What should the technologist explain to the patient regarding the procedure?

a) DXA studies are non-invasive, with no injections or enclosures

b) Quick and painless

c) Low radiation

d) All the above

d) All the above

The technologist should explain the procedure for a DXA scan as quick and painless, non-invasive with no injections or enclosures and a low radiation dose.

What is the difference between archiving and backup?

a) Nothing, they are interchangeable terms

b) Backup refers to maintaining the computer settings and directories; archive applies to saving scan images to another media or file

c) Archiving is protecting the computer settings and directories while backup refers to saving the scan images

d) Backup refers to sending the images to PACS

b) Backup refers to maintaining the computer settings and directories; archive applies to saving scan images to another media or file

Archive refers to saving scan images to another media while backup maintains the computer settings and directories.

True or False

Typically, Medicare will cover a bone density measurement once every 23 months.

True

This statement is true. Medicare will cover bone density studies every 23 months. There are two exceptions, long term glucocorticoid therapy and those with initial exams done with a technique that won't be used for monitoring. A second BMD study may be done quickly to establish a baseline before pharmacological treatment begins.

What type of patient education is acceptable within the scope of the technologist's practice?

a) Offering pamphlets or literature on osteoporosis

b) Offer some suggestions to for fall prevention in the home

c) Explain how calcium rich foods and weight bearing exercise can help prevent osteoporosis

d) All the above

d) All the above

All the answer choices are acceptable for the technologist to discuss with a patient. Patient results or opinions regarding treatment drugs should not be discussed between technologist and patients.

What should a bone density technologist understand about HIPAA?

a) Originally passed in 1996 to require the standardization of electronic health transactions

b) Technologists preforming bone density studies are considered "covered entities" and are allowed to access patient information that is pertinent to the current exam

c) HIPAA required prudent steps should be taken to protect PHI (protected health information) from loss or unauthorized access

d) All the above

d) All the above

The bone density technologist should understand all the statements above in regards to HIPAA. PHI must be protected, confidential and a disaster recovery plan must be in place. HIPAA is a complex law that can carry penalties when not followed.

True or False

HIPAA mandated that protected patient information remain protected co not apply to bone density studies.

False

This answer is false. HIPAA mandates all patient information remains protected. There are no exceptions based on the type of medical care.

True or False

The technologist should analyze the study first to ensure images are ready for the reading physician before sending the scan for interpretation.

True

The technologist should always analyze the study before sending it to the physician to interpret. This is a very important part of the technologist's role.

The technologist is responsible for patient safety during the DXA exam. How should the special needs patient be handled?

a) Always assist patient as needed according to disability

b) Special needs patients must be treated like any patient

c) A second person must be present during the entire exam

d) All the above

d) All the above

The technologist should always assist the patient as needed, according to disability. The tech should also note and remove (if possible) external medical devices and assess mental acuity.

Why is it important for the technologist to be aware of the weight limit of the scanner?

a) If the patient exceeds the table weight limit the table may break and it is very costly to repair

b) There is no weight limit on the table because the scanner is not enclosed like a CT or MRI

c) Exceeding the weight limit will invalidate the manufacturer's warranty

d) Exceeding the weight limit will cause poor scan images

c) Exceeding the weight limit will invalidate the manufacturer's warranty

The technologist must be aware of the weight limit of the table because exceeding it will invalidate the manufacturer's warranty.

What does patient preparation include?

a) Check for potential scan obstacles or artifacts

b) Note previous fracture sites

c) Have patient remove external artifacts such as metal snaps, zippers or buttons

d) All the above

d) All the above

All the choices are part of patient preparation before the scan is started.

What skills are necessary for a technologist to possess in order to produce quality DXA studies?

a) Scan acquisition

b) Excellent people skills

c) Detail orientated 

d) All the above

d) All the above 

A good technologist will possess all the above skills. Scan acquisition is of course a very important skill but the ability to talk to patients, put them at ease, explain the procedure and effectively communicate with the physicians are just as vital.

What role does a network play in bone density exams?

a) Allows scan images to be pushed to PACS

b) Keeps facilities connected, streamlined and allows for the expedited transfer of images between work stations and reading stations

c) Allows the reading physicians to review and report studies efficiently

d) All the above

d) All the above

Networks play a valuable role in bone density and workflow. The images can be sent to the physician for efficient interpretation, the facilities can stay connected and PACS can be accessed.

Who is responsible for performing the daily phantom scanning and documenting the QC results?

a) The tech assistant

b) The radiologist

c) The technologist

d) Practice manager

c) The technologist

The technologist is responsible for following the Quality Assurance and Quality Control protocols. This is an integral part of the bone density program and insures all equipment is operating correctly.

True or False

The questionnaire should not be sent to the radiologist.

False

This statement is false. The questionnaire should always be sent to the reading doctor.

True or False

The technologist should offer assistance on and off the DXA table to all patients.

True

The technologist should always offer assistance to patients.

What is the purpose of the Bone Mass Measurement Act that was passed by Congress in 1997?

a) To legalize the use of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry for bone density studies

b) The Act outlined the 5 circumstances in which Medicare would pay for bone densitometry

c) The Act is another aspect of HIPAA

d) The Act outlines protocols for drug companies who manufacture treatment medicines

b) The Act outlined the 5 circumstances in which Medicare would pay for bone densitometry

The Bone Mass Measurement Act outlined the 5 circumstances in which Medicare would pay for bone density studies.

True or False

The internal hard drive on the DXA computer is the only place to store patient data and scans.

False

This statement is false. It is critical to have data archived on a regular basis to protect the patients' information and medical record. If the data is not archived and an event occurs that causes the hard drive in the computer to be compromised, there is a good chance the medical records may be lost.

What is an example of a removable storage device?

a) External hard drive

b) CD

c) DVD

d) All the above

d) All the above

Each of the these choices are examples of external storage media. Even with network archiving, the files should copied onto removable storage.

True or False

The computer that is used with DXA scanner must be dedicated for use only with that scanner.

True

The computer that runs the software for the DXA scanner must be dedicated to that specific scanner and not be used for other applications.

A patient history questionnaire is an important tool for both the technologist and reading physician. What questions should be asked?

a) Patient demographics, fracture history, risk factors

b) Patient blood type, blood pressure reading, date of last menstrual period

c) Date of last physical exam, accurate listing of all medications the patient is taking

d) Gastrointestinal health history, dairy allergies the patient may have

a) Patient demographics, fracture history, risk factors

Patient demographics, fracture history, risk factors are among the questions that should be on the history sheet. Current and past medications that are relevant to bone health or known to cause bone loss and lifestyle factors should also be included.