d. An office clerk calls a patient by name at the check-out desk.
A certified medical assistant is constantly updating her knowledge and skills by attending in-services and seminars. This person is practicing which of the “4 Cs of medical malpractice prevention”?
c. competence
A medical malpractice lawsuit has been decided under the doctrine of res judicata. What does this Latin term mean?
c. The thing has been decided.
A patient sues a physician for negligence and loses. The patient then sues the physician for breach of contract. The second suit is dismissed under what doctrine?
e. res judicata
A physician joins a group practice and is applying at the local hospital for admission privileges, also known as credentialing. Which of the following is the final step in verifying the physician’s credentials?
d. A peer review committee completes the process.
A physician who owns a medical practice decides his malpractice insurance is too expensive and drops the policy. Which of the following aspects of this physician’s practice will impact the physician the most?
d. having hospital privileges
