CMA Medical Law and Ethics 2

Question 1

A patient refuses a recommended blood transfusion for religious reasons. What is the medical assistant's best action?

Accepted Answer

Document the refusal and notify the physician

Answer

Competent adults have the right to refuse treatment, and the medical assistant must document the refusal and inform the physician.

Question 2

Which federal law specifically prohibits discrimination in healthcare settings based on disability?

Accepted Answer

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Answer

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires healthcare facilities to provide equal access and reasonable accommodations to patients with disabilities.

Question 3

A physician asks a medical assistant to backdate a medical record entry. The MA should:

Accepted Answer

Refuse and report the request to the compliance officer

Answer

Backdating medical records is fraud; the medical assistant must refuse and report this to the compliance officer.

Question 4

What is the primary purpose of the Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA)?

Accepted Answer

To require facilities to inform patients of their right to make advance directives

Answer

The PSDA requires healthcare facilities to inform patients about their rights to create advance directives such as living wills and healthcare proxies.

Question 5

Which of the following best describes 'res ipsa loquitur' in medical malpractice?

Accepted Answer

The negligence is so obvious that it speaks for itself

Answer

Res ipsa loquitur is a legal doctrine meaning 'the thing speaks for itself,' applied when negligence is self-evident (e.g., a surgical instrument left inside a patient).

Certified Medical Assistant Exam Practice Test

Certified Medical Assistant Exam Practice Test

CMA Medical Law and Ethics 2