CPT Medical Ethics & Patient Rights 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A prosthetic technician overhears a colleague sharing a patient's diagnosis with an unauthorized staff member. What is the most appropriate first step?
- Ignore it since the colleague likely had good reason
- Report the breach to the privacy officer or supervisor (Correct answer)
- Confront the patient directly about the incident
- Document the incident but take no further action
Correct answer: Report the breach to the privacy officer or supervisor
HIPAA requires workforce members to report suspected privacy breaches to the appropriate privacy officer or supervisor.
Question 2: Which ethical principle obligates a prosthetic technician to act in the patient's best interest, even when it conflicts with convenience?
- Autonomy
- Justice
- Beneficence (Correct answer)
- Nonmaleficence
Correct answer: Beneficence
Beneficence is the duty to promote patient well-being and act in their best interest.
Question 3: A patient refuses to use the prescribed prosthetic component because of cultural beliefs. How should the technician respond?
- Override the refusal by coordinating with the physician
- Respect the patient's decision while documenting the refusal (Correct answer)
- Discharge the patient from care for noncompliance
- Convince family members to pressure the patient to comply
Correct answer: Respect the patient's decision while documenting the refusal
Patient autonomy includes the right to refuse treatment; the technician should document and respect this decision.
Question 4: Under HIPAA's Minimum Necessary Standard, a prosthetic technician should disclose:
- All available patient records to ensure complete care
- Only the PHI required to accomplish the intended purpose (Correct answer)
- Patient information whenever requested by any healthcare worker
- Full records to any billing department upon request
Correct answer: Only the PHI required to accomplish the intended purpose
The Minimum Necessary Standard limits PHI disclosure to only what is needed for the specific purpose.
Question 5: Which situation represents a conflict of interest that a prosthetic technician must disclose?
- Preferring one brand of components due to clinical outcomes
- Receiving financial incentives from a component manufacturer (Correct answer)
- Completing required continuing education on time
- Discussing treatment options with the supervising prosthetist
Correct answer: Receiving financial incentives from a component manufacturer
Financial relationships with manufacturers can bias recommendations and must be disclosed to maintain ethical practice.
Question 6: What does the ethical concept of 'justice' require of a prosthetic technician?
- Treating all patients with equal skill and without discrimination (Correct answer)
- Always referring patients to legal counsel before treatment
- Prioritizing patients who can pay higher fees
- Following only the rules the technician personally agrees with
Correct answer: Treating all patients with equal skill and without discrimination
Justice in healthcare ethics requires fair and nondiscriminatory treatment of all patients.
Question 7: A legally competent adult patient signs a consent form but later verbally withdraws consent mid-procedure. What should the technician do?
- Continue since the written consent is already binding
- Stop immediately and honor the withdrawal of consent (Correct answer)
- Consult the patient's family before stopping
- Finish the procedure since stopping would cause harm
Correct answer: Stop immediately and honor the withdrawal of consent
Patients may withdraw consent at any time, and the technician must stop and respect that decision.
CPT Medical Ethics & Patient Rights 2
A prosthetic technician overhears a colleague sharing a patient's diagnosis with an unauthorized staff member.
What is the most appropriate first step?