CPT Medical Ethics & Patient Rights 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which federal law primarily governs the privacy and security of protected health information (PHI) in the United States?
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) (Correct answer)
- Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)
- False Claims Act
Correct answer: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
HIPAA is the primary federal law protecting PHI privacy and security in healthcare settings.
Question 2: A patient asks to review their own prosthetic fitting records. Under HIPAA, the facility must generally provide access within:
- 7 days
- 30 days (Correct answer)
- 60 days
- 90 days
Correct answer: 30 days
HIPAA requires covered entities to provide patients access to their records within 30 days of the request.
Question 3: What is the ethical obligation when a prosthetic technician makes an error that could affect patient safety?
- Correct the error quietly without documentation to protect the patient from worry
- Disclose the error to the supervising clinician and document it appropriately (Correct answer)
- Wait to see if the patient notices before taking action
- Report only if the patient files a complaint
Correct answer: Disclose the error to the supervising clinician and document it appropriately
Professional ethics require transparent disclosure of errors to supervising clinicians and proper documentation for patient safety.
Question 4: Which of the following is an example of a HIPAA-permitted disclosure without patient authorization?
- Sharing records with a patient's employer
- Disclosing information required for public health reporting (Correct answer)
- Releasing records to the patient's attorney without consent
- Sending records to a life insurance company upon their request
Correct answer: Disclosing information required for public health reporting
HIPAA permits disclosure without authorization for public health activities such as disease reporting.
Question 5: When a patient lacks decision-making capacity, who is typically authorized to provide substituted consent for prosthetic care?
- The treating technician
- A legally designated healthcare proxy or guardian (Correct answer)
- The patient's employer or insurance company
- The most senior clinician on duty
Correct answer: A legally designated healthcare proxy or guardian
A healthcare proxy, power of attorney, or court-appointed guardian makes decisions for patients who lack capacity.
Question 6: Professional boundary violations in patient care most commonly occur when a technician:
- Discusses treatment plans with the supervising prosthetist
- Develops a personal or romantic relationship with a patient (Correct answer)
- Documents patient preferences in the medical record
- Asks a colleague to review their fitting technique
Correct answer: Develops a personal or romantic relationship with a patient
Personal or romantic relationships with patients cross professional boundaries and compromise ethical care.
Question 7: A minor patient's parent requests that the technician withhold the diagnosis from the child. The most ethical approach is to:
- Always comply fully with parental requests about information sharing
- Consider the minor's age and maturity, and involve the care team in the decision (Correct answer)
- Tell the minor everything immediately without parental consent
- Refuse all care until the family agrees on information sharing
Correct answer: Consider the minor's age and maturity, and involve the care team in the decision
Age-appropriate disclosure is an ethical standard; clinicians must balance parental authority with the developing autonomy of the minor.
CPT Medical Ethics & Patient Rights 3
Which federal law primarily governs the privacy and security of protected health information (PHI) in the United States?