Exam 4: Legal and Ethical Issues in the Dental Business Office

A patient contacts the office and complains about the fee that was billed for a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown. He states that no one informed him what the fee was going to be. The dentist claims that her fees are standard and that the patient should have expected to pay the fee without being told ahead of time. Which of the following statements applies to this situation?

An administrative assistant records information on a patient's clinical record that is dictated by the dentist after treatment is complete. Later, litigation is brought against the dentist for the rendered treatment. The administrative assistant is asked to testify. Which of the following is true?

A clinical dental assistant is hired in the practice. The dentist indicates that this person is to place an intracoronal provisional restoration. The person knows how to perform the task but does not yet have the RDA credential required to perform the specific intraoral task. What should you suggest to her when she asks you what she should do?

When making an ethical decision, it is wise to remember that there is no right way to do a wrong thing.

With the consent of the dentist, who is most likely to assume responsibility for scheduling risk-management seminars?

Direct supervision in most states refers to the dentist being physically present in the office and assigning a task to a dental assistant or dental hygienist for a patient of record. The dentist examines the patient prior to and directly after the treatment is rendered by the assistant or hygienist.

The area that defines moral judgment is:

You are summoned to provide firsthand knowledge as testimony in a lawsuit against the dental practice. What would you be in this case?

A patient is consistently late and fails to keep appointments without advance notice to the practice. The dentist gets fed up and decides not to treat the patient anymore. What charges could be brought against the dentist?

Implied consent or duties flow automatically from the relationship of the patient and the dental healthcare worker.

A contract that can be written or verbal and that describes specifically what each party in the contract will do is called:

Which of the following sets guidelines for dental licensure and identifies the criteria by which this license may be revoked or suspended?

The Good Samaritan Law offers incentives for healthcare providers to provide medical assistance to injured persons without the fear of potential litigation except under which of the following circumstances?

An insurance company requests verification of a patient's birth date and complete name. A copy of the patient's entire record is sent to the company, including a health history that indicates evidence of HIV infection. This action may be considered:

When a dentist sits down and the patient opens his or her mouth, what type of consent does this indicate?

An expert witness has scientific knowledge and experience and can testify about the normal or abnormal conditions in a case. A fact witness records data on the record, regardless of whether she or he observed the activity in question.

The act of doing something that a reasonably prudent person would not do or not doing something that a reasonably prudent person would do is:

Ethics is a branch of philosophy and is a systematic, intellectual approach to standards of behavior. Ethics is legislated by the government.

A consent form may be signed by all of the following except the:

A dentist moves to another state without informing his or her patients and fails to care for patients still in need of care and attention. This action is referred to as: