PBC Technology & Digital Tools 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is the primary benefit of telehealth bereavement support for families following a perinatal loss?
- It requires no specialized training for the providing clinician
- It is reimbursed at higher rates than equivalent in-person visits
- It reduces access barriers including transportation, childcare needs, and geographic distance (Correct answer)
- It eliminates HIPAA documentation requirements for the session
Correct answer: It reduces access barriers including transportation, childcare needs, and geographic distance
Telehealth removes logistical barriers that commonly prevent bereaved parents from attending in-person follow-up appointments in the weeks after their loss.
Question 2: When evaluating a grief support mobile application to recommend to bereaved parents, which characteristic is most important?
- High star ratings in the Apple App Store or Google Play
- Integration with the parent's existing social media accounts
- Evidence-based content and built-in access to crisis support resources (Correct answer)
- Gamification features such as streaks and badges to encourage daily engagement
Correct answer: Evidence-based content and built-in access to crisis support resources
Clinical utility and safety are paramount; an app must be grounded in evidence-based grief principles and include crisis pathways for parents in acute distress.
Question 3: The Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741) is particularly valuable for bereaved parents because it:
- Is exclusively available to individuals with a formal psychiatric diagnosis
- Provides accessible, immediate text-based support that some find less overwhelming than phone calls (Correct answer)
- Requires a referral from a licensed mental health professional to activate
- Offers ongoing long-term grief counseling at no charge
Correct answer: Provides accessible, immediate text-based support that some find less overwhelming than phone calls
Text-based crisis support can feel less emotionally demanding than phone calls for acutely grieving parents and is available 24/7 without a referral.
Question 4: A bereaved parent reports that members of an online grief forum are advising her to avoid a recommended follow-up procedure. The most appropriate response is to:
- File a complaint with the platform's content moderation team
- Ignore the concern since lay forums are not within the provider's scope of practice
- Instruct the parent to leave the forum immediately to prevent further misinformation exposure
- Validate her need for peer support while encouraging her to clarify clinical decisions with her healthcare provider (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Validate her need for peer support while encouraging her to clarify clinical decisions with her healthcare provider
Peer communities serve an important psychological function; the specialist should affirm their value while reinforcing the importance of evidence-based medical guidance.
Question 5: Which of the following is required when using a telehealth platform to provide bereavement counseling under HIPAA?
- Sessions must be recorded and retained for at least seven years
- The platform must be HIPAA-compliant and the patient must have access to a private location during the session (Correct answer)
- Only doctoral-level clinicians may conduct telehealth bereavement sessions
- Telehealth sessions are HIPAA-exempt when the patient initiates the appointment
Correct answer: The platform must be HIPAA-compliant and the patient must have access to a private location during the session
HIPAA requires use of a Business Associate Agreement-covered, HIPAA-compliant platform, and patient privacy in their environment is a shared responsibility to address.
Question 6: Online peer support communities specifically for bereaved parents primarily offer which therapeutic benefit?
- Connection with others who share similar experiences, reducing feelings of isolation (Correct answer)
- Professional clinical oversight ensuring all advice is medically accurate
- A replacement for formal grief counseling when services are unavailable
- Legal guidance for families considering medical malpractice claims
Correct answer: Connection with others who share similar experiences, reducing feelings of isolation
The normalization of grief and reduction of isolation through shared experience is the core therapeutic mechanism of peer support communities.
Question 7: During a telehealth bereavement session, a parent discloses active suicidal ideation. The most appropriate immediate action is to:
- Disconnect the call and contact the patient's emergency contact directly
- Reschedule for an in-person appointment so safety planning can occur face to face
- Apply the same crisis protocol used in in-person settings, including safety assessment and emergency referral if indicated (Correct answer)
- Notify hospital administration and await guidance before proceeding
Correct answer: Apply the same crisis protocol used in in-person settings, including safety assessment and emergency referral if indicated
Safety protocols do not differ based on modality; the clinician must assess risk and initiate emergency intervention if needed, regardless of the telehealth context.
PBC Technology & Digital Tools 3
Which of the following is the primary benefit of telehealth bereavement support for families following a perinatal loss?