Safety and Compliance 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 Safety and Compliance flashcards as text
Which action violates the physiotherapist's duty of confidentiality under HIPAA?
Answer: Discussing a patient's progress with the patient's employer without consent
Disclosing patient information to an employer without written authorization violates HIPAA, as employment is not a permitted purpose.
A physiotherapist is treating a patient with osteoporosis. Which exercise is most likely to pose a fracture risk?
Answer: High-impact plyometric jumping
High-impact plyometric activities generate large ground-reaction forces that substantially increase vertebral and long-bone fracture risk in osteoporosis.
The purpose of a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS/SDS) in a physiotherapy clinic is to:
Answer: Provide hazard information and safe handling instructions for chemical products
SDS documents contain information on chemical hazards, safe handling, exposure limits, and emergency procedures required by OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard.
A physiotherapist observes a patient ambulating in the hallway without prescribed fall-prevention equipment. The safest immediate response is to:
Answer: Walk beside the patient and provide the necessary assistive device
An at-risk patient ambulating without fall-prevention equipment requires immediate physical accompaniment and provision of the required device.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, physiotherapists must receive hepatitis B vaccination:
Answer: At the employer's expense, offered within 10 days of initial assignment
OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard requires employers to offer hepatitis B vaccination at no cost within 10 working days of initial assignment for at-risk workers.
When a physiotherapist delegates a task to a physiotherapy assistant (PTA), the physiotherapist retains responsibility for:
Answer: The overall patient care, including supervision of delegated tasks
Delegation does not transfer professional responsibility; the physiotherapist remains accountable for the appropriateness of delegation and the quality of care delivered.
Which finding during a patient assessment should prompt the physiotherapist to immediately withhold treatment and contact the physician?
Answer: Blood pressure of 198/112 mmHg prior to exercise
A pre-exercise blood pressure of 198/112 mmHg meets criteria for hypertensive urgency and requires physician notification before any physical activity.