In the evolving landscape of healthcare, Interprofessional Communications and Collaboration (IPC) coupled with Shared Decision Making (SDM) are paramount to delivering patient-centered care. For PharmD students, mastering these “transcending concepts” is no longer optional but a core competency. Effective IPC ensures that healthcare professionals work cohesively, leveraging each other’s unique expertise, while SDM empowers patients by integrating their values and preferences with the best clinical evidence to make informed health choices. This MCQ quiz will test your understanding of the principles, practices, benefits, and challenges associated with interprofessional communication, collaboration, and the shared decision-making process in healthcare.
1. Shared Decision Making (SDM) is best defined as a process where:
- A. The clinician makes the final decision after informing the patient of all options.
- B. The patient makes the final decision after the clinician provides all available information.
- C. Clinicians and patients work together to make healthcare choices based on clinical evidence and patient preferences/values.
- D. Healthcare decisions are made by a multidisciplinary team without direct patient involvement.
Answer: C. Clinicians and patients work together to make healthcare choices based on clinical evidence and patient preferences/values.
2. Which of the following is a core principle of effective Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC)?
- A. Hierarchical decision making led by the physician.
- B. Independent practice with minimal communication between professions.
- C. Mutual respect, shared goals, and clear communication among team members.
- D. Each professional making decisions only within their specific scope without overlap.
Answer: C. Mutual respect, shared goals, and clear communication among team members.
3. In which model of decision-making does the clinician present information to the patient, and the patient makes the decision independently?
- A. Paternalistic model
- B. Informative model (consumer model)
- C. Shared Decision Making model
- D. Interpretive model
Answer: B. Informative model (consumer model)
4. A key benefit of Shared Decision Making for patients is:
- A. Reduced need to understand their medical condition.
- B. Increased satisfaction with care and improved adherence to treatment plans.
- C. Faster decision-making process, regardless of complexity.
- D. Clinicians taking full responsibility for all outcomes.
Answer: B. Increased satisfaction with care and improved adherence to treatment plans.
5. Which communication tool is widely used in healthcare for structured communication between professionals, especially during handoffs or critical situations?
- A. SOAP notes
- B. SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation)
- C. Motivational Interviewing
- D. Patient Decision Aids
Answer: B. SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation)
6. “Closed-loop communication” in an interprofessional setting involves:
- A. Sending a message and assuming it was understood.
- B. The sender initiating a message, the receiver confirming it was heard and understood, and the sender verifying the confirmation.
- C. Documenting all communication in the patient’s chart only.
- D. Communicating only through secure electronic messages.
Answer: B. The sender initiating a message, the receiver confirming it was heard and understood, and the sender verifying the confirmation.
7. What is the pharmacist’s primary role when engaging in Shared Decision Making regarding medication therapy?
- A. To make the final medication choice for the patient.
- B. To provide comprehensive information about medication options, including benefits, risks, and alternatives, and help patients align choices with their preferences.
- C. To only dispense medications as prescribed without further discussion.
- D. To defer all medication-related decisions to the prescribing physician.
Answer: B. To provide comprehensive information about medication options, including benefits, risks, and alternatives, and help patients align choices with their preferences.
8. A “Patient Decision Aid” is a tool designed to:
- A. Help clinicians make decisions more quickly.
- B. Help patients understand their health condition and treatment/screening options, clarifying their values regarding the benefits and harms.
- C. Replace discussions between patients and clinicians.
- D. Provide clinicians with billing codes for SDM.
Answer: B. Help patients understand their health condition and treatment/screening options, clarifying their values regarding the benefits and harms.
9. Which of the following is a common barrier to implementing Shared Decision Making in clinical practice?
- A. Patients’ universal desire to delegate all decisions to clinicians.
- B. Time constraints during patient encounters and lack of clinician training in SDM.
- C. The absence of clinical evidence for most medical conditions.
- D. The high cost of patient decision aids.
Answer: B. Time constraints during patient encounters and lack of clinician training in SDM.
10. Effective interprofessional collaboration typically requires team members to:
- A. Work in silos to maximize individual efficiency.
- B. Understand and respect the roles and responsibilities of other professions.
- C. Always agree with the team leader without question.
- D. Communicate with patients only through a designated spokesperson.
Answer: B. Understand and respect the roles and responsibilities of other professions.
11. Which ethical principle is most directly supported by the practice of Shared Decision Making?
- A. Beneficence (acting in the patient’s best interest)
- B. Non-maleficence (do no harm)
- C. Justice (fair allocation of resources)
- D. Respect for patient autonomy
Answer: D. Respect for patient autonomy
12. In the context of interprofessional teams, “role clarity” refers to:
- A. Each team member performing the exact same tasks.
- B. Team members understanding their own role and the roles of others within the team.
- C. The team leader assigning all roles daily.
- D. Having a rigid hierarchy where roles cannot overlap.
Answer: B. Team members understanding their own role and the roles of others within the team.
13. Active listening is a crucial skill in both IPC and SDM. It involves:
- A. Waiting for the other person to finish speaking so you can share your opinion.
- B. Paying close attention, asking clarifying questions, and reflecting on what is being said.
- C. Interrupting frequently to show engagement.
- D. Focusing only on the factual content and ignoring emotional cues.
Answer: B. Paying close attention, asking clarifying questions, and reflecting on what is being said.
14. A potential outcome of poor interprofessional communication and collaboration is:
- A. Increased patient safety and satisfaction.
- B. Reduced healthcare costs.
- C. Medical errors and fragmented patient care.
- D. Enhanced team morale.
Answer: C. Medical errors and fragmented patient care.
15. Interprofessional Education (IPE) aims to:
- A. Train students of different professions in isolation to ensure deep specialization.
- B. Prepare health professions students to work together effectively in teams to improve health outcomes.
- C. Focus solely on the clinical skills of each profession.
- D. Replace profession-specific education with a single, unified curriculum.
Answer: B. Prepare health professions students to work together effectively in teams to improve health outcomes.
16. When a pharmacist explains the risks and benefits of a new medication using plain language and checks for patient understanding, they are facilitating:
- A. The paternalistic model of care.
- B. Shared Decision Making by promoting health literacy.
- C. A purely informative approach where the patient is solely responsible.
- D. A hierarchical team structure.
Answer: B. Shared Decision Making by promoting health literacy.
17. Conflict within an interprofessional team is:
- A. Always detrimental and should be avoided at all costs.
- B. A sign that the team is dysfunctional.
- C. Inevitable and can be constructive if managed effectively.
- D. Best resolved by the team member with the most authority making a final decision.
Answer: C. Inevitable and can be constructive if managed effectively.
18. The “Ask-Tell-Ask” model is a communication strategy often used in SDM to:
- A. Primarily deliver information to the patient without seeking input.
- B. First elicit the patient’s understanding/perspective, provide relevant information, and then check their understanding/reaction.
- C. Ask the patient multiple closed-ended questions rapidly.
- D. Tell the patient the decision that has been made for them.
Answer: B. First elicit the patient’s understanding/perspective, provide relevant information, and then check their understanding/reaction.
19. Which factor is considered a facilitator for successful Interprofessional Collaboration?
- A. Lack of shared physical space or communication systems.
- B. Strong professional silos and hierarchies.
- C. Established team meetings and clear communication protocols.
- D. Ambiguous leadership roles.
Answer: C. Established team meetings and clear communication protocols.
20. A patient expressing their personal goals and fears about a treatment option is a critical component of:
- A. The clinician-centered interview.
- B. The Shared Decision Making process.
- C. The purely evidence-based medicine approach.
- D. The dispensing process only.
Answer: B. The Shared Decision Making process.
21. “TeamSTEPPS®” is an evidence-based framework aimed at optimizing team performance in healthcare. It focuses on skills related to:
- A. Individual clinical expertise only.
- B. Leadership, situation monitoring, mutual support, and communication.
- C. Financial management of healthcare teams.
- D. Marketing interprofessional services.
Answer: B. Leadership, situation monitoring, mutual support, and communication.
22. Which of the following best describes a “collaborative care agreement” or “collaborative practice agreement”?
- A. An informal understanding between professionals.
- B. A formal agreement between healthcare providers (e.g., a pharmacist and a physician) that allows the pharmacist to perform specific patient care functions.
- C. An agreement between the patient and the healthcare team to adhere to treatment.
- D. A contract with an insurance company for interprofessional services.
Answer: B. A formal agreement between healthcare providers (e.g., a pharmacist and a physician) that allows the pharmacist to perform specific patient care functions.
23. Eliciting patient preferences in SDM involves understanding the patient’s:
- A. Insurance coverage only.
- B. Desired clinical outcomes based on evidence alone.
- C. Values, goals, concerns, and what matters most to them regarding their health and treatment.
- D. Willingness to follow the clinician’s recommendation without question.
Answer: C. Values, goals, concerns, and what matters most to them regarding their health and treatment.
24. A pharmacist is part of a team managing a patient with diabetes. The physician, nurse, and pharmacist meet regularly to discuss the patient’s progress and adjust the care plan. This is an example of:
- A. Parallel practice.
- B. Consultative practice.
- C. Interprofessional collaborative practice.
- D. Independent pharmacy practice.
Answer: C. Interprofessional collaborative practice.
25. One of the main challenges in achieving true interprofessional collaboration is:
- A. The lack of complex patient cases.
- B. Traditional professional hierarchies and “siloed” education systems.
- C. The universal availability of integrated electronic health records.
- D. Patients’ preference for seeing only one type of healthcare provider.
Answer: B. Traditional professional hierarchies and “siloed” education systems.
26. When presenting treatment options in SDM, it is important to communicate risks and benefits in a way that is:
- A. Highly technical and detailed to demonstrate expertise.
- B. Biased towards the clinician’s preferred option.
- C. Clear, balanced, and understandable to the patient, often using absolute numbers or visual aids.
- D. Focused only on the benefits to encourage patient acceptance.
Answer: C. Clear, balanced, and understandable to the patient, often using absolute numbers or visual aids.
27. Mutual accountability within an interprofessional team means that:
- A. Only the team leader is responsible for outcomes.
- B. Each professional is solely responsible for their individual tasks.
- C. Team members collectively share responsibility for the team’s processes and outcomes.
- D. Accountability is primarily to the employing institution, not to each other or the patient.
Answer: C. Team members collectively share responsibility for the team’s processes and outcomes.
28. The “teach-back” method is a useful communication technique in SDM to:
- A. Test the patient’s medical knowledge.
- B. Ensure the clinician has effectively explained information by asking the patient to explain it in their own words.
- C. Allow the clinician to repeat instructions multiple times.
- D. Document patient consent.
Answer: B. Ensure the clinician has effectively explained information by asking the patient to explain it in their own words.
29. What is a key difference between multidisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration?
- A. Multidisciplinary teams involve only two professions, while interprofessional involves more.
- B. In multidisciplinary care, professionals work independently alongside each other; in interprofessional care, they work together with shared goals and interdependent roles.
- C. Interprofessional collaboration does not require communication.
- D. Multidisciplinary care always involves shared decision making with the patient.
Answer: B. In multidisciplinary care, professionals work independently alongside each other; in interprofessional care, they work together with shared goals and interdependent roles.
30. The three-talk model of shared decision making (choice talk, option talk, decision talk) emphasizes:
- A. The clinician making a choice, explaining options, and the patient making the final decision.
- B. Initially establishing that a choice exists, discussing options in detail, and then supporting the patient in considering preferences and making a decision.
- C. The patient talking about their choices, the clinician talking about options, and a third party making the decision.
- D. Talking about the choice three separate times to ensure understanding.
Answer: B. Initially establishing that a choice exists, discussing options in detail, and then supporting the patient in considering preferences and making a decision.
31. Effective feedback within an interprofessional team should be:
- A. General, public, and focused on personality traits.
- B. Specific, timely, respectful, and focused on behavior or actions.
- C. Delayed until an annual performance review.
- D. Delivered only by the team leader.
Answer: B. Specific, timely, respectful, and focused on behavior or actions.
32. Which of the following is NOT a recognized component of the IPEC (Interprofessional Education Collaborative) core competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice?
- A. Values/Ethics for Interprofessional Practice
- B. Roles/Responsibilities
- C. Interprofessional Communication
- D. Independent Clinical Expertise Supremacy
Answer: D. Independent Clinical Expertise Supremacy
33. A “warm handoff” in interprofessional communication involves:
- A. Sending an email summary about a patient to another provider.
- B. A direct, in-person (or synchronous virtual) introduction and transfer of care information between two providers in front of the patient.
- C. Leaving a note in the patient’s chart for the next provider.
- D. Discussing the patient with a colleague without the patient being present or aware.
Answer: B. A direct, in-person (or synchronous virtual) introduction and transfer of care information between two providers in front of the patient.
34. How does power imbalance between clinicians and patients affect Shared Decision Making?
- A. It always enhances SDM by ensuring clinician expertise guides the decision.
- B. It can be a barrier, as patients may feel intimidated or less inclined to express their preferences.
- C. It is irrelevant to the SDM process.
- D. It ensures patients make more evidence-based choices.
Answer: B. It can be a barrier, as patients may feel intimidated or less inclined to express their preferences.
35. A pharmacist identifying a potential drug interaction and discussing it with the prescribing physician to agree on an alternative therapy is an example of:
- A. Unnecessary interference.
- B. Interprofessional collaboration to enhance patient safety.
- C. Practicing outside the scope of pharmacy.
- D. A failure in the e-prescribing system.
Answer: B. Interprofessional collaboration to enhance patient safety.
36. Deliberation in Shared Decision Making refers to:
- A. The clinician quickly choosing the best option for the patient.
- B. The process of patients and clinicians discussing and weighing the pros and cons of different options in light of evidence and patient values.
- C. The patient researching options online independently.
- D. The team debating options without patient input.
Answer: B. The process of patients and clinicians discussing and weighing the pros and cons of different options in light of evidence and patient values.
37. What is the role of “situational awareness” in interprofessional team functioning?
- A. Each team member focusing only on their own tasks.
- B. The ongoing perception and understanding of dynamic elements in the environment, which is crucial for effective team decision-making and performance.
- C. Awareness of the hospital’s financial situation.
- D. Knowing the personal preferences of each team member.
Answer: B. The ongoing perception and understanding of dynamic elements in the environment, which is crucial for effective team decision-making and performance.
38. Which of the following is an essential attitude for effective interprofessional collaboration?
- A. Believing one’s own profession is superior to others.
- B. Willingness to learn from and about other professions.
- C. Avoiding any form of disagreement or debate within the team.
- D. Focusing solely on individual professional goals.
Answer: B. Willingness to learn from and about other professions.
39. In SDM, when a patient has low health literacy, the clinician should:
- A. Use complex medical terminology to educate the patient.
- B. Make the decision for the patient to avoid confusion.
- C. Use plain language, visual aids, and teach-back to ensure understanding and facilitate participation.
- D. Refer the patient to a specialist for all decision-making.
Answer: C. Use plain language, visual aids, and teach-back to ensure understanding and facilitate participation.
40. A key outcome of successful interprofessional collaborative practice is:
- A. Increased professional autonomy for each team member.
- B. Improved patient health outcomes and safety.
- C. Longer hospital stays.
- D. Higher costs of care.
Answer: B. Improved patient health outcomes and safety.
41. What does the “R” in the SBAR communication tool stand for?
- A. Rationale
- B. Referral
- C. Recommendation
- D. Response
Answer: C. Recommendation
42. A pharmacist participates in rounds with physicians and nurses in a hospital. This model of care is best described as:
- A. Dispensing-focused pharmacy
- B. Interprofessional collaborative patient care
- C. Independent prescribing
- D. Telepharmacy
Answer: B. Interprofessional collaborative patient care
43. When different treatment options have similar efficacy but different side effect profiles or burdens, which process becomes particularly important?
- A. Paternalistic decision making
- B. Shared Decision Making
- C. Informative decision making
- D. Emergency decision making
Answer: B. Shared Decision Making
44. Establishing “psychological safety” within an interprofessional team encourages:
- A. Team members to avoid speaking up about concerns.
- B. Open communication and willingness to admit errors or ask questions without fear of blame.
- C. Strict adherence to hierarchy.
- D. Competition among team members.
Answer: B. Open communication and willingness to admit errors or ask questions without fear of blame.
45. “Option Grids” are tools used in SDM that typically present:
- A. A single recommended treatment option.
- B. A comparison of multiple treatment options, highlighting frequently asked questions, benefits, and harms in an easy-to-read format.
- C. Only the cost of different treatment options.
- D. Complex statistical data intended for clinicians only.
Answer: B. A comparison of multiple treatment options, highlighting frequently asked questions, benefits, and harms in an easy-to-read format.
46. The concept of “co-management” by an interprofessional team implies:
- A. One professional delegating all tasks to another.
- B. Shared responsibility and accountability for a patient’s care among different professionals.
- C. The patient managing their own care without professional input.
- D. Each professional managing a different unrelated aspect of the patient’s health.
Answer: B. Shared responsibility and accountability for a patient’s care among different professionals.
47. An example of a pharmacist’s contribution to an interprofessional team that directly supports SDM for a patient could be:
- A. Only preparing and dispensing medications accurately.
- B. Assessing a patient’s medication literacy and tailoring explanations of complex regimens.
- C. Ordering diagnostic lab tests without consulting the physician.
- D. Refusing to discuss alternative therapies suggested by the patient.
Answer: B. Assessing a patient’s medication literacy and tailoring explanations of complex regimens.
48. Which of the following is a key characteristic of a high-functioning interprofessional team?
- A. Infrequent communication
- B. Clearly defined, yet flexible, roles and responsibilities
- C. Lack of a designated leader
- D. Avoidance of patient and family involvement
Answer: B. Clearly defined, yet flexible, roles and responsibilities
49. The “dual capacity” of a pharmacist refers to their ability to:
- A. Work in both hospital and community settings.
- B. Possess both expert drug knowledge and patient care skills, facilitating their role in both medication optimization and interprofessional collaboration.
- C. Compound medications and provide clinical services.
- D. Manage inventory and counsel patients.
Answer: B. Possess both expert drug knowledge and patient care skills, facilitating their role in both medication optimization and interprofessional collaboration.
50. Ultimately, the goal of integrating interprofessional collaboration and shared decision making into practice is to:
- A. Increase the autonomy of individual healthcare professions.
- B. Reduce the time clinicians spend with patients.
- C. Improve the quality, safety, and patient-centeredness of healthcare.
- D. Standardize all treatment protocols to eliminate variability.
Answer: C. Improve the quality, safety, and patient-centeredness of healthcare.