Communication and Patient Education Practice Questions

1. When communicating with another person, ________ is/are used to emphasize an important point, ________ can indicate either great interest or boredom, and ________ can express encouragement or empathy.

a. When communicating with another person, gestures are used to emphasize an important point, posture can indicate either great interest or boredom, and touch
can express encouragement or empathy.
b. When communicating with another person, touch is used to emphasize an important point, posture can indicate either great interest or boredom, and gestures
can express encouragement or empathy.
c. When communicating with another person, posture is used to emphasize an important point, gestures can indicate either great interest or boredom, and touch
can express encouragement or empathy.
d. When communicating with another person, gestures are used to emphasize an important point, touch can indicate either great interest or boredom, and posture
can express encouragement or empathy.

2. A person who is ________ may indicate the desire to place an unconscious barrier between themselves and others.

a. Avoiding eye contact
b. Yawning widely
c. Making wild gestures
d. Crossing their arms across their chest

3. Which, if any, of the following statements about eye contact are false?

a. Consistent eye contact can indicate a positive reaction to a speaker.
b. Consistent eye contact can indicate a lack of trust in the speaker.
c. The use of eye contact may be dependent on the culture of the listener.
d. None of these statements are false.

4. ________ is a technique used to put people at ease.

a. Speaking softly
b. Making eye contact
c. Mirroring body language
d. Leaning forward

5. Which, if any, of these statements about body language are false?

a. Everyone uses some form of body language to communicate.
b. Interpretations of body language are universal to all
cultures.
c. The study of body language is called kinetic interpretation.
d. Indications of emotion such as smiling when happy
are universal.

6. ________ can signal a lack of interest or an unfriendly attitude and can make therapeutic communication difficult to achieve.

a. Eye contact
b. Questioning
c. Empathy
d. Nonverbal communication

7. If a patient asks a question that is beyond the scope of your practice, the best response would be to:

a. Make your best guess based on what you know.
b. Tell the patient that you will find them the correct
answer.
c. Change the subject.
d. Give them a book on the subject.

8. ________ is an important communication technique in which phrases such as “go on,” please continue,” and “tell me more” are used to encourage the patient.

a. Facilitation
b. Amplification
c. Reflection
d. Mirroring

9. ________ involves repeating something the patient just said to gain more specific information and to show that you are paying attention.

a. Facilitation
b. Reflection
c. Mirroring
d. None of the above

10. What are the two goals of the technique of summarization?

a. To ensure that the information that you’ve collected is accurate and complete and to signal the end of the interview
b. To obtain more specific information and to show that you are paying attention
c. To gain the patient’s trust and to obtain more specific information
d. To make the interview as short as possible and to follow
the rules as determined by the HMO.

1. A
When communicating with another person, gestures emphasize an important point, posture can indicate either great interest or boredom, and touch can express encouragement or empathy.

2. D
A person who is crossing their arms across their chest may indicate the desire to place an unconscious barrier between themselves and others.

3. D
None of these statements are false.
Consistent eye contact can indicate a positive reaction to a speaker.
Consistent eye contact can indicate a lack of trust in the speaker.
The use of eye contact may be dependent on the culture of the listener.

4. C
The idea of mirroring body language to put people at ease is commonly used in interviews. Mirroring the body language of someone else indicates that they are understood.

5. C
The study of body language is called kinetic interpretation is false.

6. D
Nonverbal communication can signal a lack of interest or an unfriendly attitude, and can make therapeutic communication difficult to achieve.

7. B
If a patient asks a question and you do not know the answer, the best answer is always the most helpful. I.e. that you will assist them in finding the answer.

8. A
Facilitation is an important communication technique in which phrases such as “go on,” please continue,” and “tell me more” are used to encourage the patient.

9. B
Reflection involves repeating something the patient just said to gain more specific information and to show that you are paying attention.

10. A
The two goals of the technique of summarization are to ensure that the information that you’ve collected is accurate and complete and to signal the end of the interview.