Deck 9: Information Technology and Pharmacotherapeutics

Question 1

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 laboratory values, such as potassium levels
D)Potential drug-to-drug interactions with other medications the patient is taking

Answer 1

Potential drug-to-drug interactions with other medications the patient is taking

Question 2

Discharge summaries using IT have several advantages. They can:

A)Replace the need for oral instruction because the patient has printed material to read at home
B)Be filed with the patient's chart to document patient teaching
C)Both 1 and 2
D)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer 2

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

Question 3

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 personal 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

Answer 3

Prioritize what is needed information and avoid spending time reading "interesting" information not central to the problem at hand

Question 4

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 are 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 5

You are going to prescribe a drug and the electronic health record (EHR) alerts you that there is a potential drug-drug interaction. The alert is generated by:

A)The Food and Drug Administration MedWatch system
B)TOXNET, the National Institutes of Health alert system
C)The EHR clinical decision support system
D)Lexicomp, a commercial medication alert system

Question 6

Being competent in the use of information technology (IT) in clinical practice is expected in professional nurses. Advanced practice competence includes the ability to:

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

Question 7

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 1 and 2
D)Neither 1 nor 2

Question 8

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 9

The use of IT for quality improvement in pharmacotherapeutics includes:

A)Incorporating the use of "apps" into all patient encounters
B)Tracking data trends within the practice via the EHR database
C)Informing patients that they have access to their medication list via the internet
D)Using macros for individualizing patient care management

Question 10

One barrier to the use of the internet 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 Web sites with information about drugs are free

Question 11

EHRs:

A)Are being 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 12

Prescribers might override a medication alert about a patient's allergies when:

A)The history shows that the patient has tolerated the medication in the past
B)The benefit outweighs the risk
C)The medication is therapeutically appropriate and needed
D)All of the above

Question 13

Having EMR records from several local health-care facilities linked together helps in medication reconciliation except with:

A)Identification of prescription duplication
B)Monitoring refill records
C)Providing records of dosage adjustments by specialists
D)Providing translation of nicknames given by patients to tablets (i.e., water pill) to track consistency of these terms from clinic to clinic

Question 14

Data in the EHR that the provider reviews prior to a patient encounter varies with the clinical 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 15

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)Identifying easily used apps that patients can use to manage their medications
C)Teaching them how to identify high-quality Web sites and "red flags" signaling inaccurate content
D)All of the above

Question 16

A number of barriers and concerns exist before the goal 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 setup
B)Access to highly skilled experts
C)Compatibility between systems
D)Patient confidentiality risks

Question 17

The computerized aspect of an electronic medical record (EMR) can assist the provider in reviewing groups or populations of patients on a provider panel. This is done by:

A)Downloading each chart and scanning for information
B)Using a database inquiry to gather information based on specific parameters
C)Linking out to literature databases
D)Administration reviewing medication records in the aggregate to make determinations of provider performance

Question 18

Which of the following is a primary benefit of the use of computerized provider order entry for patient medications?

A)Reduces the 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 19

One of the significant quality improvement initiatives involving informatics in the clinical area is to:

A)Root out providers who are subpar
B)Monitor for patient outcomes
C)Ensure strict compliance with guidelines
D)Track provider productivity

Question 20

The advantages of using IT for patient education include:

A)The ability to track the number of times you have given the patient the same instructions regarding their medication
B)Standardized and individualized patient education that are simultaneously recorded into the patient record
C)Easy access to private patient information specific to populations with a similar diagnosis
D)The ability to download and interpret patient information in multiple languages, easily and accurately

Question 21

Alert systems that flash numerous warnings and suggestions can generate all of the following except:

A)Alarm fatigue
B)Workflow slowdown as providers scan them
C)The habit of bypassing them
D)Additional revenue for the facility

Question 22

Computerized order entry can help reduce medication errors. Which of the following is not a benefit of computerized order entry?

A)Having a clarified order that is complete with dose, route, and schedule
B)Written orders are scanned into a computerized file that can be viewed as written
C)Alerts to alterations from standard guideline dosing to make providers reconsider choices
D)Abbreviations are standardized