PCE Safety and Compliance 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient using a walker reports the rubber tips are worn smooth. What is the physiotherapist's priority action?
- Continue the session and document at the end
- Replace the walker tips before continuing ambulation (Correct answer)
- Advise the patient to buy new tips at a pharmacy
- Report the issue to the equipment supplier
Correct answer: Replace the walker tips before continuing ambulation
Worn rubber tips reduce friction and significantly increase fall risk, so they must be replaced before continued use.
Question 2: Under HIPAA, which action by a physiotherapist constitutes a privacy breach?
- Discussing a patient's case with a covering colleague
- Sharing de-identified aggregate data for research
- Faxing records to a patient's specialist without authorization (Correct answer)
- Documenting treatment notes in a password-protected EHR
Correct answer: Faxing records to a patient's specialist without authorization
Transmitting identifiable health information to a third party without patient authorization violates HIPAA privacy rules.
Question 3: A physiotherapist notices a colleague documenting treatments that were not performed. The best initial course of action is to:
- Correct the colleague's chart entries directly
- Confront the patient about the discrepancy
- Report the concern through the facility's incident reporting system (Correct answer)
- Ignore it if outcomes appear satisfactory
Correct answer: Report the concern through the facility's incident reporting system
Fraudulent documentation must be reported through proper channels to protect patient safety and maintain professional integrity.
Question 4: When using electrical stimulation near a patient's cardiac pacemaker, the physiotherapist should:
- Reduce current intensity by half and proceed
- Avoid electrical stimulation in the thoracic region and consult the cardiologist (Correct answer)
- Use only interferential current as it is pacemaker-safe
- Apply electrodes at least 5 cm from the pacemaker site
Correct answer: Avoid electrical stimulation in the thoracic region and consult the cardiologist
Electrical modalities can interfere with pacemaker function; the cardiologist must be consulted and thoracic application avoided.
Question 5: Which personal protective equipment (PPE) is required when performing wound debridement in a clinical physiotherapy setting?
- Gloves only
- Gloves and protective eyewear
- Gloves, mask, and protective eyewear (Correct answer)
- No PPE is required for physiotherapists performing wound care
Correct answer: Gloves, mask, and protective eyewear
Wound debridement risks exposure to blood-borne pathogens through splatter, requiring gloves, mask, and eye protection.
Question 6: A physiotherapy aide is about to transfer a bariatric patient without a mechanical lift. The physiotherapist should:
- Assist manually to prevent delay in care
- Allow the aide to proceed if the patient can partially weight-bear
- Stop the transfer and obtain the appropriate bariatric lift equipment (Correct answer)
- Document the unsafe practice after the transfer is complete
Correct answer: Stop the transfer and obtain the appropriate bariatric lift equipment
Manual transfers of bariatric patients without mechanical aids expose both staff and patients to serious injury risk.
Question 7: A physiotherapist discovers that a patient's informed consent form was signed by a family member who does not hold medical power of attorney. The correct action is to:
- Proceed since a family member's signature is acceptable
- Obtain consent from the legally authorized representative before continuing treatment (Correct answer)
- Have the patient countersign the existing form
- Treat only once and obtain proper consent at the next visit
Correct answer: Obtain consent from the legally authorized representative before continuing treatment
Valid informed consent requires signature from the patient or their legally designated proxy; unauthorized signatures are not legally sufficient.
PCE Safety and Compliance 2
A patient using a walker reports the rubber tips are worn smooth.
What is the physiotherapist's priority action?