Deck 15: Therapeutic Communications and History Taking

Question 1

When you are using hand gestures to communicate you are

A) providing feedback.
B) acting as a sender.
C) encoding your message.
D) using a channel.

Answer 1

using a channel.

Question 2

Good grooming and a professional appearance are examples of

A) patient encouragement.
B) message encoding.
C) non-verbal communication.
D) feedback processes.

Answer 2

non-verbal communication.

Question 3

You are talking with a 20 year old female about her medical history. She is reluctant to answer questions pertaining to pain in her abdomen. The best way to approach this situation is to

A) remind her that you are there to help her.
B) ask her family members about her pain.
C) ask her another question and return to her pain later.
D) repeat the question again in a firm but pleasant tone.

Answer 3

ask her another question and return to her pain later.

Question 4

Your 27 year old female patient has been in a severe car accident. When you approach her car window she asks you to "please go away" while she "rests."
What type of emotional reaction to her accident is she most likely experiencing?

A) Denial
B) Embarrassment
C) Fear
D) Regression

Question 5

When you are interviewing a patient, you should interview the patient at an interpersonal distance equal to a

A) public space.
B) personal space.
C) intimate space.
D) social space.

Question 6

While you are interviewing a patient you ask him to explain more about his head pain. This is an example of

A) explanation.
B) facilitation.
C) clarification.
D) interpretation.

Question 7

During a patient interview you say to the patient, "You mentioned you are a diabetic. When was the last time you ate?" This is an example of

A) interpretation.
B) empathy.
C) confrontation.
D) reflection.

Question 8

A touch on the arm, shoulder, or back may be comforting to

A) European-Americans.
B) Vietnamese.
C) Pacific-Islanders.
D) Hispanics.

Question 9

You ask a patient what makes her pain better or worse. The technique you use to gather this information is the

A) RIDTA.
B) OPQRST.
C) SAMPLE.
D) HIP.

Question 10

You ask a 32 year old male how his injury occurred. You are gathering information using

A) SAMPLE.
B) OPQRST.
C) RIDTA.
D) HIP.

Question 11

A chief complaint is

A) a detailed description of the patient's illness.
B) a summary of the patient's condition.
C) the reason the patient called EMS.
D) an immediate field impression.

Question 12

A common interviewing trap includes

A) talking at the patient's eye level.
B) using "what" questions.
C) providing false reassurance.
D) withholding advice.

Question 13

The process of selecting a communication channel is the role of the

A) decoder.
B) sender.
C) receiver.
D) encoder.

Question 14

You ask a 45 year old man if he has hypertension, and the man does not understand your question. The error in communication occurred at the point of

A) encoding.
B) the channel.
C) feedback.
D) decoding.

Question 15

At an emergency scene, you notice that an injured 51 year old man is behaving in a childlike manner. He is most likely behaving this way because he is experiencing

A) fear.
B) helplessness.
C) anxiety.
D) regression.

Question 16

In the United States, physical assessment is most likely to occur at the level of

A) intimate space.
B) public space.
C) personal space.
D) social space.

Question 17

You are at an emergency scene where a 35 year old American Indian woman has been in an accident. When you talk to her you should

A) talk with her husband first.
B) avoid entering her personal space.
C) avoid sustained contact.
D) address her as "mother."

Question 18

A cultural trait you need to be aware of if you are communicating with Arab-Americans is that Arab-Americans

A) are hesitant to reveal personal information.
B) consider areas below the waist to be private.
C) are reluctant to express emotion.
D) do not like to disclose their names.

Question 19

You need to examine a two year old girl who appears nervous. You should

A) give her a pacifier.
B) place her on your lap.
C) ask her to help you.
D) talk to her at eye level.

Question 20

You are at a scene where a 13 year old boy requires treatment. The best way to approach his examination is to

A) use nonverbal communication techniques to reassure him.
B) talk with his father first about his injuries.
C) ask him directly about his medical history.
D) use bargaining techniques before you examine him.

Question 21

You notice that your 27 year old patient is wearing hearing aids in both ears. The best way to communicate with him is to

A) speak slowly and emphasize your lip movements.
B) use hand gestures and rudimentary sign language.
C) talk directly into his ear slowly and clearly.
D) speak in a regular tone using a normal speaking volume.

Question 22

When you are treating patients from different cultures, it is important to remember that

A) the patient's family has the same sets of beliefs as the patient.
B) your cultural beliefs may interfere with your patient's care.
C) most people generally identify with their cultural background.
D) the patient may not accept your explanation of their illness.

Question 23

Your female patient fell down a flight of stairs and suffered a broken leg. Her husband and children are on scene. The children are all crying and the husband is yelling at you to help his wife. You should

A) tell the family to sit quietly away from the scene.
B) tell the family they need to calm down.
C) just focus on your patient.
D) explain your treatment actions in a firm tone.

Question 24

Communication with a closed question should be limited to what type of instance?

A) When the patient needs to explain what is wrong.
B) When the patient is talking about multiple subjects.
C) When the patient is suffering from severe pain.
D) When the patient has a history of medical conditions.

Question 25

When you have reached a conclusion about what is wrong with your patient you have now established

A) an HPI.
B) a position.
C) a chief complaint.
D) a field impression.

Question 26

Using the OPQRST technique to obtain your patient's history, you ask your patient about what type of pain they have. This question is related to what part of the OPQRST technique?

A) O
B) R
C) S
D) Q

Question 27

You are examining a 70 year old man who has fallen down. He tells you that lately he has been feeling light headed about 60 percent of the time. You conclude that his light headed symptom may be classified as

A) intermittent.
B) frequent.
C) constant.
D) occasional.

Question 28

A patient complaining of severe shoulder pain has a history of arthritis. This is

A) a pertinent negative finding.
B) a report notation.
C) a condition distracter.
D) a pertinent positive finding.

Question 29

You are obtaining a SAMPLE history from a patient. You ask the patient how long it has been since he has eaten. This conversation is what part of the SAMPLE process?

A) M
B) E
C) L
D) A

Question 30

If your patient is unresponsive, you should

A) just focus on treatment and do not worry about talking to the patient.
B) raise your normal speaking volume and speak directly to the patient.
C) provide reassurance and explain what you are doing.
D) continue to ask the patient questions and hope for some response.

Question 31

When you are obtaining a patient's HPI, it is important to

A) use a TOPSE question format.
B) include OPQRST information.
C) use close-ended questions.
D) interview bystanders first.

Question 32

When you ask patients whether they have any medication allergies, you are asking about their

A) current health status.
B) HPI documentation.
C) OPQRST information.
D) chief complaint.

Question 33

You are at a scene where a 22 year old woman has been severely injured. You need to take her medical history before EMS professionals arrive for her transport. What is an important question you would want to ask her before EMS arrives?

A) Do you have any allergies to medications?
B) Have you had any alcoholic beverages recently?
C) On a scale of 0 to 10, what is your pain?
D) When did you last eat?

Question 34

The OPQRST is an important part of assessing the patient's

A) present illness.
B) chief complaint.
C) pain scale rating.
D) medical history.

Question 35

When you arrive on a scene, the first point of communication with a patient should be to

A) identify yourself.
B) pinpoint the chief complaint.
C) provide assurance.
D) explain the exam process.

Question 36

When interviewing a patient, which type of questions is most helpful?

A) Conclusive questions
B) Direct questions
C) Open-ended questions
D) Status questions