DPT Professional Ethics & Healthcare Management 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient with limited English proficiency arrives for PT without an interpreter. The patient's bilingual adult child is present. The most appropriate action is to:
- Proceed using the family member as interpreter since they are willing to help
- Postpone treatment until a certified medical interpreter can be arranged (Correct answer)
- Use gestures and demonstration exclusively to avoid the child being burdened
- Treat without verbal communication and note the language barrier in the chart
Correct answer: Postpone treatment until a certified medical interpreter can be arranged
Using family members as medical interpreters compromises informed consent and confidentiality; a certified medical interpreter is the ethically and legally appropriate standard.
Question 2: Which financial arrangement between a PT and a referring physician would MOST likely violate the Anti-Kickback Statute?
- A PT renting clinic space from a physician at fair market value
- A PT paying a physician a per-referral fee to send patients to the clinic (Correct answer)
- A PT co-treating patients with a physician in an integrated practice
- A PT employed by a hospital that also employs physicians
Correct answer: A PT paying a physician a per-referral fee to send patients to the clinic
Paying per-referral fees to physicians constitutes an illegal kickback that violates the federal Anti-Kickback Statute.
Question 3: A PT is treating a patient who discloses active suicidal ideation with a specific plan. The PT's immediate ethical and legal obligation is to:
- Document the disclosure and notify the patient's physician at the next available opportunity
- Maintain strict confidentiality since the disclosure was made during treatment
- Breach confidentiality and take immediate steps to ensure patient safety including contacting emergency services (Correct answer)
- Refer the patient to a mental health professional and continue the session
Correct answer: Breach confidentiality and take immediate steps to ensure patient safety including contacting emergency services
Imminent risk of self-harm is a recognized exception to confidentiality; the PT must act immediately to protect the patient's life.
Question 4: The concept of distributive justice in healthcare resource allocation is BEST exemplified by which PT action?
- Providing higher-quality treatment to patients with better insurance coverage
- Ensuring equitable access to PT services regardless of a patient's ability to pay (Correct answer)
- Prioritizing patients who are most likely to have successful outcomes
- Allocating more treatment time to patients who comply with home exercise programs
Correct answer: Ensuring equitable access to PT services regardless of a patient's ability to pay
Distributive justice requires fair allocation of healthcare resources across all patient populations regardless of socioeconomic status.
Question 5: A PTA performs a treatment technique that the supervising PT did not delegate. The PT discovers this after the fact. Who bears primary ethical and legal responsibility?
- The PTA only, since they acted independently without authorization
- The supervising PT, as they maintain overall responsibility for patient care (Correct answer)
- Both the PT and PTA share equal responsibility with no distinction
- The clinic owner, as they set staffing and supervision policies
Correct answer: The supervising PT, as they maintain overall responsibility for patient care
The supervising PT retains primary responsibility for all care provided under their supervision, including actions taken by the PTA.
Question 6: A PT learns that a state law permits a treatment practice that the APTA Code of Ethics discourages. The PT should:
- Follow state law since it supersedes professional ethics codes
- Adhere to the higher ethical standard even if the practice is legally permitted (Correct answer)
- Contact APTA for a formal ruling before proceeding
- Follow whichever standard benefits the patient most in that specific situation
Correct answer: Adhere to the higher ethical standard even if the practice is legally permitted
Legal permissibility establishes the minimum standard; PTs are expected to meet the higher ethical standards set by the profession even when law is less restrictive.
Question 7: Which scenario describes an appropriate use of a physical therapy student in the clinical setting?
- A student independently evaluates and treats patients while the CI attends a staff meeting
- A student performs patient care with the clinical instructor available and providing supervision (Correct answer)
- A student bills independently for services they perform to gain real-world experience
- A student evaluates and discharges a patient since they have nearly completed their program
Correct answer: A student performs patient care with the clinical instructor available and providing supervision
Students may perform clinical activities only under appropriate supervision; the clinical instructor must be available and provide oversight for all student patient care.
DPT Professional Ethics & Healthcare Management 4
A patient with limited English proficiency arrives for PT without an interpreter.
The patient's bilingual adult child is present.
The most appropriate action is to: