HIPAA and Scope of Practice Flashcards

Which of the following best describes the medical assistant's scope of practice?

Answer: Tasks authorized by state law, employer policy, and physician delegation

Scope of practice for medical assistants is defined by state statutes, employer policies, and the supervising physician's delegation.

A medical assistant is asked to perform a task that is outside their training. The correct response is to:

Answer: Refuse and report the request to the supervising physician

Performing tasks outside one's training endangers patient safety; the medical assistant must decline and notify the supervisor.

Under HIPAA, which of the following is NOT considered protected health information (PHI)?

Answer: De-identified health data with all 18 identifiers removed

Data is not PHI once all 18 HIPAA identifiers have been removed through proper de-identification methods.

A medical assistant who administers medication without a valid order from a licensed provider is:

Answer: Practicing outside their scope of practice

Administering medication requires a valid physician order; doing so without one exceeds the medical assistant's scope of practice.

HIPAA's Security Rule specifically applies to:

Answer: Electronic PHI (ePHI) only

The HIPAA Security Rule applies exclusively to electronic protected health information (ePHI).

A patient verbally revokes a previously signed authorization for release of records. The medical assistant should:

Answer: Stop releasing records and document the revocation

Patients have the right to revoke an authorization at any time; the medical assistant must stop disclosures and document the revocation.

Which action demonstrates proper HIPAA compliance when using a computer workstation?

Answer: Logging off or locking the screen when stepping away

Locking or logging off the workstation when unattended prevents unauthorized access to ePHI and is required by the Security Rule.