Deck 11: Information Technology and Pharmacotherapeutics

Question 1

Discharge summaries using IT have several advantages.They can:

A) Replace the need for oral instruction since the patient has printed material to read at home
B) Be filed with the patient's chart to document patient teaching
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A nor B

Answer 1

Be filed with the patient's chart to document patient teaching

Question 2

IT can also be used for patient teaching during the encounter and after it.The provider can help patients and their families become savvy consumers of health-care information by:

A) Warning them about the questionable quality of health information online
B) Telling them to contact the office about any web sites they have questions about
C) Teaching them how to identify high quality web sites and "red flags" to inaccurate content
D) All of the above

Answer 2

Teaching them how to identify high quality web sites and "red flags" to inaccurate content

Question 3

Prescribers have been shown to override a medication alert about a patient's allergies when:

A) The history showed that the patient had tolerated the medication in the past
B) The benefit outweighed the risk
C) The medication was therapeutically appropriate and needed
D) All of the above

Answer 3

All of the above

Question 4

You are going to prescribe a drug that has been on the market for less than 2 months.Your best source of drug information at this time (besides calling the pharmacist)is:

A) The Physician's Desk Reference
B) Any nurse's drug handbook
C) Micromedix Online
D) Pharmacist's Drug Reference

Question 5

Which of the following is a primary benefit of the use of computerized physician order entry (CPOE)for patient medications?

A) Reduces time that prescribing drugs takes
B) Eliminates the need to chart drugs prescribed
C) Decreases prescribing and transcription errors
D) Helps keep the number of drugs prescribed to a minimum

Question 6

A number of barriers and concerns exist before the goals of a safe and efficient IT system can be realized.Which of the following is NOT a barrier to adoption and use of IT in prescribing drugs?

A) Cost of initial set up
B) Access to highly skilled experts
C) Compatibility between systems
D) Patient confidentiality risks

Question 7

Decision support systems often provide medication alerts that tell the prescriber:

A) Patient history data with a summary of their diagnoses
B) The usual dosage for the drug being prescribed
C) The patient's latest lab values,such as potassium levels
D) Potential drug-to-drug interactions with other medications the patient is taking

Question 8

Being competent in the use of information technology in clinical practice is expected in professional nurses.Nurse practitioner competence includes the ability to:

A) Search for information using the most common search engines
B) Serve as content experts in developing,implementing,and evaluating information systems
C) Write programs to assure the integrity of health information
D) Utilize IT to prescribe drugs

Question 9

One barrier to use of the Web for both prescribing and for patient teaching is:

A) Lack of free public access to the Internet
B) Age,with older adults rarely understanding how to use a computer
C) Web pages and hyperlinks may change,be deleted,or be replaced
D) Few sites with information about drugs are free

Question 10

Data in the EHR that the provider reviews prior to a patient encounter varies with the clinic setting.In an urgent care clinic,the provider should review:

A) The patient's current diagnosis and history
B) Drugs the patient is currently taking
C) Any recent previous encounter for the same problem as this visit and what was done
D) All of the above

Question 11

Factors that facilitate keeping patient information confidential in an EHR system include:

A) Designing software so that only those who need the information can gain access
B) Requiring providers to log-off at the end of the clinical day
C) Keeping a file of the login and password information for each provider in a secure place
D) Having patients sign informed consent documents to have their data on an EHR

Question 12

Electronic Health Records (EHRs):

A) Are bring discouraged by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services due to cost issues
B) Allow for all patient data to be centralized in one location for access by multiple providers
C) Use macros and templates to individualize care
D) Use standardized software to facilitate interoperability between systems

Question 13

Incorporating IT into a patient encounter takes skill and tact.During the encounter,the provider can make the patient more comfortable with the IT the provider is using by:

A) Turning the screen around so the patient can see material being recorded
B) Not placing the computer screen between the provider and the patient
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A nor B

Question 14

IT can also be used to interact with a patient between encounters.Which of the following statements about such interactions is true?

A) Patients feel the provider does not care about them if they are not seen in a face-to-face encounter.
B) Data collected from patients between encounters via IT is less accurate and complete.
C) Collecting data between encounters via IT may mean a more efficient face-to-face encounter.
D) Between encounters is a good time to collect screening data.

Question 15

IT can be a time-saving device in a busy practice if it is used wisely.One way to make it a help rather than a hindrance is to:

A) Prioritize what is needed information and avoid spending time reading "interesting" information not central to the problem at hand
B) Integrate professional and person searching so that the same browser does not need to be accessed repeatedly
C) Check e-mail frequently so that patient questions can be addressed promptly
D) Check for viruses,spyware,and malware