Communication practice questions

Answer: D) "That sounds really hard. I'm here to help."

• AIncorrect. That's blaming.
• BIncorrect. That dismisses feelings.
• CIncorrect. That's dismissive.
• DCorrect. It acknowledges feelings.

Answer: D) About 1.5 to 4 feet

• AIncorrect. That's social.
• BIncorrect. That's intimate.
• CIncorrect. That's public.
• DCorrect. Closer is intimate space.

Answer: D) Stay calm

• AIncorrect. This can feel dismissive.
• BIncorrect. This increases anxiety.
• CIncorrect. Acknowledge and support.
• DCorrect. A calm approach helps anxious patients.

Answer: C) 0 to 18 inches

• AIncorrect. That's public space.
• BIncorrect. That's social space.
• CCorrect. It's used for exams and close contact.
• DIncorrect. That's personal space.

Answer: B) Displacement

• AIncorrect. This assigns one's own feelings to others.
• BCorrect. Emotion is redirected to a safer target.
• CIncorrect. This refuses to accept reality.
• DIncorrect. This returns to earlier behavior.

Answer: A) Face the patient, speak clearly at a normal pace, and move away from background noise

To communicate with a patient who has hearing loss, face them, speak clearly at a normal or slightly louder volume without shouting or exaggerating, reduce background noise, and rephrase when you aren't understood.

• ACorrect. With your face in view, the patient can see your lips and expressions. Clear speech helps, and less background noise lets the hearing aids pick up your voice instead of the room.
• BIncorrect. Exaggerating words distorts both the sound and the lip movements, which makes speech harder to understand.
• CIncorrect. Speaking a little louder is fine, but shouting distorts sound and can be uncomfortable through hearing aids.
• DIncorrect. If the patient doesn't understand, rephrase the sentence. Saying the same hard-to-hear words louder doesn't fix the problem.

Answer: C) Denial

• AIncorrect. This is the third stage.
• BIncorrect. This is the final stage.
• CCorrect. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.
• DIncorrect. This is the fourth stage.

Answer: A) Record the patient's stated reason, tell the patient the provider will review the request, and route the message to the provider per office policy

Repeated early opioid refill requests go to the provider, who makes the decision. The medical assistant documents the request, stays respectful, and follows office policy without approving, denying, or changing therapy.

• ACorrect. The prescriber decides about controlled-substance refills and handles concerns such as repeated early refill requests. The assistant's job is to document accurately, communicate respectfully, and pass the request on following office protocol.
• BIncorrect. Denying the request is a clinical decision the medical assistant can't make. The CDC guideline expects clinicians to discuss the concern with the patient, not dismiss it.
• CIncorrect. A medical assistant can't authorize controlled-substance fills on their own. Any change to an opioid prescription has to come from the prescriber.
• DIncorrect. Telling a patient to change how they take a medication is clinical advice outside the assistant's scope. It could also cause withdrawal or uncontrolled pain.

Answer: B) Acknowledge her frustration, apologize, remove the duplicate charge, and confirm the corrected balance with her

Service recovery after a confirmed office error means acknowledging the patient's concern, apologizing, correcting the problem promptly, and following up. Deflecting the blame, defending the error, or apologizing without fixing it does not restore the patient's trust.

• AIncorrect. The error is the office's and has been confirmed. Sending the patient to the payer shifts the blame and leaves the problem unsolved, which is the opposite of service recovery.
• BCorrect. Service recovery means listening, apologizing, actually fixing the problem, and following up so the patient knows it has been resolved. This restores satisfaction and trust.
• CIncorrect. This is defensive. A short explanation can help, but justifying the error without correcting it does not resolve the complaint.
• DIncorrect. An apology alone is not enough. Patients expect the problem to be fixed, and leaving the duplicate charge in place until a later audit fails to resolve it.

Answer: B) Say, 'You seem a little upset today. Can you tell me more about how you're feeling?'

When a patient's words and nonverbal cues don't match, the medical assistant should gently say what they notice and ask an open-ended question. Charting only her words, giving false reassurance, or asking a closed question does not get at the real concern.

• AIncorrect. This records only her words and ignores nonverbal cues that contradict them. Important concerns may go unreported.
• BCorrect. Gently stating what you observe and following up with an open-ended question addresses the mismatch between her words and body language and invites her to share more.
• CIncorrect. This is false reassurance. It shuts down the conversation and brushes off whatever is bothering her.
• DIncorrect. A closed yes/no question will likely get another 'yes' and does not invite her to explain.