CPC Preventive Care and Education 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A community paramedic is conducting a fall risk assessment for a 78-year-old patient. Which standardized tool is MOST appropriate for evaluating fall risk in community-dwelling older adults?
- Berg Balance Scale
- Timed Up and Go (TUG) test (Correct answer)
- Glasgow Coma Scale
- AUDIT-C questionnaire
Correct answer: Timed Up and Go (TUG) test
The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test is a validated, widely used tool for assessing fall risk and mobility in older community-dwelling adults.
Question 2: When educating a patient with newly diagnosed hypertension on lifestyle modifications, which dietary approach has the strongest evidence for blood pressure reduction?
- Mediterranean diet
- DASH diet (Correct answer)
- Ketogenic diet
- Low-fat dairy-free diet
Correct answer: DASH diet
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is specifically designed and clinically proven to reduce blood pressure.
Question 3: A community paramedic is teaching a diabetic patient about foot care. Which instruction is MOST important to include?
- Walk barefoot indoors to strengthen foot muscles
- Inspect feet daily for cuts, blisters, and sores (Correct answer)
- Soak feet in hot water for 20 minutes daily
- Use a heating pad on feet to improve circulation
Correct answer: Inspect feet daily for cuts, blisters, and sores
Daily foot inspection allows early detection of wounds or infections that can rapidly worsen due to diabetic neuropathy and poor circulation.
Question 4: Which vaccine is recommended annually for all adults, especially those with chronic respiratory conditions, as part of a community paramedic's preventive care plan?
- Pneumococcal vaccine (PPSV23)
- Influenza vaccine (Correct answer)
- Tdap booster
- Hepatitis B series
Correct answer: Influenza vaccine
The annual influenza vaccine is recommended for all adults and is especially critical for those with chronic respiratory or cardiac conditions.
Question 5: When using the teach-back method during patient education, the community paramedic asks the patient to:
- Sign a consent form indicating they understood
- Repeat back the information in their own words (Correct answer)
- Watch a video about their condition
- Read a pamphlet and answer written questions
Correct answer: Repeat back the information in their own words
The teach-back method asks patients to explain information back in their own words, confirming comprehension rather than just verbal acknowledgment.
Question 6: A community paramedic identifies that a patient's A1C is 6.2%. How should the paramedic counsel this patient?
- Reassure them their glucose is normal and no action is needed
- Counsel on prediabetes prevention strategies to avoid progression to type 2 diabetes (Correct answer)
- Begin insulin education immediately
- Refer urgently to the ED for diabetic crisis management
Correct answer: Counsel on prediabetes prevention strategies to avoid progression to type 2 diabetes
An A1C of 5.7–6.4% indicates prediabetes, and lifestyle interventions at this stage can significantly reduce or delay progression to type 2 diabetes.
Question 7: Which social determinant of health is MOST directly associated with increased rates of preventable hospitalizations in urban communities?
- Ethnicity and cultural background
- Food insecurity and limited access to nutritious food (Correct answer)
- Educational attainment in childhood
- Geographic proximity to hospitals
Correct answer: Food insecurity and limited access to nutritious food
Food insecurity leads to poor nutrition management of chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension, directly increasing preventable hospitalization rates.
CPC Preventive Care and Education 2
A community paramedic is conducting a fall risk assessment for a 78-year-old patient.
Which standardized tool is MOST appropriate for evaluating fall risk in community-dwelling older adults?