AMCA Professionalism and Ethics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient requests that their medical records not be shared with their spouse. What is the appropriate response?
- Share records only if the spouse is the emergency contact
- Honor the patient's request and keep records confidential (Correct answer)
- Share records because the spouse may need the information
- Consult with the physician before deciding
Correct answer: Honor the patient's request and keep records confidential
Patients have the right to control who accesses their health information under HIPAA.
Question 2: Which behavior best demonstrates professional boundaries in a medical setting?
- Accepting small gifts from patients to maintain rapport
- Sharing personal contact information to help patients reach you after hours
- Maintaining a therapeutic relationship without personal involvement (Correct answer)
- Discussing other patients' cases to reassure a nervous patient
Correct answer: Maintaining a therapeutic relationship without personal involvement
Professional boundaries require keeping relationships therapeutic rather than personal.
Question 3: A medical assistant overhears a colleague making a derogatory comment about a patient's weight. The best action is to:
- Ignore it since it was not said directly to the patient
- Laugh along to avoid workplace conflict
- Address the colleague privately or report to a supervisor (Correct answer)
- Confront the colleague loudly in front of staff
Correct answer: Address the colleague privately or report to a supervisor
Addressing unprofessional behavior through appropriate channels upholds patient dignity and workplace standards.
Question 4: What does the ethical principle of 'justice' require in healthcare?
- Treating every patient identically regardless of condition
- Distributing healthcare resources fairly and equitably (Correct answer)
- Allowing patients to make all their own medical decisions
- Preventing harm to patients at all costs
Correct answer: Distributing healthcare resources fairly and equitably
Justice in healthcare ethics refers to fair distribution of resources and equitable treatment.
Question 5: A patient who does not speak English arrives for an appointment. The ethical approach is to:
- Ask the patient's adult child to interpret all medical information
- Reschedule until a bilingual staff member is available
- Use a qualified medical interpreter to facilitate communication (Correct answer)
- Proceed using simple gestures and written notes only
Correct answer: Use a qualified medical interpreter to facilitate communication
Using a qualified interpreter ensures accurate communication and respects patient rights.
Question 6: Which action constitutes a violation of patient confidentiality?
- Sharing test results with the ordering physician
- Discussing a patient's diagnosis with their insurance company with signed authorization
- Mentioning a patient's name in a public area while others can overhear (Correct answer)
- Documenting care in the patient's electronic health record
Correct answer: Mentioning a patient's name in a public area while others can overhear
Discussing identifiable patient information in public areas violates HIPAA confidentiality standards.
Question 7: A medical assistant is asked to perform a task outside their scope of practice. They should:
- Perform the task if no one else is available
- Refuse and explain they are not trained or authorized to perform that task (Correct answer)
- Ask a coworker to watch and guide them through it
- Complete it quickly and document it as routine care
Correct answer: Refuse and explain they are not trained or authorized to perform that task
Performing tasks outside one's scope of practice is unsafe and may constitute unauthorized practice.
AMCA Professionalism and Ethics 2
A patient requests that their medical records not be shared with their spouse.
What is the appropriate response?