Exam Review Notes

Congress' Role in Federal Activity

• Congress has three main roles:
  • Making laws.
  • Funding initiatives.
  • Conducting investigative work.

Early Private Hospital Insurance

• The first private hospital insurance plan was started by teachers.
  • The exact year (1929) is not crucial, but the concept of a medical plan for teachers is significant.

Medical Technology

• Definition: Medical technology includes numerous products used to diagnose and monitor human conditions and diseases.
• Impact: It provides treatments for diseases that were once untreatable.

Trends in Healthcare

• Hospitals are seeing a decline.
• Home Healthcare services are experiencing the greatest increase due to earlier discharges.

Common Core of Knowledge for Healthcare Professionals

• Healthcare professionals share a common core of knowledge, including:
  • Medical Terminology.
  • Anatomy.
  • Physiology.
  • Infection Control.

Physician's Assistant (PA)

• Education:
  • Requires four years of education.
  • Must complete an accredited educational program.
  • Must pass a national exam to obtain a license.
• Qualities:
  • Self-motivated.
  • Good bedside manner.
  • Emotional stability.
  • Ability to make decisions in critical situations.
• Supervision:
  • PAs are always supervised by a physician.

Preventive Dental Care

• Responsibilities:
  • Educating patients on oral care.
  • Performing teeth cleaning and plaque removal.
  • Taking X-rays.
• Education
  • Requires at least a bachelor's degree.

Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist

• Expertise: They are experts in foods and advise people on healthy eating habits to maintain healthy lifestyles.
• Responsibilities:
  • Assessing and evaluating dietary plans.
  • Consulting with patients.

Pharmacist

• Licensing: All states require pharmacists to pass the North American Pharmacist Licensing Exam.
  • This exam evaluates their skills and knowledge.
• Skills:
  • Patient communication.
  • Collaboration with other healthcare professionals.
• Required Courses:
  • Statistics.
  • Physics.
  • Chemistry.

Speech-Language Pathologist

• Education: Requires a master's degree in speech-language pathology.

Types of Hearing Loss

• Familiarity with the different types (labeled 1, 2, and 3) is crucial.

Occupational Therapy

• Minimum Requirement: A master's degree is the minimum requirement to enter the field.
• Occupational Therapy Assistant:
  • Helps clients with rehabilitation activities.
  • Follows treatment plans.
  • Monitors patients during activities to ensure correct performance.
  • Teaches patients on observations.
  • Modifies treatments and reports to the occupational therapist if treatments are ineffective.

Athletic Trainer

• Recommended Qualities: (Refer to the qualities for athletic trainers).

Exercise Physiologist

• Role: They provide preventive health treatments.
• Impact of Affordable Care Act: Due to the Affordable Care Act and other health insurance coverages, their services are now more accessible.

Chiropractor

• Treatment Method: Uses nonsurgical methods of treatment.
• Avoidance: Does not use drugs or surgical interventions.

Health Psychologist

• Role: Promotes good health through health maintenance and counseling programs.

Neuropsychologist

• Area of Study: Studies the relationship between the brain and behavior (neuro = brain).

Genetic Counselor

• Required Background: Requires a strong scientific background.
• Job Outlook: Job opportunities are increasing due to more DNA testing.
• Responsibilities: Counseling patients.
• Coursework:
  • Genetics.
  • Cytogenetics.
  • Molecular genetics.