Deck 16: Legal Considerations and Risk Management

Question 1

Any refusal of treatment by the patient and a brief statement documenting the discussion of risks associated with refusal of treatment should be documented in the patient record.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The primary objective of providing dental hygiene care is to assist patients in preventing disease and maintaining oral health.With the delivery of these services,the dental hygienist may experience unanticipated and problematic outcomes.

A) Both statements are true.
B) Both statements are false.
C) The first statement is true;the second statement is false.
D) The first statement is false;the second statement is true.

Answer 2

Both statements are true.

Question 3

What is contact of the mucous membrane with blood,saliva,tissue,or other body fluids that are potentially infectious called?

A) Occupational exposure
B) Occupational hazard
C) Primary prevention
D) Tertiary prevention

Answer 3

Occupational exposure

Question 4

Due to the scope of practice for dentists,they are more at risk for litigation.Risk management identifies methods to negotiate the risk of legal actions associated with the delivery of oral care.

A) Both statements are true.
B) Both statements are false.
C) The first statement is true;the second statement is false.
D) The first statement is false;second statement is true.

Question 5

The dental hygienist should always follow the lead direction of the supervising dentist.

Question 6

Any dental history regarding a patient's psychologic state as related to injections or nervousness is subjective and should not be included in dental notes.

Question 7

A dental hygienist may be charged with malpractice if he/she induces harm to the patient or if a breach of duty exists.

Question 8

For a percutaneous injury,details of the incident report should include the depth of the wound,the gauge of the needle,and whether fluid was injected.

Question 9

The dental hygienist must follow the most current postexposure guidelines set by OSHA.

Question 10

Which of the following is true regarding the best practice in obtaining informed consent?

A) Clearly present only the benefits associated with the procedure.
B) Ultimately,it is the patient's decision whether to accept a procedure or not.
C) Presenting the risks of the procedure could possibly scare the patient into choosing not to have the procedure performed.
D) Tweens and teenagers are capable of granting their own informed consent for treatment.

Question 11

All dental facilities that employ more than 15 people must have a postexposure management protocol for occupational exposures.

Question 12

Most states require the dental hygienist to apply for a local anesthesia license or certificate in addition to the regular dental hygiene license to legally administer local anesthetics.

Question 13

Due to the high standards of the dental hygiene curriculum,the licensed dental hygienist is prepared for any experience within the dental office.

Question 14

In some states,the scope of dental hygiene practice for all dental hygiene treatment,including local anesthesia,requires the physical presence of a dentist.In other states,supervision laws do not require the physical presence of the dentist for dental hygiene treatment but do require it during the administration of local anesthesia.

A) Both statements are true.
B) Both statements are false.
C) The first statement is true;the second statement is false.
D) The first statement is false;the second statement is true.

Question 15

The individual state licensing boards are responsible for making sure that dental hygienists maintain professional competency,credentials,and continuing educational requirement fulfillments.

Question 16

The qualified health care provider corresponds directly with the exposed health care worker so as not to violate HIPPA.

Question 17

The dental hygienist should report only gross negligence by a health care provider to the responsible authorities.

Question 18

Which of the following factors may serve to decrease the risk of possible litigation?

A) Minimizing misunderstandings
B) Resolving problems as they arise
C) Developing a one-on-one relationship with the patient to build trust and confidence
D) All options listed

Question 19

Postexposure management's goal is to contain the injury to reduce the possibility of disease transmission.

Question 20

A dental hygienist does not necessarily need to purchase his/her own liability insurance because he/she is typically covered under the umbrella of the supervising dentist's professional liability insurance.

Question 21

How long does the qualified health care provider have to provide the employer with a written report?

A) 10 days
B) 15 days
C) 1 month
D) As long as necessary

Question 22

Always be sure to administer the appropriate volume of anesthetic for the area that can reasonably be completed during one appointment.On completion of one quadrant of nonsurgical periodontal treatment,the clinician can administer more anesthetic,even if the MRD has been reached.

A) Both statements are true.
B) Both statements are false.
C) The first statement is true;the second statement is false.
D) The first statement is false;the second statement is true.

Question 23

What should the dental hygienist do to prevent the possibility of litigation?

A) Practice life-long learning
B) Document accurately and thoroughly
C) Obtain informed consent before treatment
D) All options listed

Question 24

Striving to utilize all protocols to prevent injury from occurring is which category of prevention and management of injury?

A) Primary prevention
B) Secondary prevention
C) Tertiary prevention
D) Risk reduction protocol

Question 25

What guides the conduct of the health care professionals?

A) Ethical principles
B) State laws
C) National laws
D) Knowledge

Question 26

Which of the following are dental hygiene considerations?

A) Confidentiality
B) Meeting the standards set by other practitioners
C) Informed consent
D) All options listed

Question 27

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,which of the following conditions constitute occupational exposures in dentistry?

A) Contact of mucous membrane with body fluids that are potentially infectious
B) A percutaneous injury
C) When skin that is chapped,abraded,or affected by dermatitis is exposed to blood or saliva
D) All options listed

Question 28

What does the statement "A dental hygienist must meet the standard of care set by other practitioners with similar training" mean?

A) The dental hygienist must pass a written and clinical board.
B) The dental hygienist is expected to gain knowledge and skills throughout her career.
C) The dental hygienist only has to be as good as the least-educated person on staff.
D) Dental hygienists with an associate's degree are not expected to be as knowledgeable as dental hygienists with a bachelor's degree.

Question 29

Which of the following legal issues pertain to the dental hygienist?

A) Contractual obligation to the patient
B) Assumption of own legal responsibility
C) Accountability if the patient's periodontal status declines
D) All options listed

Question 30

Whatever the situation may be,malpractice may be determined if the contractual obligations are not met by the dental hygienist.A dental hygienist may commit a negligent act during the administration of local anesthetics by causing paresthesia.

A) Both statements are true.
B) Both statements are false.
C) The first statement is true;the second statement is false.
D) The first statement is false;the second statement is true.

Question 31

Initially patients may decline the use of local anesthesia for nonsurgical periodontal procedures because they do not fully understand the benefits of its use.

A) Both the statement and reason are correct and related.
B) Both the statement and reason are correct but NOT related.
C) The statement is correct,but the reason is NOT.
D) NEITHER the statement NOR the reason is correct.

Question 32

Dental hygienist-employer communication best practices include:

A) Open discussion regarding the potential liabilities for dental personnel
B) Brainstorming liability prevention strategies
C) Writing or reviewing the office protocol
D) All options listed

Question 33

What must the qualified health care professional consider when assessing the need for follow-up of occupational exposures?

A) Susceptibility of exposed person
B) Infectious status of source
C) Amount of fluid/tissue involved in the exposure
D) All options listed