CMA (AAMA) Certified Medical Assistant — All Questions

The medical term 'nephritis' means:

• a.Surgical removal of a kidney
• b.Enlargement of the kidney
• c.Inflammation of the kidney✓
• d.Pertaining to the liver

Nephr- is the root for kidney and -itis is the suffix for inflammation, so nephritis is inflammation of the kidney. Surgical removal would be nephrectomy (-ectomy), and the liver root is hepat-.

Under HIPAA, protected health information may be disclosed WITHOUT the patient's specific written authorization for:

• a.Marketing the practice to the patient's neighbors
• b.Treatment, payment, and health care operations✓
• c.Sharing test results with any family member who calls
• d.Posting anonymized photos on social media

HIPAA permits use and disclosure of protected health information for treatment, payment, and health care operations without separate authorization. Sharing information with family members, marketing, and most other uses require the patient's written authorization.

A medical assistant performs a procedure on a patient who has not consented and does not wish to be touched. This may constitute:

• a.Battery✓
• b.Negligence only
• c.Defamation
• d.Abandonment

Touching or treating a patient without consent is battery. Negligence is failure to meet the standard of care, defamation is a false statement that harms reputation, and abandonment is discontinuing care without a proper handoff. Consent must be obtained before contact.

Which action is generally OUTSIDE a medical assistant's scope of practice?

• a.Taking and recording vital signs
• b.Preparing and administering an injection under provider order
• c.Documenting a patient's chief complaint
• d.Independently diagnosing a patient's condition and prescribing medication✓

Medical assistants work under the delegation and supervision of a licensed provider and may not diagnose, prescribe, or interpret results independently. Taking vital signs, giving ordered injections, and documenting a chief complaint are all within the MA scope.