Telehealth and the secure exchange of health information are cornerstones of modern healthcare, expanding access to care and improving coordination. For pharmacists, these technologies are transforming how they interact with patients and other providers, from conducting remote MTM sessions to accessing a patient’s complete record through a Health Information Exchange (HIE). This quiz for PharmD students will test your knowledge of the principles, technologies, and policies that govern this digital frontier of pharmacy practice.
1. “Telehealth” is best defined as:
- A broad term for the use of electronic information and telecommunication technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, public health, and health administration.
- The specific practice of a physician diagnosing and treating a patient remotely.
- A secure email system for doctors.
- The use of a patient portal to view lab results.
Answer: A broad term for the use of electronic information and telecommunication technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, public health, and health administration.
2. “Telemedicine” is often considered a subset of telehealth that specifically focuses on:
- The provision of remote clinical services, such as a diagnosis or treatment plan.
- The education of healthcare professionals.
- The management of a hospital’s electronic health record.
- Public health surveillance.
Answer: The provision of remote clinical services, such as a diagnosis or treatment plan.
3. The primary purpose of a Health Information Exchange (HIE) is to:
- Allow patients to chat with each other online.
- Enable the secure, electronic sharing of a patient’s clinical information among different healthcare providers and organizations.
- Serve as a central billing system for all hospitals in a region.
- Provide a direct-to-consumer genetic testing service.
Answer: Enable the secure, electronic sharing of a patient’s clinical information among different healthcare providers and organizations.
4. A pharmacist conducting a comprehensive medication review (CMR) with a patient via a secure video conference is an example of:
- Telepharmacy/Telehealth.
- A traditional in-person visit.
- A dispensing error.
- A violation of pharmacy law.
Answer: Telepharmacy/Telehealth.
5. A major benefit of telehealth for patients in rural populations is:
- The increased travel time for appointments.
- The high cost of the technology.
- Improved access to specialists and other healthcare services by overcoming geographic barriers.
- The lack of any need for an internet connection.
Answer: Improved access to specialists and other healthcare services by overcoming geographic barriers.
6. The “digital divide” is a significant barrier to telehealth and refers to the gap between:
- Different brands of smartphones.
- Those who have access to and the skills to use digital technology and those who do not.
- The pharmacy and the nearest hospital.
- The cost of brand and generic drugs.
Answer: Those who have access to and the skills to use digital technology and those who do not.
7. For an HIE to function effectively, it relies heavily on:
- Paper-based medical records.
- “Interoperability,” which is the ability of different EHR systems to exchange and use data.
- Each hospital having its own proprietary and isolated IT system.
- Patients manually carrying their records between providers.
Answer: “Interoperability,” which is the ability of different EHR systems to exchange and use data.
8. The use of data standards like RxNorm (for drugs) and LOINC (for labs) is critical for:
- Making the HIE data unreadable.
- Ensuring that the information exchanged through an HIE is consistent and understandable by different systems.
- Increasing the complexity of the EHR.
- Marketing new telehealth platforms.
Answer: Ensuring that the information exchanged through an HIE is consistent and understandable by different systems.
9. A pharmacist uses the HIE to access a patient’s recent hospital discharge summary before dispensing a new medication. This is a best practice for:
- Improving continuity of care and preventing medication errors.
- Violating the patient’s privacy.
- Increasing the pharmacy’s profits.
- This is not a function of an HIE.
Answer: Improving continuity of care and preventing medication errors.
10. What is a key legal consideration when providing telehealth services across state lines?
- The weather in the other state.
- The pharmacist must be licensed in the state where the patient is located.
- The patient’s preferred language.
- The cost of the internet service.
Answer: The pharmacist must be licensed in the state where the patient is located.
11. A “patient portal” is a form of telehealth technology that allows patients to:
- View their medical records, communicate with providers, and manage their appointments.
- Diagnose their own conditions.
- Prescribe medications for themselves.
- Speak with other patients about their conditions.
Answer: View their medical records, communicate with providers, and manage their appointments.
12. Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) is a telehealth service that uses technology to:
- Observe a patient in their home through a video camera.
- Collect and transmit a patient’s health data (e.g., blood pressure, glucose) to their provider for monitoring between visits.
- Deliver medications using a drone.
- Remind a patient to exercise.
Answer: Collect and transmit a patient’s health data (e.g., blood pressure, glucose) to their provider for monitoring between visits.
13. A significant challenge for the widespread adoption and sustainability of telepharmacy services has been:
- A lack of patient interest.
- The refusal of pharmacists to use technology.
- A lack of clear and consistent reimbursement policies from payers.
- The simplicity of the technology.
Answer: A lack of clear and consistent reimbursement policies from payers.
14. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a critical regulation that applies to telehealth by:
- Mandating that all telehealth visits must be free.
- Setting the standards for protecting the privacy and security of health information transmitted electronically.
- Requiring all patients to use a patient portal.
- Having no jurisdiction over telehealth.
Answer: Setting the standards for protecting the privacy and security of health information transmitted electronically.
15. A key benefit of a robust HIE for a community pharmacist is the ability to:
- Get a more complete picture of a patient’s health, including medications prescribed by other providers and recent hospitalizations.
- Ignore all information from outside their own pharmacy.
- Increase the number of prescriptions they dispense.
- Bill for services more easily.
Answer: Get a more complete picture of a patient’s health, including medications prescribed by other providers and recent hospitalizations.
16. For an older adult with mobility issues, telehealth can significantly improve their ability to:
- Socialize with friends.
- Consistently attend follow-up appointments with their healthcare providers.
- Get to the grocery store.
- Learn how to use a computer.
Answer: Consistently attend follow-up appointments with their healthcare providers.
17. “Store-and-forward” telehealth is a type of service where:
- A patient and provider interact in real-time via video.
- Data (like a digital image or lab result) is captured and sent to a specialist for review at a later time.
- A patient’s data is stored and never forwarded.
- A robot delivers medical supplies.
Answer: Data (like a digital image or lab result) is captured and sent to a specialist for review at a later time.
18. A key skill for a pharmacist providing a telehealth consultation is:
- The ability to type quickly.
- Effective verbal and visual communication skills (“webside manner”).
- Expertise in computer repair.
- A loud speaking voice.
Answer: Effective verbal and visual communication skills (“webside manner”).
19. A major goal of “meaningful use” of EHRs was to encourage the adoption of technologies that support:
- Health Information Exchange.
- E-prescribing.
- Clinical Decision Support.
- All of the above.
Answer: All of the above.
20. A pharmacist can use their leadership skills to “forge ahead” by:
- Resisting the adoption of all telehealth services.
- Championing the development and implementation of new telepharmacy services within their practice.
- Focusing only on the challenges of technology.
- Maintaining a traditional, dispensing-only model.
Answer: Championing the development and implementation of new telepharmacy services within their practice.
21. A patient’s consent is a critical component of Health Information Exchange. An “opt-in” model means:
- The patient’s data is automatically included unless they specifically request to be excluded.
- The patient’s data is only included if they give their express permission.
- The patient has no control over their data.
- Only the patient’s demographic information is shared.
Answer: The patient’s data is only included if they give their express permission.
22. An “opt-out” model for an HIE means:
- The patient’s data is automatically included for sharing unless they formally request to be excluded.
- The patient must sign a form for every single data exchange.
- The patient’s data is never shared.
- The hospital decides which data to share without patient input.
Answer: The patient’s data is automatically included for sharing unless they formally request to be excluded.
23. The “digital divide” can worsen health disparities for:
- Rural populations.
- Older adults (“gerotechnology” gap).
- Low-income individuals.
- All of the above.
Answer: All of the above.
24. The use of a standard messaging format like HL7 is the technical foundation that enables:
- A pharmacist to counsel a patient.
- A patient to pay for their prescription.
- A hospital’s EHR to send an admission notification to a patient’s primary care physician via the HIE.
- A pharmacy to manage its inventory.
Answer: A hospital’s EHR to send an admission notification to a patient’s primary care physician via the HIE.
25. A pharmacist providing a telehealth service to a patient with a disability must be prepared to:
- Use accessible communication methods and ensure the technology is usable for the patient.
- Conclude that telehealth is not possible for this patient.
- Speak only to the patient’s caregiver.
- Follow a standard, inflexible script.
Answer: Use accessible communication methods and ensure the technology is usable for the patient.
26. One of the main drivers for the rapid expansion of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic was:
- A sudden decrease in internet availability.
- Temporary policy changes that expanded reimbursement and access to telehealth services.
- A preference for in-person visits.
- A lack of patient interest.
Answer: Temporary policy changes that expanded reimbursement and access to telehealth services.
27. A key part of the “Introduction to Pharmacy Informatics” is understanding that telehealth and HIE are:
- Separate from the core of informatics.
- Key applications of informatics that extend patient care beyond the pharmacy’s physical walls.
- Simple technologies that require no special training.
- Only relevant for hospital pharmacists.
Answer: Key applications of informatics that extend patient care beyond the pharmacy’s physical walls.
28. A pharmacist’s advocacy for “provider status” is crucial for telehealth because:
- It would help ensure pharmacists are recognized and reimbursed for the clinical services they provide remotely.
- It would make telehealth services illegal.
- It would limit the types of technology pharmacists can use.
- It only applies to in-person services.
Answer: It would help ensure pharmacists are recognized and reimbursed for the clinical services they provide remotely.
29. A potential challenge of telemedicine is:
- The inability to perform a hands-on physical examination.
- The improvement in patient access.
- The reduction in travel time for patients.
- The ease of communication.
Answer: The inability to perform a hands-on physical examination.
30. The ultimate goal of telehealth and Health Information Exchange is to:
- Increase the use of technology for its own sake.
- Create a more coordinated, efficient, and patient-centered healthcare system.
- Replace all in-person healthcare.
- Make healthcare data less secure.
Answer: Create a more coordinated, efficient, and patient-centered healthcare system.
31. The use of a secure messaging system within a patient portal is an example of what type of telehealth?
- Synchronous (real-time)
- Asynchronous (store-and-forward)
- Remote Patient Monitoring
- Mobile Health
Answer: Asynchronous (store-and-forward)
32. A live video consultation between a pharmacist and a patient is an example of what type of telehealth?
- Synchronous (real-time)
- Asynchronous (store-and-forward)
- A Health Information Exchange
- A personal health record
Answer: Synchronous (real-time)
33. The use of an HIE can improve medication safety by:
- Providing a pharmacist with a more complete medication history, reducing the risk of therapeutic duplication or interactions.
- Hiding a patient’s allergy information.
- Making it harder to see what other doctors have prescribed.
- Increasing the number of paper records.
Answer: Providing a pharmacist with a more complete medication history, reducing the risk of therapeutic duplication or interactions.
34. A key leadership practice for a pharmacy manager implementing a new telehealth service is:
- To ensure the staff is properly trained and comfortable with the new technology and workflow.
- To implement the service without telling the staff.
- To focus only on the cost savings.
- To assume the technology will work perfectly without any testing.
Answer: To ensure the staff is properly trained and comfortable with the new technology and workflow.
35. A pharmacist using a “Dashboard Presentation” to view population health data from an HIE is an example of using informatics for:
- Individual patient counseling.
- Identifying trends and at-risk populations in the community.
- Dispensing a single prescription.
- Managing a drug shortage.
Answer: Identifying trends and at-risk populations in the community.
36. The term “mHealth” (mobile health) refers specifically to the use of:
- Desktop computers in healthcare.
- Mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets, to support health objectives.
- The hospital’s mainframe computer.
- Paper-based records.
Answer: Mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets, to support health objectives.
37. How can an HIE help reduce health disparities?
- By ensuring that a patient’s complete health record is available to all providers, regardless of where they seek care, improving coordination for vulnerable populations.
- By limiting access to care.
- By making health data less secure.
- It cannot help reduce health disparities.
Answer: By ensuring that a patient’s complete health record is available to all providers, regardless of where they seek care, improving coordination for vulnerable populations.
38. The “human factors and usability” of a telehealth platform are critical for:
- Ensuring that patients, especially older adults or those with disabilities, can easily and effectively use the technology.
- Making the platform as complex as possible.
- The success of the vendor company only.
- It is not an important consideration.
Answer: Ensuring that patients, especially older adults or those with disabilities, can easily and effectively use the technology.
39. A pharmacist’s role in the future of telehealth will likely include more:
- Remote monitoring of chronic diseases.
- Tele-MTM and tele-counseling.
- Management of patient data from wearable devices.
- All of the above.
Answer: All of the above.
40. The foundation of a successful HIE is ________ among the participating healthcare organizations.
- Competition
- Secrecy
- Trust and collaboration
- Distrust
Answer: Trust and collaboration
41. One of the main legal and ethical duties when using an HIE is:
- To query the system for information on friends or celebrities.
- To only access the information for which you have a legitimate treatment-related purpose.
- To share your login credentials with coworkers.
- To download and store patient records on a personal device.
Answer: To only access the information for which you have a legitimate treatment-related purpose.
42. Which of the following is an example of an “analytic” use of HIE data?
- Looking up a single patient’s lab result.
- Tracking a communicable disease outbreak across a region in near real-time.
- Sending a discharge summary to a PCP.
- Verifying a patient’s insurance.
Answer: Tracking a communicable disease outbreak across a region in near real-time.
43. A key challenge for Health Information Exchange is:
- A lack of data to share.
- Ensuring the data is accurate and up-to-date across all participating entities.
- The simplicity of the technical requirements.
- The low cost of implementation.
Answer: Ensuring the data is accurate and up-to-date across all participating entities.
44. A pharmacist’s “forging ahead” mindset involves viewing telehealth and HIE as:
- Threats to the traditional practice model.
- Powerful tools to expand the pharmacist’s role and improve patient care.
- Temporary fads that will soon disappear.
- Technologies that are too complex for pharmacists to use.
Answer: Powerful tools to expand the pharmacist’s role and improve patient care.
45. The use of a “Dashboard Presentation” in the Leadership course can be seen as a way to practice:
- The visual communication of data, a skill needed to interpret reports from HIEs and other health IT systems.
- Verbal communication only.
- Writing a research paper.
- Calculating medication doses.
Answer: The visual communication of data, a skill needed to interpret reports from HIEs and other health IT systems.
46. A patient’s ability to use a telehealth service can be impacted by which Social Determinant of Health?
- Economic Stability (ability to afford a smartphone or internet service).
- Neighborhood and Built Environment (availability of broadband).
- Education Access and Quality (digital health literacy).
- All of the above.
Answer: All of the above.
47. A pharmacist using a telehealth platform to supervise a pharmacy technician in a remote location is an application of:
- Telepharmacy.
- An HIE.
- A patient portal.
- Remote Patient Monitoring.
Answer: Telepharmacy.
48. What is a key reason for the slow adoption of a nationwide HIE in the United States?
- The competitive nature of healthcare organizations.
- A lack of technical standards in the past.
- Privacy concerns.
- All of the above.
Answer: All of the above.
49. For a pharmacist, a major advantage of the “information mastery” provided by an HIE is:
- The ability to make safer and more informed decisions by having a more complete patient picture.
- The increased time spent on hold trying to get records from other offices.
- The simplification of all patient cases.
- The elimination of all drug information questions.
Answer: The ability to make safer and more informed decisions by having a more complete patient picture.
50. The successful integration of telehealth and HIE into routine care is a critical step towards achieving a:
- More fragmented and expensive healthcare system.
- More connected, coordinated, and “learning” healthcare system.
- System that relies entirely on in-person visits.
- System with less patient engagement.
Answer: A more connected, coordinated, and “learning” healthcare system.
I am a Registered Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the founder of PharmacyFreak.com. I hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Science and Research. With a strong academic foundation and practical knowledge, I am committed to providing accurate, easy-to-understand content to support pharmacy students and professionals. My aim is to make complex pharmaceutical concepts accessible and useful for real-world application.
Mail- Sachin@pharmacyfreak.com