CPC Ethical and Legal Principles 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under HIPAA, which of the following disclosures of protected health information (PHI) does NOT require patient authorization?
- Disclosure to public health authorities for disease surveillance (Correct answer)
- Disclosure to the patient's employer for occupational health screening
- Disclosure to a marketing company for health product promotion
- Disclosure to a neighbor who claims to be the patient's caregiver
Correct answer: Disclosure to public health authorities for disease surveillance
HIPAA permits disclosure to public health authorities for disease surveillance without patient authorization as a permitted use.
Question 2: A community paramedic identifies signs of domestic violence in a patient who denies abuse and refuses help. Which action best reflects current ethical and legal standards?
- Provide information on resources, document observations, and report as required by state mandatory reporting laws (Correct answer)
- Respect the refusal completely and make no documentation
- Remove the patient from the home immediately for their protection
- Notify law enforcement without informing the patient
Correct answer: Provide information on resources, document observations, and report as required by state mandatory reporting laws
Providing resources, thorough documentation, and following mandatory reporting laws balances patient autonomy with legal obligations.
Question 3: What is the primary legal purpose of thorough and accurate patient care documentation in community paramedicine?
- It provides a legal record of assessment, care provided, and patient response that can be used in legal proceedings (Correct answer)
- It is required only for billing purposes
- It replaces the need for verbal handoff reports
- It is used exclusively for quality assurance reviews
Correct answer: It provides a legal record of assessment, care provided, and patient response that can be used in legal proceedings
Documentation serves as the legal record of care rendered and is critical evidence in malpractice, liability, and regulatory proceedings.
Question 4: Which ethical framework emphasizes following universal moral rules regardless of consequences, most associated with Immanuel Kant?
- Deontology (Correct answer)
- Utilitarianism
- Virtue ethics
- Principlism
Correct answer: Deontology
Deontology, associated with Kant, holds that actions are inherently right or wrong based on adherence to rules, regardless of outcomes.
Question 5: A community paramedic is asked by a supervisor to falsify a patient care report. The paramedic's most appropriate course of action is to:
- Refuse and report the request through the appropriate chain of command or ethics reporting channel (Correct answer)
- Comply to preserve the employment relationship
- Alter the report minimally to satisfy the request
- Consult the patient before deciding
Correct answer: Refuse and report the request through the appropriate chain of command or ethics reporting channel
Falsifying medical records is illegal and unethical; the paramedic must refuse and report the request through proper channels.
Question 6: In community paramedicine, 'scope of practice' is primarily defined by:
- State statutes, regulations, and protocols established by medical direction (Correct answer)
- National EMS education standards alone
- The level of training the paramedic has personally completed
- The policies of the employer agency only
Correct answer: State statutes, regulations, and protocols established by medical direction
Scope of practice is legally defined by state law, administrative regulations, and authorized protocols under medical direction.
Question 7: A community paramedic provides care to a minor patient whose parents are divorced. Which situation would legally allow either parent to consent to non-emergency treatment?
- When both parents share legal custody as established by a court order (Correct answer)
- When the mother is present regardless of custody status
- When the father has physical but not legal custody
- When the minor is over age 14 and consents themselves
Correct answer: When both parents share legal custody as established by a court order
Legal custody, not physical custody or presence, determines who has the authority to provide medical consent for a minor.
CPC Ethical and Legal Principles 3
Under HIPAA, which of the following disclosures of protected health information (PHI) does NOT require patient authorization?