PCE Safety and Compliance 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which infection control practice is most effective in preventing cross-contamination between patients in an outpatient physiotherapy clinic?
- Wearing gloves throughout the entire shift
- Hand hygiene before and after each patient contact (Correct answer)
- Cleaning equipment only at the end of the day
- Using disposable gowns for every patient
Correct answer: Hand hygiene before and after each patient contact
Hand hygiene before and after each patient contact is the single most effective measure to prevent healthcare-associated infection transmission.
Question 2: A patient receiving ultrasound therapy over a metal implant site reports increasing pain. The physiotherapist should:
- Reduce intensity and continue
- Switch to pulsed mode to reduce heating
- Stop treatment immediately and reassess (Correct answer)
- Move the transducer more rapidly to distribute heat
Correct answer: Stop treatment immediately and reassess
Metal implants can concentrate ultrasound energy causing periosteal burns; treatment must be stopped and the patient reassessed.
Question 3: Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a physiotherapy clinic is required to:
- Provide interpreters only for patients with hearing impairments over age 65
- Ensure physical and communication accessibility for patients with disabilities (Correct answer)
- Modify treatment protocols to match disability status only upon written request
- Hire staff with disabilities in proportion to the local population
Correct answer: Ensure physical and communication accessibility for patients with disabilities
The ADA mandates that healthcare facilities provide physical access and effective communication for patients with all types of disabilities.
Question 4: A physiotherapist working in a school setting suspects a child has been physically abused. The physiotherapist's legal obligation is to:
- Inform the parents before contacting authorities
- Report the suspicion to child protective services as a mandated reporter (Correct answer)
- Consult a supervisor and delay reporting pending confirmation
- Document the observation and review at the next team meeting
Correct answer: Report the suspicion to child protective services as a mandated reporter
Physiotherapists are mandated reporters in all U.S. states and must report suspected child abuse immediately to the appropriate authorities.
Question 5: When applying a hot pack, the physiotherapist should check skin condition after the first:
- 15 minutes
- 10 minutes
- 5 minutes
- 2–3 minutes (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 2–3 minutes
Skin should be inspected after 2–3 minutes of hot pack application to detect early signs of excessive heat response before tissue damage occurs.
Question 6: A physiotherapist is treating a patient on anticoagulant therapy. Which modality requires the greatest caution?
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
- Therapeutic ultrasound over a superficial vein (Correct answer)
- Cold pack application to the knee
- Therapeutic exercise on a stationary bike
Correct answer: Therapeutic ultrasound over a superficial vein
Ultrasound over superficial veins in anticoagulated patients risks dislodging a thrombus and triggering embolism.
Question 7: The primary reason physiotherapists must document skilled care rather than just outcomes is to:
- Satisfy administrative requirements with no clinical relevance
- Justify medical necessity and support reimbursement claims (Correct answer)
- Avoid legal liability for adverse outcomes only
- Demonstrate that treatment exceeded the standard 60-minute session
Correct answer: Justify medical necessity and support reimbursement claims
Documentation of skilled physiotherapy services establishes medical necessity, which is required for lawful reimbursement under Medicare and most payers.
PCE Safety and Compliance 3
Which infection control practice is most effective in preventing cross-contamination between patients in an outpatient physiotherapy clinic?