Question 1

As a full-time dental hygiene faculty member assigned to teach the community oral health course for the first time, you are developing the ethics unit for the course. You develop classroom activities to reinforce the points in the students' reading assignment.
-The first day of class, you ask students to work in groups to identify examples of ethics in society, professional ethics, professional responsibility, and laws that govern the practice of dental hygiene. One of the students asks you to explain the relationships among professional laws, professional ethics, and social responsibility. Which of the following is a correct response?

Accepted Answer

Professional ethics, social responsibility, and professional laws are different concepts, although they are related. Professional ethics is the code by which the profession regulates actions and sets standards for its members, with the recognition that professionals are accountable for their actions. It differs from laws that are requirements that govern the practice of dental hygiene and can result in loss of one's license to practice. However, an ethical decision is to obey the laws even when there is no chance of being caught and losing a license. Ethics is broader than the laws and includes meeting our social responsibilities to society. As oral health professionals, we have made an ethical commitment to address the oral health needs of society. Professional ethics (not professional laws) include the responsibility to address the disparities in oral health and access to oral health care in our society. This includes correcting the oral healthcare delivery system that stands in the way of addressing the needs of individuals as well as the ethical treatment of individual patients.

Question 2

As a full-time dental hygiene faculty member assigned to teach the community oral health course for the first time, you are developing the ethics unit for the course. You develop classroom activities to reinforce the points in the students' reading assignment.
-You ask the students to review the Code of Ethics for Dental Hygienists and the Standards for Dental Hygiene Practice and identify points that relate to ethics and social responsibility in community oral health practice. On what organization's website can these two documents be found?

Accepted Answer

The Code of Ethics for Dental Hygienists and the Standards for Dental Hygiene Practice were both developed by the American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) and can be found on the ADHA website. Both documents provide guidance to the dental hygiene profession and include information that relates to community oral health practice as well as clinical dental hygiene practice. The ASTDD, AAPHD, and ADA provide useful information that will assist the dental hygienist in community practice, but not information specifically related to ethics and professional responsibility for the dental hygienist in community oral health practice. This is within the purview of the dental hygiene profession. The ASTDD and AAPHD provide guidance to dental public health professionals, and the ADA has a code of ethics for dentists.

Question 3

As a full-time dental hygiene faculty member assigned to teach the community oral health course for the first time, you are developing the ethics unit for the course. You develop classroom activities to reinforce the points in the students' reading assignment.
-You encourage your students to become involved in the process of social responsibility by having them identify ways to do this to meet a class requirement. All of the following activities EXCEPT one will meet our social and ethical responsibility to advocate for policies to strengthen the oral healthcare delivery system and improve oral health of our society. Which one is the EXCEPTION?

Accepted Answer

Advocacy requires action, not just learning about the issues. Research is the first step, but it is our professional responsibility to go beyond researching an issue and take action as well. ADHA and its state component organizations occasionally send out action alerts to the membership if a piece of legislation is being considered that will affect oral health and the dental hygiene profession's role in the oral healthcare delivery system. As advocates, dental hygienists can influence the opinions of legislators by responding to these alerts, thereby improving the oral health of the public. Meeting with legislators is one way to respond to influence the outcomes of legislative actions. Meeting with them before an issue is on the table is another way to advocate and can establish a relationship to facilitate future, more effective advocacy. Meeting with local community policymakers such as college administrators in relation to oral health issues is a similar process of advocating for oral health issues.

Question 4

As a full-time dental hygiene faculty member assigned to teach the community oral health course for the first time, you are developing the ethics unit for the course. You develop classroom activities to reinforce the points in the students' reading assignment.
-One of our social responsibilities is to communicate oral health information to the public. All of the following statements EXCEPT one are true in relation to communication of oral health information. Which one is the EXCEPTION?

Accepted Answer

Research results reveal that use of social media is becoming a standard means of health care-related communication. Other answers are correct. Successful health risk communication raises the level of people's understanding of relevant issues and ensures that they are adequately informed to be able to make decisions about health behaviors. Healthy People 2020 has identified goals concerning the use to improve health communication. Use of social media is effective as a channel of health communication, and the public is comfortable accessing health information through social media. Ethical practice involves shared decision making in relation to health decisions; effective communication is critical to this process.

Question 5

As a full-time dental hygiene faculty member assigned to teach the community oral health course for the first time, you are developing the ethics unit for the course. You develop classroom activities to reinforce the points in the students' reading assignment.
-You plan a debate for students to discuss various ethical issues related to oral healthcare delivery in our nation. You ask students to track the accuracy of statements and arguments used in the debate. Which one of the following statements is accurate?

Accepted Answer

The three legs of the iron triangle represent the three aspects of a healthcare system, which are quality, cost, and access. According to this theory, these three features of a healthcare system are in competition, have a reciprocal relationship, and cancel one another out through inherent trade-offs. The result is difficulty making any significant change to the healthcare system. The other statements are accurate. Successful outcomes have resulted from the use of a variety of social media for oral health communication that use information technology, the Internet, and mobile access, including wikis, blogs, and social networking websites such as Facebook and Google+.

Question 6

While there is no universal definition of this term, WHO says that it is "associated with the undermining of a range of key human attributes, including health."

Accepted Answer

While there is no universal definition of poverty, WHO recognizes the crisis of poverty and health: "Poverty is associated with the undermining of a range of key human attributes, including health."

Question 7

_______________ is a broad term meaning that people and organizations are expected to behave ethically and with sensitivity toward social, cultural, economic, and environmental issues.

Accepted Answer

Social responsibility is a broad term meaning that people and organizations are expected to behave ethically and with sensitivity toward social, cultural, economic, and environmental issues.

Question 8

__________ is the code by which the profession regulates actions and sets standards for its members, with the recognition that professionals are accountable for their actions.

Accepted Answer

Professional ethics is the code by which the profession regulates actions and sets standards for its members, with the recognition that professionals are accountable for their actions.

Question 9

Our current healthcare delivery system is fragmented between an individually funded private system and a government-mandated and funded model of healthcare delivery. This combination of private and public forces is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

Our current healthcare delivery system is fragmented between an individually funded private system and a government-mandated and funded model of healthcare delivery. This combination of private and public forces is referred to as pluralistic.

Question 10

In 1946, the Constitution of the World Health Organization defined ________ as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being."

Accepted Answer

In 1946, the Constitution of the World Health Organization defined health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

Question 11

The iron triangle of health care consists of three essential aspects: quality, access, and:

Accepted Answer

The iron triangle of health care consists of three essential aspects: quality, cost, and access.

Question 12

Seven of the 10 leading causes of death in the U.S. are:

Accepted Answer

Seven of the 10 leading causes of death in the U.S. are chronic diseases, accounting for more than 65% of deaths.

Question 13

____________ Organizations, which in 2013 served 14% of the population, are "provider-run organizations in which the participating providers are collectively responsible for the care of an enrolled population, and may share in any savings associated with improvements in the quality of care."

Accepted Answer

Accountable Care Organizations are "provider-run organizations in which participating providers are collectively responsible for the care of an enrolled population, and may share in any savings associated with improvements in the quality and efficiency of care."

Question 14

The responsibility to provide __________ to cause change in relation to oral health issues is independent of the dental hygienists' professional role, and requires involvement with one's professional organization.

Accepted Answer

The responsibility to provide leadership to cause change in relation to oral health issues is independent of the dental hygienists' professional role. Dental hygienists have a professional responsibility to lead and advocate for change to improve oral health of the public as it relates to whatever professional role they are involved in. Meeting these leadership responsibilities requires involvement with one's professional organization.

Question 15

Which of the following is an acronym for recognizing and assisting patients who have experienced domestic violence?

Accepted Answer

The RADAR system stands for: Routinely screen female patients; Ask direct questions; Document findings; Assess patient safely; and Refer to local domestic violence hotline.

Quiz 9: Social Responsibility