Palliative Care and Pain Management at the End of Life ___________________________________________
F inal E xam
PALLIATIVE CARE AND PAIN MANAGEMENT AT THE END OF LIFE
Select the best answer for each question and mark your answers on the Final Examination Answer Sheet found on page 75, or complete your test online at BOOK.CME.EDU. A passing grade of at least 70% must be achieved in order to receive credit for this course.
1. Which of the following is TRUE about end-of-life care? A) It is one aspect of palliative care.
6. Which of the following is TRUE regarding the Medicare hospice benefit?
A) The policy requires a survival prognosis of nine months or less. B) The policy excludes curative treatment of the terminal disease. C) A financial penalty is assessed if the patient lives beyond the criterion for life expectancy. D) The policy accounts for palliative treatments that serve a dual purpose of palliating symptoms and prolonging life.
B) It is synonymous with palliative care. C) It is defined by a specified time period. D) It does not include a focus on the family.
2. Which of the following is NOT a priority for patients with a life-limiting illness receiving palliative care? A) Relieving burden
B) Prolonging life at all costs C) Obtaining a sense of control D) Strengthening relationships with loved ones
7. Which of the following is TRUE regarding prognostication for life-limiting illnesses? A) Heart disease is associated with accurate prognostication. B) Physicians’ predictions for prognoses are usually optimistic.
3. Which of the following is TRUE regarding the interdisciplinary healthcare team involved in palliative care? A) A social worker is not usually part of the team.
B) The members of the team are the same across palliative care settings. C) Team members’ roles should be communicated to the patient and family. D) The patient’s primary care physician is not usually a member of the team.
C) Determining the prognosis for cancer has improved over the past few years. D) There have been no guidelines developed to help physicians determine prognoses.
8. Which of the following is a clinician-related factor that contributes to the low rate of end-of-life discussions? A) Lack of time B) Certainty about prognosis C) Excessive confidence in curative therapies D) Awareness of the patients’ and/or families’ concerns regarding prognosis 9. Which of the following is TRUE regarding the discussion of palliative treatment options and goals? A) Discussion of treatment options and goals should not include the patient’s family. B) Most physicians engage in discussion about treatment options near the end of life. C) Unrealistic expectations are a major contributor to an increased use of aggressive treatment at the end of life. D) Patients will not choose life-extending therapy if the consequences of aggressive treatment are discussed.
4. The greatest increase in survival during hospice has been associated with which of the following diseases?
A) Heart failure B) Breast cancer C) Colorectal cancer D) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
5. Which of the following is NOT a barrier to the optimum use of palliative care at the end of life? A) Reimbursement policies B) Easily determined prognoses
C) Lack of well-trained healthcare professionals D) Attitudes of patients, families, and clinicians
Self-Assessment questions continue on next page
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MDCA1525
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