NAPLEX Flashcards: Ethical Principles And Patient Confidentiality

What this deck covers

This deck focuses on Ethical Principles And Patient Confidentiality, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for NAPLEX.

How to use these flashcards

Work through these flashcards in short sessions. Try to answer each prompt before flipping the card, then revisit any cards you miss until the explanation feels automatic.

Flashcard 1: Which option is required for most disclosures of PHI not related to TPO: consent or authorization?

Answer: Authorization. HIPAA requires this formal permission for non-TPO disclosures to ensure patient control over PHI.

Flashcard 2: Identify the correct action: You must call a prescriber about a patient; what should you limit?

Answer: Share only the minimum necessary information. HIPAA's minimum necessary rule restricts shared details to essentials for effective communication.

Flashcard 3: What does PHI mean under HIPAA when data can identify an individual and relates to health care?

Answer: Protected health information. PHI encompasses identifiable health data under HIPAA to enforce privacy protections.

Flashcard 4: What term describes a patient's right to control access to personal health information?

Answer: Privacy. This right empowers individuals to decide who can access their personal medical details.

Flashcard 5: What term describes the minimum necessary access to PHI needed to perform a job function?

Answer: Minimum necessary standard. This HIPAA standard limits PHI access to only what is essential for the task to protect patient information.

Flashcard 6: What ethical principle requires fair and equitable treatment and resource allocation among patients?

Answer: Justice. This principle ensures impartial distribution of healthcare resources and equal treatment without discrimination.

Flashcard 7: Which option best describes de-identified data under HIPAA: PHI or not PHI?

Answer: Not PHI. Removing identifiers from data exempts it from HIPAA regulations as it no longer identifies individuals.

Flashcard 8: Identify the correct action: A friend asks about a patient's refill; you have no permission.

Answer: Do not disclose any information. Ethical and legal standards prohibit sharing PHI without consent to uphold confidentiality.

Flashcard 9: What ethical principle requires respecting a capable patient's right to make informed choices?

Answer: Autonomy. This principle upholds the patient's right to self-determination in healthcare decisions when they have decision-making capacity.

Flashcard 10: What HIPAA rule governs permissible uses and disclosures of protected health information (PHI)?

Answer: HIPAA Privacy Rule. This rule specifies when and how PHI can be shared to balance utility with patient privacy rights.

Flashcard 11: What is a business associate in HIPAA terms?

Answer: A vendor handling PHI for a covered entity. HIPAA defines this as an external entity performing functions involving PHI for covered entities.

Flashcard 12: What ethical principle requires avoiding harm and preventing foreseeable injury to the patient?

Answer: Nonmaleficence. This principle obligates healthcare providers to refrain from causing harm and to mitigate potential risks to patients.

Flashcard 13: What ethical principle requires keeping promises and maintaining commitments to patients?

Answer: Fidelity. This principle emphasizes loyalty and reliability in fulfilling professional obligations to patients.

Flashcard 14: What ethical principle requires truthfulness and accurate communication with patients and providers?

Answer: Veracity. This principle demands honesty in all interactions to foster trust in healthcare relationships.

Flashcard 15: Which option is appropriate: Discussing a patient case in an elevator using identifiers or not?

Answer: Not appropriate if identifiers are included. Including identifiers in public discussions risks breaching confidentiality and HIPAA compliance.

Flashcard 16: What HIPAA rule sets administrative, physical, and technical safeguards for electronic PHI?

Answer: HIPAA Security Rule. This rule requires protections for ePHI to prevent unauthorized access and breaches.

Flashcard 17: Identify the HIPAA concept: a disclosure requested by a patient is generally not limited by it.

Answer: Minimum necessary does not apply to patient requests. HIPAA exempts patient-initiated disclosures from this restriction to honor individual autonomy.

Flashcard 18: Which document gives patients information about how a covered entity uses and discloses PHI?

Answer: Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP). This document informs patients of their rights and entity practices regarding PHI handling.

Flashcard 19: Identify the ethical priority when autonomy conflicts with beneficence in a capable informed patient.

Answer: Respect the patient's autonomous decision. Ethical guidelines prioritize patient self-determination over provider beneficence in competent adults.

Flashcard 20: What federal law establishes national standards for protecting patient health information?

Answer: HIPAA. This law mandates safeguards for PHI to ensure privacy and security in healthcare settings.

Flashcard 21: Which three purposes allow PHI disclosure without patient authorization under HIPAA?

Answer: Treatment, payment, and health care operations. HIPAA permits PHI use for these core functions without authorization to facilitate essential healthcare activities.

Flashcard 22: What agreement is required before a vendor can access PHI on behalf of a covered entity?

Answer: Business Associate Agreement (BAA). This contract ensures business associates comply with HIPAA standards when handling PHI.

Flashcard 23: What ethical principle requires acting in the patient's best interest to promote benefit?

Answer: Beneficence. This principle mandates pharmacists to prioritize actions that enhance patient welfare and provide therapeutic benefits.

Flashcard 24: What ethical duty requires protecting patient information from unauthorized disclosure?

Answer: Confidentiality. This duty safeguards sensitive health data to maintain patient trust and comply with legal standards.

Flashcard 25: What HIPAA rule requires notification after certain breaches of unsecured PHI?

Answer: HIPAA Breach Notification Rule. This rule ensures timely alerts to affected individuals and authorities following PHI compromises.