Patient Assessment & Evaluation Flashcards
7 cards from real BHP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Patient Assessment & Evaluation flashcards as text
A clinician documents that a patient demonstrates 'concrete thinking.' This means the patient:
Answer: Is unable to understand abstract concepts or interpret proverbs figuratively
Concrete thinking is characterized by a literal interpretation of language and an inability to think abstractly, often assessed by asking patients to interpret proverbs.
A BHP conducts a structured clinical interview and determines a patient meets DSM-5 criteria for a substance use disorder. How many criteria must be present within a 12-month period to warrant at least a mild diagnosis?
Answer: 2
DSM-5 requires at least 2 of 11 substance use disorder criteria within a 12-month period to qualify for a mild diagnosis.
During an initial assessment, a patient refuses to sign the consent form and asks to leave. The BHP should:
Answer: Respect the patient's right to refuse unless there is imminent danger justifying involuntary hold
Competent adults have the right to refuse treatment; involuntary detention is only justified when the patient poses imminent danger to self or others.
The MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination) primarily screens for:
Answer: Cognitive impairment and dementia
The MMSE is a brief 30-point questionnaire used to screen for cognitive impairment, commonly associated with dementia or delirium.
A patient in a behavioral health intake interview exhibits echolalia. This means the patient is:
Answer: Repeating the clinician's words or phrases back verbatim
Echolalia is the automatic repetition of words or phrases just spoken by another person, and can be observed in autism, schizophrenia, or Tourette's disorder.
When assessing a patient's insight during a mental status exam, the BHP is evaluating the patient's:
Answer: Awareness and understanding of their own psychiatric condition
Insight refers to the degree to which a patient recognizes that they have a mental illness and understands its impact on their functioning.
A trauma-informed BHP conducting an initial assessment for a survivor of domestic violence should prioritize which of the following approaches?
Answer: Creating a sense of safety, choice, and control throughout the assessment process
Trauma-informed care emphasizes safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment—especially critical when assessing survivors of interpersonal violence.