Review Questions

  1. Which of the following actions, if performed by the medical assistant, does NOT promote effective therapeutic communication?
    1. Making direct eye contact with the patient
    2. Siting down and taking notes during a patient interview
    3. Looking at a watch while the patient answers a question
    4. Rephrasing the patient’s statements and restating them
    5. Nodding the head in agreement with a patient’s statement
  2. A mother brings her three-year-old into the office for a checkup and immunization. To assist the child and improve communication, the medical assistant should
    1. ask the mother to wait in the waiting room while the child is given the immunization
    2. offer the child a lollipop when he arrives to keep the child distracted
    3. tell the child that the shot won’t hurt and to be brave
    4. give the child information on immunizations and risks of childhood diseases
    5. let the child hold your stethoscope and listen to his own heartbeat so he understands what you are going to do
  3. A new patient from the Middle East comes to the office for her first exam. Her husband fills out all of the health forms and comes into the exam room during the medical assistant’s interview. The patient sits calmly while her husband answers all of the medical assistant’s questions. This is likely an example of
    1. domestic violence
    2. cultural diversity
    3. a deaf patient
    4. male domination
    5. stereotyping
  4. On his way home, a medical assistant sees a blind woman walking with a guide dog. The guide dog is walking toward a puddle. Which of the following actions should the assistant take?
    1. Take the woman by the arm at the elbow and direct her.
    2. Reach down and gently move the dog away from the puddle.
    3. In a loud voice say, “Hey, you are about to step in a puddle!”
    4. No action is needed; the dog is trained to handle this situation.
    5. Tell the woman that he will help her cross the street to avoid the puddle.
  5. Which of the following is the best way to explain the concept of empathy?
    1. Feeling the same feelings as the patient
    2. Observing a patient’s gestures
    3. Acknowledging a patient’s emotional state and the meaning this has to her
    4. Being nice to your patients
    5. Paraphrasing the patient’s statements and reflecting them back during an interview