BCP Ethical Principles & Patient Confidentiality 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A psychometrist discovers that a patient's test results suggest they may pose a danger to themselves. What is the MOST appropriate first step?
- Immediately notify the supervising psychologist or licensed clinician (Correct answer)
- Document the findings and wait until the next scheduled appointment
- Inform the patient's family directly without consulting a supervisor
- Discard the results to protect the patient's privacy
Correct answer: Immediately notify the supervising psychologist or licensed clinician
Safety concerns require immediate consultation with the supervising clinician, as psychometrists are not independently licensed to make clinical decisions.
Question 2: Under HIPAA, which of the following is considered Protected Health Information (PHI)?
- De-identified aggregate test scores used in research
- A patient's name combined with their diagnosis (Correct answer)
- Anonymous survey responses with no identifying data
- Published population norms for standardized tests
Correct answer: A patient's name combined with their diagnosis
PHI includes any individually identifiable health information, such as a patient's name linked to a diagnosis or test result.
Question 3: A psychometrist is asked by a teacher to share a student's full neuropsychological report for classroom planning. What is the correct action?
- Share the report since it benefits the student's education
- Provide only a verbal summary without written records
- Obtain a signed release of information before disclosing any results (Correct answer)
- Refuse to share any information under any circumstances
Correct answer: Obtain a signed release of information before disclosing any results
A signed release of information from the parent or guardian is required before sharing any protected health information with educators.
Question 4: Which ethical principle requires a psychometrist to act in the best interest of the patient, prioritizing their welfare?
- Autonomy
- Non-maleficence
- Beneficence (Correct answer)
- Justice
Correct answer: Beneficence
Beneficence refers to the obligation to act in ways that promote the patient's well-being and best interests.
Question 5: A patient requests to see their own raw test data. According to ethical guidelines, what should the psychometrist do?
- Provide the raw data directly to the patient upon request
- Refer the request to the supervising psychologist to handle appropriately (Correct answer)
- Deny the request because raw data is always confidential
- Share only the scores but not the test items or protocols
Correct answer: Refer the request to the supervising psychologist to handle appropriately
Raw test data should be managed by the supervising psychologist, who can ensure proper interpretation and protect test security.
Question 6: When a psychometrist is subpoenaed for patient records, what is the appropriate response?
- Immediately comply and release all records to the court
- Ignore the subpoena as HIPAA protects all records from disclosure
- Notify the supervising psychologist and consult legal counsel before releasing records (Correct answer)
- Destroy the records to prevent unauthorized disclosure
Correct answer: Notify the supervising psychologist and consult legal counsel before releasing records
A legal subpoena must be taken seriously, but the psychometrist should involve the supervising psychologist and legal counsel before releasing any protected records.
Question 7: A colleague asks a psychometrist to share test protocols from a previous patient for use in a training seminar. What ethical concern is MOST relevant?
- Test security and patient confidentiality (Correct answer)
- The colleague's professional competence
- Copyright of the testing instruments
- The psychometrist's scope of practice
Correct answer: Test security and patient confidentiality
Sharing identified patient protocols breaches confidentiality, and sharing test materials broadly can compromise test security.
BCP Ethical Principles & Patient Confidentiality 2
A psychometrist discovers that a patient's test results suggest they may pose a danger to themselves.
What is the MOST appropriate first step?