NHI Medical Law and Ethics 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient's Protected Health Information (PHI) may be disclosed without authorization for:
- Marketing purposes with patient compensation
- Treatment, payment, and healthcare operations (Correct answer)
- Sale to pharmaceutical companies
- Life insurance underwriting
Correct answer: Treatment, payment, and healthcare operations
HIPAA permits disclosure of PHI without patient authorization for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations (TPO) purposes.
Question 2: An emancipated minor is one who:
- Has reached age 21
- Is legally independent from parental control (Correct answer)
- Has parental consent for a specific procedure
- Is enrolled in a health insurance plan
Correct answer: Is legally independent from parental control
An emancipated minor is legally independent from parents, typically through marriage, military service, or court order, and can consent to their own medical care.
Question 3: Which document outlines a patient's wishes regarding end-of-life care and does NOT designate a proxy decision-maker?
- Durable power of attorney for healthcare
- Living will (Correct answer)
- POLST form
- Organ donor card
Correct answer: Living will
A living will specifies a patient's treatment preferences for end-of-life situations but does not name another person to make decisions.
Question 4: The ethical concept of veracity in healthcare means:
- Protecting patient confidentiality
- Telling the truth to patients (Correct answer)
- Avoiding harm during procedures
- Distributing care fairly
Correct answer: Telling the truth to patients
Veracity is the ethical obligation to be truthful and honest with patients, including disclosing diagnoses, prognoses, and treatment options.
Question 5: A patient asks a medical assistant to alter a chart entry. The medical assistant should:
- Make the change if the patient insists
- Refuse and explain that records cannot be altered (Correct answer)
- Ask the supervising physician to approve the change
- Delete the entry and rewrite it
Correct answer: Refuse and explain that records cannot be altered
Medical records are legal documents and must never be altered; falsifying records constitutes fraud and can result in criminal charges.
Question 6: Under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), healthcare facilities are required to:
- Provide free services to disabled patients
- Make reasonable accommodations for patients with disabilities (Correct answer)
- Hire a minimum percentage of disabled employees
- Waive co-payments for disabled individuals
Correct answer: Make reasonable accommodations for patients with disabilities
The ADA requires healthcare facilities to make reasonable accommodations to ensure patients with disabilities have equal access to services.
Question 7: If a healthcare worker accidentally views another employee's medical record out of curiosity, this is a violation of:
- OSHA standards
- HIPAA minimum necessary rule (Correct answer)
- The False Claims Act
- COBRA regulations
Correct answer: HIPAA minimum necessary rule
HIPAA's minimum necessary rule requires that access to PHI be limited to the minimum amount needed to accomplish the intended purpose, prohibiting curiosity-driven access.
NHI Medical Law and Ethics 3
A patient's Protected Health Information (PHI) may be disclosed without authorization for: