Specialty Certified Medical Assistant Medical Law and Ethics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which ethical principle requires a healthcare provider to act in the patient's best interest?
- Autonomy
- Beneficence (Correct answer)
- Justice
- Nonmaleficence
Correct answer: Beneficence
Beneficence is the ethical principle of doing good and acting in the best interest of the patient.
Question 2: A patient tells the medical assistant they are thinking about harming themselves. What is the most appropriate action?
- Keep the information confidential as required by HIPAA
- Immediately notify the supervising provider (Correct answer)
- Ask the patient to call a hotline and document the conversation
- Advise the patient to go home and rest
Correct answer: Immediately notify the supervising provider
Threats of self-harm must be reported immediately to the supervising provider, as patient safety supersedes normal confidentiality obligations.
Question 3: What does the term 'scope of practice' mean for a medical assistant?
- The geographic area where the medical assistant is licensed to work
- The specific tasks and procedures a medical assistant is legally and professionally permitted to perform (Correct answer)
- The number of patients a medical assistant can see per day
- The clinical specialties a medical assistant is trained in
Correct answer: The specific tasks and procedures a medical assistant is legally and professionally permitted to perform
Scope of practice defines the procedures, actions, and processes a healthcare professional is permitted to perform based on their education, training, and licensure.
Question 4: Which document allows a designated person to make healthcare decisions on behalf of a patient who becomes incapacitated?
- Living will
- DNR order
- Durable power of attorney for healthcare (Correct answer)
- Advance beneficiary notice
Correct answer: Durable power of attorney for healthcare
A durable power of attorney for healthcare designates a healthcare proxy to make medical decisions if the patient is unable to do so.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of patient abandonment?
- A provider refers a patient to a specialist
- A provider terminates care without proper notice or transfer of care (Correct answer)
- A provider is unavailable on a scheduled day off
- A provider refuses to treat a condition outside their specialty
Correct answer: A provider terminates care without proper notice or transfer of care
Patient abandonment occurs when a provider unilaterally ends the patient-provider relationship without adequate notice or arrangement for continued care.
Question 6: What is mandatory reporting in the context of a medical assistant's duties?
- Reporting all patient diagnoses to insurance companies
- Legally required reporting of specific conditions (abuse, communicable diseases) to government authorities (Correct answer)
- Notifying all family members of a patient's diagnosis
- Submitting daily patient logs to the state medical board
Correct answer: Legally required reporting of specific conditions (abuse, communicable diseases) to government authorities
Mandatory reporting laws require healthcare workers to report specific conditions such as child abuse, elder abuse, and certain communicable diseases to designated authorities.
Specialty Certified Medical Assistant Medical Law and Ethics 2
Which ethical principle requires a healthcare provider to act in the patient's best interest?