NCCPA Professional Standards 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A PA is treating a patient who is a minor. The patient asks the PA not to share information about a sexually transmitted infection with the parents. In most US states, the PA should:
- Always disclose to parents because the patient is a minor
- Respect the minor's confidentiality regarding STI treatment as permitted by law (Correct answer)
- Refuse to treat without parental consent
- Document the request but disclose anyway
Correct answer: Respect the minor's confidentiality regarding STI treatment as permitted by law
Most states grant minors the right to confidential STI treatment, and PAs must follow applicable state law protecting this confidentiality.
Question 2: Which of the following situations requires a PA to break patient confidentiality?
- A patient requests copies of their own records
- A patient makes a credible threat of serious harm to an identifiable third party (Correct answer)
- A patient's employer requests a general health status update
- A patient asks about their own laboratory results
Correct answer: A patient makes a credible threat of serious harm to an identifiable third party
PAs have a duty to warn when a patient makes a credible, specific threat of violence against an identifiable third party (Tarasoff principle).
Question 3: The NCCPA's Physician Assistant Professional Practice Experience (PAPE) pathway allows PAs to:
- Skip recertification if they have sufficient years of experience
- Demonstrate specialty-level competency through documented clinical experience (Correct answer)
- Obtain licensure without examination in reciprocal states
- Practice across state lines without additional documentation
Correct answer: Demonstrate specialty-level competency through documented clinical experience
The PAPE pathway allows experienced PAs to demonstrate specialty competency through documented practice experience for Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ).
Question 4: A PA who disagrees with a physician's treatment plan should:
- Implement the plan silently and document personal disagreement only
- Communicate concerns professionally to the supervising physician (Correct answer)
- Contact the patient directly to recommend an alternative
- Refuse all further involvement with the patient's care
Correct answer: Communicate concerns professionally to the supervising physician
Professional communication of clinical concerns to the supervising physician is the appropriate and ethical response to treatment disagreements.
Question 5: Which scenario best illustrates appropriate professional boundaries for a PA?
- Accepting a patient's invitation to a family dinner as a gesture of cultural respect
- Maintaining social media contact with current patients
- Declining a patient's gift and explaining the professional boundary policy (Correct answer)
- Providing a personal cell phone number for after-hours non-emergency questions
Correct answer: Declining a patient's gift and explaining the professional boundary policy
Politely declining gifts and explaining professional boundary policies maintains appropriate therapeutic relationships.
Question 6: A PA receives a subpoena for a patient's medical records. The PA should:
- Immediately release all records to comply with the subpoena
- Consult legal counsel or the facility's legal department before releasing records (Correct answer)
- Notify the patient and refuse to release records without the patient's consent
- Destroy records to prevent legal proceedings
Correct answer: Consult legal counsel or the facility's legal department before releasing records
PAs should consult legal counsel when served a subpoena to ensure proper procedures are followed before releasing any protected health information.
Question 7: According to professional standards, a PA who develops a personal romantic interest in a current patient should:
- Pursue the relationship discreetly outside of clinical hours
- Terminate the professional relationship and transfer care before pursuing any relationship (Correct answer)
- Disclose the interest in the medical record and continue care
- Consult the patient about their interest before making any decision
Correct answer: Terminate the professional relationship and transfer care before pursuing any relationship
Professional ethics require ending the therapeutic relationship and ensuring continuity of care before any personal relationship can be considered.
NCCPA Professional Standards 3
A PA is treating a patient who is a minor.
The patient asks the PA not to share information about a sexually transmitted infection with the parents.
In most US states, the PA should: