Medical Ethics & Patient Rights Flashcards
7 cards from real CPT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Medical Ethics & Patient Rights flashcards as text
Which of the following best describes 'therapeutic privilege' and why it is generally discouraged?
Answer: Withholding information from a patient believing it may cause harm; discouraged because it undermines autonomy
Therapeutic privilege involves withholding information paternalistically; it is discouraged because it violates patient autonomy and informed consent.
A patient's insurance company requests detailed clinical notes to authorize payment for a prosthetic device. This type of disclosure is:
Answer: Permitted as a payment-related healthcare operation under HIPAA
Disclosure for payment purposes is a HIPAA-permitted use and does not require additional patient authorization.
Which action by a prosthetic technician would constitute patient abandonment?
Answer: Terminating care without adequate notice or transition planning while the patient still needs treatment
Patient abandonment occurs when a provider unilaterally ends a therapeutic relationship without proper notice or ensuring continuity of care.
A colleague asks the prosthetic technician to falsify a fitting date on a patient's record to meet an insurance deadline. The correct response is to:
Answer: Refuse and report the request to the compliance officer
Falsifying medical records is fraudulent and unethical; the technician must refuse and report the request through proper channels.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a prosthetic device facility must:
Answer: Ensure reasonable accommodations so patients with disabilities can access services
The ADA requires healthcare facilities to provide reasonable accommodations ensuring equal access for patients with disabilities.
What ethical obligation does a prosthetic technician have when they are not competent to perform a specific task?
Answer: Decline and refer to a qualified provider or seek supervision
Scope of competence requires practitioners to decline tasks beyond their skills and refer to or seek guidance from a qualified provider.
When a patient's family member (without healthcare proxy authority) demands access to the patient's records, the correct response is to:
Answer: Deny access unless the patient provides written authorization
Without a HIPAA authorization or legal authority such as a healthcare proxy, family members are not automatically entitled to access a patient's records.