NCCPA Professional Practice 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient asks a PA to falsify an insurance form to ensure coverage for a necessary procedure. The PA should:
- Comply if the procedure is truly necessary
- Decline and explain the legal and ethical implications (Correct answer)
- Report the patient to law enforcement
- Ask the supervising physician to sign the form instead
Correct answer: Decline and explain the legal and ethical implications
Falsifying insurance documents is fraud; PAs must decline and educate the patient about proper appeals and authorization processes.
Question 2: Which organization publishes the Guidelines for Ethical Conduct for the PA Profession?
- NCCPA
- AMA
- AAPA (Correct answer)
- State Medical Boards
Correct answer: AAPA
The American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) publishes the Guidelines for Ethical Conduct that govern PA professional behavior.
Question 3: A PA in a rural solo practice setting must consult a specialist urgently for a complex case but the supervising physician is unavailable. The best action is to:
- Delay care until the supervising physician is reached
- Contact the specialist directly and document the encounter thoroughly (Correct answer)
- Transfer all complex cases immediately to the ER
- Refuse to see the patient until supervision is available
Correct answer: Contact the specialist directly and document the encounter thoroughly
PAs may consult specialists independently in urgent situations; thorough documentation and later communication with the supervising physician are essential.
Question 4: What does NCCPA's CAQ (Certificate of Added Qualification) signify?
- That the PA has passed the PANCE for a specific specialty
- Demonstrated focused knowledge in a specialty area beyond general certification (Correct answer)
- That the PA is licensed to practice independently in that specialty
- Completion of a residency program
Correct answer: Demonstrated focused knowledge in a specialty area beyond general certification
The CAQ demonstrates a PA's additional expertise in a specific specialty such as cardiovascular surgery, emergency medicine, or psychiatry.
Question 5: When a PA transitions from one specialty (e.g., family medicine) to another (e.g., emergency medicine), they should:
- Retake the PANCE for the new specialty
- Obtain adequate training, preceptorship, and update their CME to reflect the new specialty (Correct answer)
- Notify NCCPA to transfer their certification
- Apply for a new state license specific to emergency medicine
Correct answer: Obtain adequate training, preceptorship, and update their CME to reflect the new specialty
Specialty transitions require PAs to acquire appropriate clinical training and shift their CME focus to ensure competence in the new practice area.
Question 6: A supervising physician instructs a PA to perform a procedure the PA has never performed before without any supervision. The PA should:
- Perform it to follow physician orders
- Decline until adequate training or supervision can be arranged (Correct answer)
- Perform it and document that the physician ordered it
- Report the physician to the state board immediately
Correct answer: Decline until adequate training or supervision can be arranged
PAs are responsible for practicing within their competence; performing an unfamiliar procedure without training risks patient harm and violates professional standards.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes 'abandonment' in the PA–patient relationship?
- Refusing a new patient without cause
- Terminating care of an established patient without adequate notice or referral (Correct answer)
- Not providing 24/7 on-call coverage
- Declining to perform a service outside the PA's scope
Correct answer: Terminating care of an established patient without adequate notice or referral
Patient abandonment occurs when a PA unilaterally ends an ongoing patient relationship without providing adequate notice or ensuring continuity of care.
NCCPA Professional Practice 3
A patient asks a PA to falsify an insurance form to ensure coverage for a necessary procedure.
The PA should: