ADAT Patient Management & Ethics 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which ethical principle requires the dentist to act in the patient's best interest, even when it conflicts with patient preferences?
- Autonomy
- Beneficence (Correct answer)
- Non-maleficence
- Justice
Correct answer: Beneficence
Beneficence obligates the dentist to actively promote the patient's welfare and provide treatment that is in their best interest.
Question 2: A dentist discovers during an exam that a child has multiple unexplained bruises inconsistent with the reported history. What is the dentist's legal obligation?
- Consult with the child's parents before taking any action
- Document findings and report suspected child abuse to the appropriate authorities (Correct answer)
- Refer the patient to a specialist for further evaluation before reporting
- Maintain confidentiality and monitor the patient at future appointments
Correct answer: Document findings and report suspected child abuse to the appropriate authorities
Dentists are mandatory reporters in all US states; suspected child abuse must be reported to child protective services regardless of certainty or parental consent.
Question 3: Which component of informed consent ensures the patient understands the risks, benefits, and alternatives to proposed treatment?
- Voluntariness
- Disclosure and comprehension (Correct answer)
- Competence
- Authorization
Correct answer: Disclosure and comprehension
Disclosure and comprehension require the dentist to provide material information about treatment in a way the patient can understand, including risks, benefits, and alternatives.
Question 4: What is the standard of care in a malpractice case typically determined by?
- The treatment outcome experienced by the patient
- What a reasonably prudent dentist in the same specialty would do under similar circumstances (Correct answer)
- The most advanced technique available in academic dental centers
- The treatment documented in the most recent journal articles
Correct answer: What a reasonably prudent dentist in the same specialty would do under similar circumstances
The standard of care is defined as what a reasonably prudent dentist of similar training and specialty would do in the same or similar clinical circumstances.
Question 5: A patient requests that their dental records not be shared with their insurance company. Under HIPAA, what is the dentist's obligation?
- The dentist must comply and cannot submit insurance claims without patient consent
- The dentist must comply with the restriction only if the patient pays out-of-pocket in full (Correct answer)
- The dentist can share records with insurers without consent as this is routine treatment use
- The dentist can always share records with insurers regardless of patient request
Correct answer: The dentist must comply with the restriction only if the patient pays out-of-pocket in full
Under the 2013 HIPAA Omnibus Rule, if a patient pays out-of-pocket in full for a service, they can request the dentist not share information about that service with their health plan, and the dentist must honor this restriction.
Question 6: Which approach best characterizes 'motivational interviewing' (MI) in dental patient communication?
- Educating patients about consequences of poor oral hygiene to motivate change
- Using patient-centered, empathetic dialogue to explore and resolve ambivalence about behavior change (Correct answer)
- Providing written instructions and follow-up reminders for oral hygiene protocols
- Demonstrating proper brushing technique and requiring return demonstration
Correct answer: Using patient-centered, empathetic dialogue to explore and resolve ambivalence about behavior change
MI is a patient-centered counseling style that uses reflective listening and open-ended questions to help patients explore their own motivation and commitment to change.
ADAT Patient Management & Ethics 1
Which ethical principle requires the dentist to act in the patient's best interest, even when it conflicts with patient preferences?