Ethics and Professionalism Flashcards
7 cards from real PCE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Ethics and Professionalism flashcards as text
A physiotherapist is asked to sign off on a supervisee's treatment notes for sessions they did not observe. This is:
Answer: A form of fraud and a serious professional violation
Signing documentation for sessions not observed or supervised constitutes fraud and violates professional and legal standards.
A patient with dementia is unable to provide informed consent. Who holds decision-making authority?
Answer: The legally designated substitute decision-maker or next of kin as defined by law
When a patient lacks decision-making capacity, a legally designated substitute decision-maker, such as a power of attorney, assumes consent authority.
Which scenario represents an appropriate use of social media by a physiotherapist?
Answer: Sharing general health promotion content from a professional clinic account
Sharing general educational or health promotion content is appropriate; sharing patient information or connecting personally with patients is not.
A physiotherapist suspects a child patient is being abused at home. The required action is to:
Answer: Document the concerns and report to the appropriate child protection authority as mandated by law
Physiotherapists are mandated reporters and must report suspected child abuse directly to child protection services without delay.
A physiotherapist who has not worked with aquatic therapy for several years is asked to run a new aquatic program. The ethical response is to:
Answer: Seek continuing education and competency verification before leading the program
Competence must be established before practicing in a specialized or long-unused area; continuing education is the ethical path forward.
Which of the following MOST accurately describes 'informed consent' in physiotherapy?
Answer: An ongoing process of disclosure, understanding, voluntariness, and agreement for each intervention
Informed consent is a continuous process requiring disclosure of risks, benefits, and alternatives, and must be renewed for new or significantly changed interventions.
A physiotherapist billing for services rendered must ensure that billing codes:
Answer: Accurately reflect the services delivered and documented in the patient record
Billing codes must accurately correspond to services provided and documented; upcoding or inaccurate billing constitutes fraud.