CPC Mobile Integrated Health and EMS System Coordination 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following BEST defines the 'hot spot' strategy used in MIH programs?
- Deploying additional ambulances to high-call-volume areas
- Targeting resources toward high-utilizer patients and geographic areas to reduce emergency demand (Correct answer)
- Increasing fire department staffing in underserved communities
- Mapping hospital diversion routes during surge periods
Correct answer: Targeting resources toward high-utilizer patients and geographic areas to reduce emergency demand
The hot spot strategy focuses MIH resources on individuals and geographic areas with disproportionately high emergency service utilization to produce the greatest system-level impact.
Question 2: A community paramedic program wants to evaluate whether its interventions are effective. Which study design provides the STRONGEST evidence?
- Case series report
- Retrospective chart review
- Randomized controlled trial or quasi-experimental design with a comparison group (Correct answer)
- Expert consensus opinion
Correct answer: Randomized controlled trial or quasi-experimental design with a comparison group
A randomized controlled trial or quasi-experimental design with a comparison group provides the strongest evidence because it controls for confounding variables and allows causal inference.
Question 3: Under HIPAA, a community paramedic may share patient health information with a primary care physician WITHOUT a separate authorization when:
- The patient is enrolled in a MIH program
- The disclosure is for treatment purposes within the care team (Correct answer)
- The patient has signed the EMS agency's general consent form
- The physician requests the information in writing
Correct answer: The disclosure is for treatment purposes within the care team
HIPAA permits the disclosure of protected health information for treatment purposes among members of the treating care team without requiring additional patient authorization.
Question 4: A community paramedic program is designing a referral pathway for patients with uncontrolled hypertension. Which partner is MOST critical to include in the pathway?
- Local pharmacy for over-the-counter blood pressure monitors
- Primary care provider or clinical partner who can prescribe and adjust medications (Correct answer)
- The hospital emergency department as the primary follow-up site
- The county health department for health education materials only
Correct answer: Primary care provider or clinical partner who can prescribe and adjust medications
A primary care provider or clinical partner with prescribing authority is essential in a hypertension pathway because medication management and titration require physician or advanced practice involvement.
Question 5: Which of the following scenarios BEST represents appropriate scope of practice for a community paramedic during a home visit?
- Independently diagnosing diabetes mellitus based on a fingerstick glucose result
- Performing a point-of-care A1C test per protocol and reporting results to the supervising physician (Correct answer)
- Prescribing metformin after identifying elevated blood sugar
- Advising the patient to stop insulin without physician consultation
Correct answer: Performing a point-of-care A1C test per protocol and reporting results to the supervising physician
Performing a point-of-care test per protocol and reporting results to the physician is within community paramedic scope; diagnosis and prescribing remain physician responsibilities.
Question 6: A community paramedic program is requested to develop a protocol for patients recently released from incarceration. The HIGHEST priority health risk to address for this population is:
- Dental hygiene education
- Opioid overdose prevention and naloxone distribution (Correct answer)
- Colorectal cancer screening referral
- Vision screening and eyeglass vouchers
Correct answer: Opioid overdose prevention and naloxone distribution
The risk of fatal opioid overdose is dramatically elevated in the weeks immediately following release from incarceration due to lost tolerance, making overdose prevention the top priority.
CPC Mobile Integrated Health and EMS System Coordination 2
Which of the following BEST defines the 'hot spot' strategy used in MIH programs?