CMAA Medical Law and Ethics 4

Question 1

A patient requests that their medical records not be shared with their adult children. Under HIPAA, the medical office must:

Accepted Answer

Honor the patient's request and restrict disclosure to the adult children

Answer

HIPAA grants competent adult patients the right to restrict who receives their health information, including family members.

Question 2

Which legal doctrine holds that a physician is responsible for the negligent actions of employees working under their supervision?

Accepted Answer

Respondeat superior

Answer

Respondeat superior ('let the master answer') makes employers liable for employees' negligent acts performed within the scope of employment.

Question 3

A medical administrative assistant discovers a coworker accessing patient records without a legitimate work reason. The BEST first action is to:

Accepted Answer

Report the incident to the privacy officer or supervisor

Answer

Unauthorized access to patient records is a HIPAA violation that must be reported to the designated privacy officer or supervisor promptly.

Question 4

Which type of consent is implied when a patient extends their arm for a routine blood draw without verbal agreement?

Accepted Answer

Implied consent

Answer

Implied consent is inferred from a patient's actions or conduct, such as extending an arm for a blood draw.

Question 5

The ethical principle of 'nonmaleficence' in healthcare means:

Accepted Answer

Doing no harm to the patient

Answer

Nonmaleficence is the duty to avoid causing harm, summarized by the phrase 'first, do no harm.'

CMAA - Certified Medical Administrative Assistant Practice Test