Deck 5: Science-Based Health Care

Question 1

Telephoning is often a good way for a patient to communicate with a doctor.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has issued well-reasoned guidelines for periodic health examinations.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

It is not yet known whether the prostate-specific antigen test is a cost-effective tool for reducing death and disability from prostate cancer.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Good medical care should be a partnership between patient and physician.

Question 5

When physicians are not members of a medical society or hospital staff, disciplinary action can be taken only by a state licensing board.

Question 6

"Defensive medicine"is one reason that medically unnecessary tests are ordered by physicians.

Question 7

Frequent administration of vitamin, hormone, or antibiotic injections is a sign that a physician may be incompetent.

Question 8

A second medical opinion should be considered when elective surgery is proposed.

Question 9

Justification for surgery is based on its appropriateness and benefits that outweigh risks.

Question 10

X-ray films of abdominal and pelvic regions during the first three months of pregnancy should be postponed, if possible.

Question 11

The primary care personal physician for an adult should preferably be a board-certified family practitioner or internist.

Question 12

Scientific health care involves the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease according to modern scientific principles.

Question 13

Podiatrists provide treatment for the feet.

Question 14

Laser surgery is a developing technology with great potential.

Question 15

Iatrogenic illness refers to adverse effects caused by medical diagnostic or treatment procedures.

Question 16

In an emergency, one's physician should be called before proceeding to a hospital.

Question 17

The 1910 Flexner report on medical schools in the United States led to great improvement in the quality of medical education.

Question 18

Adults should receive a tetanus booster every 10 years.

Question 19

A conventional way to access databases to ascertain health care providers' credentials is through "Internet Health Pilot."

Question 20

The HIPAA Privacy Rule provides patients access to their medical records.

Question 21

The number of unfit and unethical physicians is unknown.

Question 22

Doctors who own testing facilities order tests at the same rates other doctors do.

Question 23

Most state licensing boards are well-staffed and receive adequate funding to do their job properly.

Question 24

Arthroscopic washing and debris removal from the knees of patients with osteoarthritis has been demonstrated to be highly effective in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study.

Question 25

The AMA requires hospitals to have several active committees of physicians to assess the quality of care at the hospital.

Question 26

Physicians who pass a state examination for licensure are entitled to designate themselves as board-certified.

Question 27

Revocation of a license to practice medicine in one state prevents a physician from practicing anywhere in the United States.

Question 28

The ultimate responsibility for preventing unnecessary surgery rests in the hands of patients.

Question 29

The CT scan is an unreliable and dangerous diagnostic x-ray procedure.

Question 30

Most women under 35 years of age should have mammograms every two years to detect breast cancer.

Question 31

An annual chest X-ray is an appropriate screening procedure for all healthy adults.

Question 32

Immunization is seldom useful for adults.

Question 33

Complete annual health examinations for symptom-free individuals are cost-effective in terms of physician time and money.

Question 34

The best time to select a personal or family physician is when a health problem becomes apparent.

Question 35

A diplomate is a board-eligible physician.

Question 36

Osteopaths are not the legal equivalents of medical doctors in most states in the United States.

Question 37

Most osteopathic physicians believe that diseases are caused by mechanical interference with nerve and blood supply that can be corrected with spinal manipulation.

Question 38

Few surgical procedures are suitable for the outpatient setting.

Question 39

The scope of osteopathic practice is very different from that of medical practice.

Question 40

The Yellow Pages of the telephone directory are a good resource to use when seeking a physician.

Question 41

Mammograms are X-rays used to examine men for prostate cancer.

Question 42

Scientific health care practitioners are regulated by federal licensing laws.

Question 43

Medical treatment decisions rarely involve ethical or moral questions.

Question 44

When a patient has a grievance about the fee, competence, or ethics of a physician, the first action taken should be to

A) call the local medical society.
B) consult an attorney.
C) discuss the matter directly with the physician.
D) call the state licensing board.
E) write to the Federal Trade Commission.

Question 45

Actions of an intelligent patient include all the following except

A) consulting a physician at appropriate times.
B) communicating openly with the physician.
C) making careful observations when symptoms occur.
D) telephoning the doctor outside office hours to avoid interrupting work with patients.
E) attempting to understand the nature of ailments and treatments.

Question 46

Which of the following can restrict how medical doctors treat patients?

A) medical societies
B) medical schools
C) the American Medical Association
D) state licensing boards

Question 47

The procedures used to help impaired physicians include all the following except

A) continuing educational requirements.
B) hospital staff's assistance.
C) malpractice insurance.
D) medical society assistance.

Question 48

Iatrogenic illness is best described as

A) harm caused by incompetent care.
B) harm caused by medical negligence.
C) harm inevitable to some degree in an era of invasive technology.
D) the main reason for high malpractice insurance rates.

Question 49

According to critics of unnecessary surgery, which of the following has often been performed unnecessarily?

A) emergency appendectomy
B) hysterectomy
C) liver biopsy
D) ingrown toenail surgery

Question 50

Complete health examinations for symptom-free adults under 35 years of age are advisable

A) every two years.
B) every year.
C) about every five years.
D) never.

Question 51

The four general phases of a health examination are

A) laboratory testing, medical history, radiological testing, and a report to the patient.
B) medical history, physical examination, clinical or laboratory testing, and a report to the patient.
C) physical examination, biopsy, clinical testing, and a report to the patient.
D) medical history, blood and urine tests, cardiac stress test, and a report to the patient.
E) physical examination, X-ray analysis, consultation with a specialist, and a report to the patient.

Question 52

A routine health examination can detect which of the following in its early stages?

A) fracture of a spinal bone
B) presbyopia
C) certain types of cancer
D) atherosclerotic heart disease

Question 53

The least effective action to take in selecting a personal physician is to

A) call a medical society for a referral.
B) review qualifications and experience.
C) make an office visit for a physical examination.
D) ask the physician questions about services, availability, and fees.

Question 54

The characteristics of a good physician include all the following except

A) welcoming consultations when necessary.
B) clearly explaining diagnosis and treatment.
C) treating at least five patients per hour.
D) willingly discussing fees.

Question 55

Postgraduate training to become a medical specialist usually requires

A) less than one year.
B) treating at least 1,000 patients.
C) three to five years of full-time training.
D) weekend courses for three years.
E) a six-month apprenticeship with a board-certified specialist.

Question 56

Licensing as a medical doctor requires all the following except

A) four years of medical school.
B) publishing articles in medical journals.
C) participation in peer review activities.
D) state or national board examinations.

Question 57

Scientific health care personnel advocate all the following except

A) periodic health examinations.
B) research based on scientific principles.
C) rigorous procedures for licensing, education, and accountability.
D) frequent use of "alternative" health methods.

Question 58

Lasers are commonly used to treat all the following except

A) retina of the eye.
B) arthritis.
C) coronary artery blockage.
D) genital warts.

Question 59

Which of the following is not a recognized nursing category?

A) registered nurse
B) nurse diagnostician
C) licensed vocational nurse
D) public health nurse
E) nurse practitioner

Question 60

During the 1800s,

A) it was difficult to obtain a medical diploma.
B) medical training consisted primarily of science courses.
C) self-medication was used extensively.
D) medical training centered around clinical instruction in hospitals.

Question 61

Criticisms of the marketing of full-body CT scans to people without symptoms include all of the following except

A) false-positives.
B) high X-ray dosage.
C) use of magnets.
D) all of the choices are criticisms.
E) none of these choices is a criticism.

Question 62

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations include all of the following except

A) a determination of whether preventive measures are science-based.
B) a determination of whether preventive measures are cost-effective.
C) evaluated interventions for over 80 potentially preventable diseases and conditions.
D) those that were discredited by the Flexner report.
E) all of the choices are recommendations.