Clinical Reasoning Flashcards
7 cards from real CHT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Clinical Reasoning flashcards as text
A CHT is using motivational interviewing with a patient who is non-compliant with home exercises. The therapist's BEST response to the patient's ambivalence is:
Answer: Explore the patient's own reasons for wanting to improve
Motivational interviewing focuses on eliciting the patient's intrinsic motivation by exploring their own values and goals for recovery.
A patient with a mallet finger deformity treated conservatively for 6 weeks shows persistent extensor lag of 20 degrees. The MOST appropriate clinical reasoning is:
Answer: Continue uninterrupted splinting for an additional 6 weeks and reassess
A residual extensor lag at 6 weeks may indicate inadequate healing; continuing splinting with reassessment is standard conservative management.
A CHT identifies fear-avoidance behavior in a patient with chronic hand pain. Which assessment tool BEST quantifies this?
Answer: Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK)
The Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia specifically measures pain-related fear of movement and is the standard tool for assessing fear-avoidance.
When reasoning about a patient's risk for developing chronic pain after hand surgery, which psychosocial factor has the STRONGEST evidence as a predictor?
Answer: Pre-surgical catastrophizing
Pain catastrophizing is one of the strongest psychological predictors of chronic post-surgical pain and poor functional outcomes.
A CHT is treating a patient with partial thickness burns to the dorsal hand. Which clinical reasoning principle should guide early splinting?
Answer: Splint in the intrinsic plus position to prevent contracture
The intrinsic plus position (wrist extension, MP flexion, IP extension) is the anti-deformity position that prevents dorsal hand burn contractures.
A patient who sustained a high-pressure injection injury to the palm presents to outpatient therapy. The therapist's FIRST action should be:
Answer: Immediately refer to the emergency department if not yet evaluated
High-pressure injection injuries are surgical emergencies requiring immediate debridement; if not yet evaluated by a surgeon, emergency referral is mandatory.
A CHT uses the clinical reasoning strategy of 'hypothesis testing' during evaluation. This is BEST described as:
Answer: Forming a probable diagnosis and selecting tests to confirm or refute it
Hypothesis testing involves forming a working diagnosis based on initial findings and selectively choosing tests to confirm or rule out that hypothesis.