General Information Flashcards
7 cards from real Physician Assistant practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 General Information flashcards as text
A PA is asked to perform a procedure they have not been trained to do. The most appropriate response is to:
Answer: Decline and refer the patient to a qualified provider
PAs are ethically and legally obligated to practice within their competency and should decline procedures they are not trained to perform, ensuring patient safety.
Which type of PA practice agreement or document outlines the specific clinical duties and prescribing authority of a PA at a given practice site?
Answer: Delegation of Services Agreement (DSA)
A Delegation of Services Agreement (also called a practice agreement or scope of practice document) defines the PA's authorized clinical activities and prescriptive authority at a specific site.
What is the primary purpose of the AAPA's 'PA Scope of Practice' policy statement?
Answer: To advocate for the broadest possible PA practice authority supported by evidence
The AAPA's scope of practice policy advocates for PAs to be allowed to practice to the full extent of their education and training without unnecessary restrictions.
A PA who discloses a patient's HIV status to the patient's employer without consent has violated which principle?
Answer: Confidentiality
Unauthorized disclosure of protected health information violates the ethical and legal principle of confidentiality, as well as HIPAA.
Which historical figure is credited with founding the PA profession in the United States?
Answer: Eugene Stead
Dr. Eugene Stead at Duke University is widely credited with establishing the first PA program in 1965, founding the modern PA profession.
Under HIPAA, a PA may share a patient's protected health information (PHI) with another provider without patient authorization when:
Answer: It is for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations (TPO)
HIPAA permits disclosure of PHI without explicit patient authorization for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations (TPO) purposes.
What is the significance of the 'learned intermediary doctrine' for PA prescribing practice?
Answer: It shifts duty to warn about drug risks from the manufacturer to the prescribing provider
The learned intermediary doctrine holds that a drug manufacturer fulfills its duty to warn by informing the prescribing clinician, who then assumes the duty to warn the patient.