BCP Confidentiality and Informed Consent 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A psychometrist is testing a minor child. Who must provide informed consent before testing begins?
- The child, if over age 10
- A parent or legal guardian (Correct answer)
- The referring teacher
- The school principal
Correct answer: A parent or legal guardian
Minors cannot legally provide informed consent; a parent or legal guardian must consent on their behalf.
Question 2: Which of the following is NOT a required element of informed consent for psychological testing?
- Purpose of the evaluation
- Cost of the evaluation (Correct answer)
- Limits of confidentiality
- How results will be used
Correct answer: Cost of the evaluation
While fees may be discussed, the specific cost of an evaluation is not a required ethical element of informed consent.
Question 3: A client asks to review their raw test scores and protocols. Under HIPAA, the covered entity may:
- Always deny access to protect test security
- Provide access to the designated record set including test data (Correct answer)
- Share only summary reports, never raw data
- Require the client to obtain a court order first
Correct answer: Provide access to the designated record set including test data
HIPAA grants individuals the right to access their designated record set, which includes test data and raw scores.
Question 4: When a third party (e.g., an employer) requests psychological testing, confidentiality obligations primarily protect:
- The employer's business interests
- The examinee being tested (Correct answer)
- The referring professional
- The testing company's proprietary data
Correct answer: The examinee being tested
Regardless of who pays for or requests the evaluation, ethical duties of confidentiality run to the examinee.
Question 5: A psychometrist discovers mid-assessment that a client is suicidal. The most appropriate action is to:
- Complete the testing session before addressing it
- Immediately stop testing and notify the supervising psychologist (Correct answer)
- Document the concern and continue testing
- Inform the client's family without consulting a supervisor
Correct answer: Immediately stop testing and notify the supervising psychologist
Imminent danger to self or others is a recognized exception to confidentiality that requires immediate consultation with a supervisor.
Question 6: In a forensic evaluation ordered by a court, the informed consent process differs because:
- No consent is required since the court ordered it
- The evaluee must be informed that the evaluation is not confidential and results go to the court (Correct answer)
- Standard therapeutic confidentiality applies
- The psychometrist cannot share any results without the client's written permission
Correct answer: The evaluee must be informed that the evaluation is not confidential and results go to the court
In court-ordered evaluations, examiners must inform evaluees that results will be provided to the court and are not confidential.
Question 7: A psychometrist overhears colleagues discussing a client's test results in a hospital elevator. The best course of action is to:
- Join the conversation to add clinical context
- Say nothing, as the conversation is between professionals
- Remind colleagues that such discussions violate confidentiality standards (Correct answer)
- Report the incident to hospital administration immediately without speaking to colleagues first
Correct answer: Remind colleagues that such discussions violate confidentiality standards
Discussing identifiable client information in public spaces violates confidentiality, and the ethical response is to address this with colleagues.
