Medical Ethics, Legal and Regulatory Issues 4 Flashcards
6 cards from real COT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Medical Ethics, Legal and Regulatory Issues 4 flashcards as text
An ophthalmologist asks a COT to independently diagnose a patient's condition and prescribe treatment while the physician steps out. Which of the following is the most appropriate response?
Answer: Decline, as diagnosis and prescribing are outside the COT's legal scope of practice
Diagnosis and prescribing are outside the legal scope of practice for a COT. Even when delegated by a physician, a COT cannot perform tasks that require a medical license. Performing such tasks exposes both the technician and the practice to legal liability.
Under OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogen Standard, which of the following is the ophthalmic practice's PRIMARY obligation following a needlestick injury to a COT?
Answer: Immediately document the exposure and provide the employee with a confidential medical evaluation at no cost
OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogen Standard requires employers to immediately document the exposure incident and provide the affected employee with a confidential medical evaluation and follow-up at no cost to the employee. This includes testing, counseling, and post-exposure prophylaxis if indicated.
A pharmaceutical representative offers a COT free sports tickets in exchange for recommending their eye drops to patients. Accepting this gift would most likely violate:
Answer: The federal Anti-Kickback Statute
The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting, or receiving anything of value to induce or reward referrals or recommendations of items or services covered by federal healthcare programs. Accepting gifts in exchange for recommending specific products violates this law.
A patient with glaucoma is being seen regularly at your clinic. Due to a scheduling dispute, the ophthalmologist informs the patient they are dismissed from the practice effective immediately, with no referral or transition plan provided. This situation best describes:
Answer: Patient abandonment
Patient abandonment occurs when a provider unilaterally terminates the physician-patient relationship without giving the patient adequate notice, time to find alternative care, or a referral — particularly when the patient still has an ongoing medical need. This is an ethical and legal violation.
A COT is reviewing a patient's chart and notices the ophthalmologist documented a procedure that the COT knows was never performed. What is the most appropriate course of action?
Answer: Report the discrepancy through the practice's internal compliance or reporting mechanism
Falsifying medical records is fraud. The appropriate action for a COT who identifies a documentation discrepancy is to report it through the practice's internal compliance channel or to a supervisor — not to alter records themselves or ignore the issue. Altering another provider's documentation without authorization is also a violation.
A parent calls requesting the complete medical records of their 17-year-old child who was treated for a sexually transmitted infection. Under most state laws and HIPAA, the practice should:
Answer: Release only the records unrelated to the STI, as minors may have confidential rights for certain sensitive treatments
Under HIPAA and most state laws, minors can have the right to consent to and control records related to certain sensitive services — including STI treatment — without parental involvement. In such cases, the practice should release only the records for which the parent has legal access, protecting the minor's confidential information.