Deck 9: Physicians Public Duties and Responsibilities

Question 1

A death has occurred under normal circumstances and the body released to the funeral home. Who is responsible for filing the death certificate with the state?

A) the mortician
B) the physician
C) the coroner
D) the hospital
E) the police chief

Answer 1

the mortician

Question 2

The power of the states to initiate public health statutes is inferred from which amendment to the U.S. Constitution?

A) First Amendment
B) Second Amendment
C) Sixth Amendment
D) Ninth Amendment
E) Tenth Amendment

Answer 2

Tenth Amendment

Question 3

In which of the following cases would it be legal for a physician to sign a death certificate?

A) if the physician attended to the deceased before the death
B) if the death was possibly due to criminal causes
C) if the cause of death was undetermined by the physician
D) if the cause of death was violent
E) if the cause of death was suspicious

Answer 3

if the physician attended to the deceased before the death

Question 4

An obstetrician who delivers babies knows that all live births need to be recorded. To which of the following agencies should these births be reported?

A) local county registrar
B) state registrar
C) federal registrar
D) census bureau
E) medical examiner

Question 5

Which of the following is not a purpose of public health statutes?

A) checking water quality
B) requiring physicians to take public health courses
C) inspecting restaurants and other facilities that serve food
D) exterminating pest and vermin that can spread disease
E) guarding against unsanitary conditions in public facilities

Question 6

Examples of public data collected by law from physicians include:

A) murders and child abuse incidents
B) felonies
C) incidents of allergic reaction to drugs
D) auto accidents where the physician was attending
E) births, deaths, rapes, and assaults

Question 7

The state of Virginia checks all restaurants to make sure the conditions are sanitary. This is an example of which of the following?

A) criminal law
B) civil statutes
C) federal health law
D) public health statutes
E) civilian protection acts

Question 8

If a patient dies of natural causes while under his or her physician's care, who is responsible for completion of the medical portion of the death certificate?

A) morgue attendant
B) attending physician
C) medical examiner
D) any health care practitioner in attendance at the time of death
E) coroner

Question 9

The states and the federal government collect vital statistics in the U.S. that include births, deaths, marriages, divorces and changes in civil status. What is the main purpose for collection of this information?

A) to assess population trends and needs
B) to distribute goods and services fairly
C) to control population growth or decline
D) to provide information to marketing services
E) to determine who should receive public assistance

Question 10

A person dies as a result of a carjacking. Who is responsible for signing the death certificate for this individual?

A) the chief of police
B) the mortician
C) the next of kin
D) the coroner
E) the physician

Question 11

Which of the following is not required on a death certificate?

A) date of death
B) time of death
C) decedent's complete medical history
D) cause of death
E) place of death

Question 12

Which of the following is an example of federalism?

A) A state retains police powers not expressively granted to the federal government.
B) The federal government has more powers than the state government.
C) If state and federal government statutes conflict, the federal statute takes precedence.
D) If state and federal government statutes conflict, the state statute takes precedence.
E) Local legislation takes precedence over state or federal legislation.

Question 13

Generally, birth and death certificates are not required for fetal deaths occurring prior to what week of gestation?

A) 15th
B) 16th
C) 17th
D) 18th
E) 20th

Question 14

Certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs) must be reported whenever diagnosed. Which of the following is not a reportable STI?

A) syphilis
B) cervical cancer
C) public lice
D) scabies
E) trichomoniasis

Question 15

Which of the following accurately describes the role of the coroner or medical examiner in the event of a violent death?

A) a coroner, who is always a physician, holds an inquest to determine cause of death.
B) a coroner or medical examiner conducts a trial to determine the cause of death.
C) a medical examiner, who is frequently a pathologist, may order and perform an autopsy.
D) a coroner investigates the crime scene and presents medical proof at a trial.
E) a police chief orders an autopsy and the coroner performs the autopsy.

Question 16

Which of the following is an example of a state law that requires behavioral changes on the part of the public?

A) vaccinations to enter school
B) spraying communities for mosquito control
C) promoting the use of child safety seats
D) inspecting restaurants for sanitary conditions
E) fluoridation of the public water supply

Question 17

A division of medicine that incorporates law and medicine and involves medical issues or medical proof at trials having to do with malpractice, crimes, or accidents is called:

A) criminal medicine
B) investigative medicine
C) examiner medicine
D) forensic medicine
E) statistical medicine

Question 18

The public official who investigates and holds inquests concerning those who die from unknown or violent causes is the:

A) morgue attendant
B) attending physician
C) medical examiner
D) forensic pathologist
E) coroner

Question 19

Which of the following examples of public health statutes is enforced by citations for noncompliance?

A) vaccinations to enter school
B) spraying communities for mosquito control
C) smoking bans
D) fluoride in the public water supply
E) food supply inspections

Question 20

Who is responsible for gathering and filing many of the vital statistics collected by the states and the federal government?

A) school administrators
B) financial executives
C) county commissioners
D) health care practitioners
E) religious leaders

Question 21

A physician issues a medical prescription for a patient. The correct term for this practice is:

A) dispense
B) administer
C) prescribe
D) register
E) write

Question 22

Who must sign a death certificate when the person died from a fatal shooting?

Question 23

General regulations mandated by the Controlled Substances Act require physicians who purchase, prescribe, dispense, administer, or in any way handle controlled drugs to follow certain procedures. Which of the following accurately describes one of these procedures?

A) A physician who registers with the Drug Enforcement Administration may store controlled substances in multiple locations within the division office region.
B) The physician must keep records concerning the administering or dispensing of a controlled drug on file for two years.
C) The physician must make a written inventory of drug supplies every five years, and keep such records an additional two years.
D) The physician must keep drugs in an unlocked storage room and report any thefts immediately to the nearest DEA office and the local police.
E) The physician must keep drugs in his or her office and keep logs for five years.

Question 24

Which of the following is an example of a Schedule V DRUG?

A) Darvon^®
B) Ritalin^®
C) barbiturates
D) Valium^®
E) cough medicine with codeine

Question 25

Which agency tests and approves prescription drugs before releasing them for public use?

A) Drug Enforcement Administration
B) Food and Drug Administration
C) Controlled Substances Agency
D) Centers for Disease Control
E) Federal Drug Safety Administration

Question 26

Which of the following individuals would probably have more stringent reporting requirements if they have a communicable disease?

A) a stay-at-home parent
B) a lawyer
C) an office manager
D) a waitress
E) a file clerk

Question 27

In most states, which of the following cases is not mandated as a reportable injury?

A) A physician suspects child abuse in a child with multiple fractures.
B) A physician suspects spousal abuse, however the patient does not admit it occurred.
C) A physician treats a patient who states that she was raped.
D) A physician treats a person who was assaulted in a parking lot.
E) A physician treats an elderly patient who fails to take his medicine.

Question 28

Define autopsy.

Question 29

Which of the following individuals with a sexually transmitted disease would be required by all states to tell a sexual partner of this disease?

A) a person with syphilis
B) a person with gonorrhea
C) a person with HIV
D) a person with genital warts
E) a person with scabies

Question 30

A physician prescribes pentobarbital for a patient who is experiencing seizures. Pentobarbital is an example of what schedule of drug?

A) Schedule I
B) Schedule II
C) Schedule III
D) Schedule IV
E) Schedule V

Question 31

Which of the following victims was the Laci and Conner's Act passed to protect?

A) vulnerable adults
B) older adults
C) children
D) fetuses
E) infants

Question 32

What is the difference between a coroner and a medical examiner?

Question 33

Which of the following agencies registers physicians for the writing of prescriptions?

A) Drug Enforcement Administration
B) Food and Drug Administration
C) Controlled Substances Agency
D) Centers for Disease Control
E) Federal Drug Safety Administration

Question 34

Who decides who gets compensation as a result of problems caused by vaccines?

A) U.S. Supreme Court
B) individual state supreme court
C) National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
D) U.S. Court of Federal Claims
E) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid

Question 35

Which of the following schedule of drugs are used strictly for research?

A) Schedule I
B) Schedule II
C) Schedule III
D) Schedule IV
E) Schedule V

Question 36

Discuss the procedure for the attending physician after a person is pronounced dead.

Question 37

The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 created the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). Which of the following was this legislation created to protect?

A) vaccine manufacturers
B) parents of children with vaccination injuries
C) schools requiring vaccinations for entrance
D) children injured by vaccinations
E) state governments

Question 38

What is the main reason health care practitioners must report sexually transmitted infections (STIs) to the state health department?

A) to quarantine the individual with the infection
B) to impose a fine on the individual
C) to track the incidence of STIs in communities
D) to arrest the individual with the infection
E) to treat others who may be infected

Question 39

What is forensic medicine?

Question 40

Samantha lives next door to a ninety-year-old woman named Ruth. She usually sees Ruth every couple of days in her garden. Recently, Ruth's son Joseph moved in with his mother. Samantha has heard yelling and screaming coming from Ruth's house and has not seen Ruth in several weeks. When she goes over to visit Ruth, Joseph answers the door and will not let Samantha in the house. What should Samantha consider as a first step?

A) Nothing. It is not her business.
B) Call the police.
C) Talk to another neighbor.
D) Demand that Joseph let her in the house.
E) Report the problem to the elder abuse hotline.

Question 41

Discuss the role of the Food and Drug Administration as it relates to prescription drugs.

Question 42

What medical treatment must children have in order to enter public schools?

Question 43

What program is a no-fault system designed to compensate those individuals, or families of individuals, who have been injured by childhood vaccines?

Question 44

What is federalism?

Question 45

What law created the Administration on Aging and outlined 10 objectives aimed at preserving the rights and dignity of older citizens?

Question 46

Discuss the role of the federal Drug Enforcement Agency as it relates to prescription drugs.

Question 47

Explain the relationship between the 10^th amendment of the U.S. Constitution and public health statutes.

Question 48

If a death did not occur because of suspicious circumstances, who must give consent for an autopsy to be performed?

Question 49

What is the process for reporting all live births in the hospital?

Question 50

Define the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act.