RPSGT Professional Standards & Ethics 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient asks the RPSGT to explain their preliminary sleep study findings before the physician reviews them. The technologist should:
- Provide a full interpretation of all findings immediately
- Explain what was recorded technically without rendering a medical diagnosis (Correct answer)
- Refuse all discussion about the study until the physician releases results
- Share only findings the patient will find reassuring
Correct answer: Explain what was recorded technically without rendering a medical diagnosis
Technologists may explain what was recorded (e.g., electrode placement, events captured) but must leave diagnostic interpretation to the supervising physician.
Question 2: Which ethical principle is violated when a technologist performs a procedure without explaining it to the patient first?
- Justice
- Autonomy (Correct answer)
- Beneficence
- Fidelity
Correct answer: Autonomy
Autonomy requires that patients be informed and have the opportunity to consent before procedures are performed on them.
Question 3: An RPSGT discovers that the lab's calibration records have been altered. The appropriate first step is:
- Alter the records again to reflect the correct values
- Report the discrepancy to the lab director or compliance officer (Correct answer)
- Ignore it because calibration errors are a minor technical matter
- Continue conducting studies until management notices on their own
Correct answer: Report the discrepancy to the lab director or compliance officer
Falsified records are a serious compliance and patient safety issue that must be reported immediately to the appropriate authority.
Question 4: Which of the following scenarios represents a HIPAA breach?
- Discussing a patient's care with a consulting physician treating that patient
- Emailing unencrypted patient records to an unauthorized third party (Correct answer)
- Accessing a patient's chart when assigned to their care
- Documenting care in a secured electronic health record
Correct answer: Emailing unencrypted patient records to an unauthorized third party
Sending unencrypted PHI to an unauthorized recipient is a HIPAA breach regardless of intent.
Question 5: An RPSGT is asked by their supervisor to perform a procedure they have never been trained on. The correct response is:
- Perform the procedure to avoid conflict with the supervisor
- Decline and explain that the procedure is outside their current competency (Correct answer)
- Attempt the procedure with a colleague watching
- Agree and perform it without disclosing inexperience to the patient
Correct answer: Decline and explain that the procedure is outside their current competency
Performing procedures outside one's training is unsafe and unethical; technologists must decline and seek proper training before performing unfamiliar tasks.
Question 6: Maintaining professional boundaries with patients primarily means:
- Avoiding all personal conversation to remain strictly clinical
- Keeping the therapeutic relationship appropriate and not exploiting the patient's vulnerability (Correct answer)
- Refusing to answer any non-medical questions from patients
- Ensuring patients do not learn anything about the technologist personally
Correct answer: Keeping the therapeutic relationship appropriate and not exploiting the patient's vulnerability
Professional boundaries protect the patient from exploitation and ensure the therapeutic relationship remains focused on their care and well-being.
Question 7: Which document guides the ethical conduct expected of all BRPT credential holders?
- The AASM Clinical Practice Guidelines
- The BRPT Standards of Conduct (Correct answer)
- The American Nurses Association Code of Ethics
- The Joint Commission Accreditation Manual
Correct answer: The BRPT Standards of Conduct
The BRPT Standards of Conduct outlines the ethical obligations specifically required of RPSGT credential holders.
RPSGT Professional Standards & Ethics 4
A patient asks the RPSGT to explain their preliminary sleep study findings before the physician reviews them.
The technologist should: