Healthcare is an essential aspect of our lives, providing us with the necessary care and treatments to maintain our physical and mental well-being. From medical procedures to cutting-edge technology, healthcare is constantly evolving and expanding, making it a rich and fascinating subject. In this list of healthcare trivia questions, we explore various aspects of the industry, covering everything from medical history to current practices. Whether you're a medical professional, student, or just someone with an interest in healthcare, these questions will challenge your knowledge and broaden your understanding of the field.
The questions in this list range from easy to difficult, covering a wide range of topics within the healthcare industry. From common illnesses to surgical procedures, from medical inventions to public health policies, these trivia questions provide a comprehensive overview of healthcare. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, these questions are sure to keep you on your toes and deepen your appreciation for the field.
So whether you're looking to test your own knowledge or simply want to learn more about healthcare, this list of healthcare trivia questions is the perfect place to start. Whether you answer them alone or with friends, these questions are sure to be both entertaining and educational, providing a fun and engaging way to expand your understanding of this important and ever-evolving field.
207 Healthcare Trivia Questions Ranked From Easiest to Hardest (Updated for 2024)
- Which R-term refers to when a patient has been treated for cancer and there are no longer any signs or symptoms present? (Hint: It’s not necessarily being cured; rather, it’s the “complete response” to treatment)
Answer: Remission
- On the books since 1986, a federal law that may allow an employee to temporarily keep healthcare coverage after employment ends is most commonly known by what "snaky" abbreviation?
Answer: COBRA
- In 1929, Baylor Hospital in Texas agreed to provide prepaid hospital care for some 1,500 teachers. This was the origin of what health insurance company? (Hint: It might help to think of the flag of Finland.)
Answer: Blue Cross
- Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laënnec came up with the idea for what medical listening device because he was uncomfortable putting his head on a lady’s chest to auscultate her heart and lungs?
Answer: Stethoscope
- In 1985, the Jarvik-7 was implanted into a young patient who was waiting for an organ transplant. Since he survived until a donor could be found, he probably loved the first artificial version of what organ?
Answer: Heart
- Often abbreviated as just “OT,” what type of therapy helps people regain or improve their ability to independently do their daily activities, meet their skill-building goals, and learn to use assistive devices?
Answer: Occupational
- In 2000, Intuitive Surgical Company launched a robotic surgical system to assist surgeons with everything from prostate removals to heart valve repairs. The system was named after which famous artist who was known for his anatomical drawings and a portrait of a smirking lady?
Answer: Leonardo da Vinci
- Code Blue — used when a patient isn’t breathing, has no pulse, or is unresponsive — is one of several color-based hospital emergency codes. What color is the code used when a fire or smoke has been discovered?
Answer: Code Red
- What bacterium, better known in its partially abbreviated name, is Gram-negative and rod-shaped? It had a famous outbreak in 1993 when “Jack In The Box” inadvertently spread it across four states.
Answer: E. Coli
- Healthcare.gov is the official website of what governmental legislation, an expansion of health care coverage for Americans at an acceptable price, colloquially known as Obamacare?
Answer: Affordable Care Act (ACA)
- In addition to conditions of the gallbladder, bile ducts, and pancreas, a hepatologist is a doctor who specializes in the treatment of what large internal organ?
Answer: Liver
- What is the name of the "s"ailor's disease that is caused by a vitamin C deficiency?
Answer: Scurvy
- Which A-term sounds like a Camelot King’s name at first, but refers to a minimally invasive surgical technique for joints?
Answer: Arthroscopy
- If you had to get orthopedic surgery to mend your torn meniscus, what largest joint in the body would you have to get repaired?
Answer: Knee
- Since 1999, Dexcom has been making and distributing devices that can continuously monitor what substance in the blood of people with diabetes?
Answer: Glucose
- There are non-image-forming ganglion cells in the human eye (and other mammals) that are still photosensitive and receive light signals that can help regulate and suppress the production of what "M" hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake schedule?
Answer: Melatonin
- In what type of operation, performed over 500,000 times a year in the U.S., is the vasa deferentia either cut and tied, or sealed?
Answer: Vasectomy
- As far as we can tell, Michael Jordan, Gene Simmons, and Miley Cyrus all have very active hypoglossal nerves. The hypoglossal nerve is responsible for the movement of what muscular organ?
Answer: Tongue
- The dish that OR staff put discarded items like soiled gauze and surgical tools in is named after which organ that it’s shaped like?
Answer: Kidney
- Frequently associated with health insurance, what is the term that represents the amount of money paid by an insured individual before the payments from the insurance company kicks in?
Answer: Deductible
- Paying a fee to have direct access to your primary care physician is a care delivery model often known by what term that is also used to describe certain hotel employees?
Answer: Concierge
- Which P-term refers to the first point of contact that patients have with the healthcare system and usually includes providers who take care of them over time, like their regular doctor?
Answer: Primary
- The human retina contains receptor cells of two different types: rods and what tapered shapes?
Answer: Cones
- The goal of any operating room is what “A” term, the state of being free from contamination from bacteria, viruses, or other microorganisms?
Answer: Aseptic
- Anesthesiologists often give patients which dissociative anesthetic that helps make sure they won’t remember surgery? (Hint: It’s often called “Special K” when used illegally)
Answer: Ketamine
- A nephrologist is a doctor who specializes in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases affecting what organ?
Answer: Kidneys
- Although extreme cases have been known to attack other organs such as the liver and skin, Berger's disease (also known as IgA nephropathy) is a disease that chiefly affects what organ of the body?
Answer: Kidneys
- A patient’s vaccine record may include a Tdap booster, which stands for tetanus, diphtheria, and what respiratory illness also called “whooping cough?”
Answer: Pertussis
- The first Blue Shield plan to pay doctor fees was started in 1939 in what West Coast state?
Answer: California
- What life saving medical screening, which uses ionizing radiation, can be traced back to 1913, when German surgeon Albert Salomon performed x-rays on 3,000 mastectomies?
Answer: Mammogram
- Combiflan, Nurofen and Advil are all brand names for what analgesic medication?
Answer: Ibuprofen
- Which word in medical terminology describes cancer that has spread from where it started to other areas of the body?
Answer: Metastatic
- Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, also known as a DEXA scan, is frequently used to measure the density of what material in the body?
Answer: Bone
- In surgery, what "L" word means the procedure of closing off a blood vessel or other duct or tube in the body to prevent fluid from that structure interfering with the surgery?
Answer: Ligation
- Which retractor has sharp teeth to grasp skin or tendons (and often a thumb hook), and a name that will remind you of fall leaf clean-up?
Answer: Rake
- An oophorectomy is the surgical removal of which reproductive organ(s) that can be done on its own or along with a hysterectomy?
Answer: Ovary
- Sevoflurane is a sweet-smelling, inhalable version of what crucial type of medication that’s used to keep a patient asleep and free from pain during surgery?
Answer: Anesthesia
- Which A-medical term from the Greek word that means “ill-fed” refers to the wasting away and weakening of muscle?
Answer: Atrophy
- Developed at MIT and at Boston Dynamics, Spot is a contact-free robot who helps with basic patient care and is mounted on a body with what guessable number of legs?
Answer: Four
- The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus was written in the 17th century BC and contains the earliest recorded reference to the brain. In what ancient empire was this papyrus written?
Answer: Egypt
- First performed by physician Raymond Damadian in 1977, MRI is short for what radiology technique which uses scanners with strong magnetic fields to create anatomical images of the physiological processes of the body?
Answer: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Which A-term related to walking also applies to treating a patient on an outpatient basis instead of admitting them to the hospital?
Answer: Ambulatory
- "Keyhole" is another name for minimally invasive surgery known by what L-word that roughly mean "seeing a flank"?
Answer: Laparoscopy
- What is the "A" name for the Medicare Part C program in which Medicare gives fixed payments to private-sector health insurers?
Answer: Advantage
- Sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia is commonly known as what two-word, 10-letter chilly condition that can be a real headache?
Answer: Brain freeze
- Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth became a double amputee after the helicopter she was piloting was attacked during the Iraq War. Prior to her election to the Senate, she served as an assistant secretary at what U.S cabinet-level department focused on providing lifelong healthcare services to former members of the military?
Answer: United States Department of Veterans Affairs
- Often executed to treat esophageal cancer, tumors, or ulcers, a gastrectomy is commonly performed to remove part or all of what organ from one's body?
Answer: Stomach
- In the OR, materials that have been contaminated with blood, guts, or any other potentially infectious material gets disposed of in a waste container that’s usually bright orange and labeled as being what?
Answer: Biohazard
- Which medical term that starts with F means using X-rays to get “real-time” images of the body during surgery (for example, getting an artificial joint into the right place)?
Answer: Fluoroscopy
- Which S-term describes a tube, usually made of metal or plastic, that helps keep a passage in the body open—for example, in a coronary artery?
Answer: Stent
- Which term that you probably associate with high beams on a car also refers to the wearable illumination surgeons use?
Answer: Headlights
- During a laparoscopy, which device pumps carbon dioxide into the abdominal cavity to make space?
Answer: Insufflator
- What surgery that’s often called a “nose job” when it refers to the cosmetic uses for the procedure can also treat conditions like a deviated septum?
Answer: Rhinoplasty
- What term borrowed from horticulture (more specifically, aquaculture) applies to the devices used to deliver water to a surgical wound to keep it clean and free from debris?
Answer: Irrigation
- A mastectomy is done to remove one or both of which structures on the chest that can be used for providing nourishment to an infant?
Answer: Breast
- Coming from the Latin word for "physician" and the Greek for "at a distance," what 12-letter word, which began to be used much more heavily during the COVID-19 pandemic, was actually coined in the 1970s?
Answer: Telemedicine
- Which healthcare software company well-known to providers for its electronic medical records system is based in Madison, Wisconsin?
Answer: EPIC
- If the star of the "Mission: Impossible" movies takes a nasty spill, he might get a CT scan. The C stands for "Computed," and what does the T stand for?
Answer: Tomography
- In the medical field, what is the name for a tube typically made of plastic or metal that is inserted into the lumen of a vessel or duct with the goal of keeping a passageway open?
Answer: Stent
- On June 12, 2023, what New York City mayor signed an executive order preventing the use of city resources to deter any individual from providing or receiving gender-affirming healthcare?
Answer: Eric Adams
- Designed to cover uninsured children in families with incomes that are modest but too high to qualify for Medicaid, what tasty sounding program administered by the HSS provides matching funds to states for health insurance to families with children?
Answer: CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program)
- A Frankfurt doctor was told by a patient "I have lost myself" and he observed and studied her over a period of five years. This patient became the basis for his paper and lecture in 1906 which ultimately led to his name being associated with what disease?
Answer: Alzheimer's
- A laminectomy is the surgical removal of the lamina, which is part of what bones in the spine?
Answer: Vertebra
- If you have health insurance, they might not agree to pay for a service your provider wants you to have unless they approve it first (and even then, they still might not agree to cover the cost). What’s the term for this process? (Hint: The word “prior” is also used).
Answer: Preauthorization
- A "cranioectomy" on Violet Baudelaire is attempted for a live audience in an operating theater in the eight installments of what morbidly funny series of children's books?
Answer: A Series of Unfortunate Events
- Blood-forming stem cells are important in cancer treatments because they form red blood cells, white blood cells, and what clotty things?
Answer: Platelets
- After "The Sopranos" ended, Emmy-winning actress Edie Falco went on to star as the title healthcare provider from 2009 to 2015 on what Showtime series?
Answer: Nurse Jackie
- The surgical severing of the corpus callosum can be done to treat what neurological condition if it’s not responded to treatment like anti-seizure drugs?
Answer: Epilepsy
- Largely supplanted by LASIK and other more modern procedures, radial keratotomy, or RK, is a surgical procedure designed to correct what vision condition?
Answer: Myopia
- Which medical terminology suffix refers to removing an organ (for example, a problematic appendix)?
Answer: -ectomy
- Sushruta, who is known as the “Father of Plastic Surgery" for his development of surgical techniques, was an early surgeon from Kasi, an ancient kingdom located in the modern-day area of Uttar Pradesh in which Asian country?
Answer: India
- What’s the common name for the wheel-mounted, stainless steel medical waste receptacles that can be easily moved around the OR hands-free, since they’re positioned by your feet?
Answer: Kick Bucket
- During surgery, a capnograph is used to monitor the levels of which gas in a patient’s exhalations?
Answer: CO2
- A cholecystectomy can often be done laparoscopically to remove which digestive organ that stores bile?
Answer: Gallbladder
- Another name for an advanced directive is what kind of will that sounds like the opposite of a legal document about death and dying?
Answer: Living
- "Earkeckers" are an outdated term for what body part, which is typically only discussed when the site of swelling and a removal procedure?
Answer: Tonsils
- In 1838, one of the earliest xenotransplantations, from a pig to a human, was performed using what layer that admits light to the interior of the eye?
Answer: Cornea
- Inguinal hernia repairs fix protrusions of part of what organ into the muscles of the groin? The operation moves the organ back into its original position.
Answer: Large intestine
- What "B" word is often considered the midpoint between fee-for-service and capitation for medical payments? Typically, this term refers to payments for the expected costs of "clinically defined episodes of care."
Answer: Bundled payments
- IQVIA recently announced that they will provide their OCE platform to which consumer healthcare company across Africa and the Middle East?
Answer: Sanofi
- In a Season 4 episode of Seinfeld, what brown-and-white candy does Kramer accidentally drop into a patient during a surgery?
Answer: Junior Mints
- Often implanted in people who have had cataract surgery, a "pseudophakos" is an artificial replacement for what part of the eye?
Answer: Lens
- Having over 70 private hospitals and clinics all over the country, Ramsay health care is the largest private health provider in which Southern Hemisphere country?
Answer: Australia
- What large managed healthcare company gets its name from an 11,000-foot volcano on the eastern shores of Sicily?
Answer: Aetna
- In 1888, American philanthropist Darius Mills founded a school for nurses at New York's Bellevue Hospital aimed at what demographic? It attracted students who might not otherwise been thought of as potential nurses.
Answer: Men
- Ronald Reagan very briefly relinquished the U.S. presidency in 1985, during a surgery to remove cancerous polyps from what organ?
Answer: Colon / Large intestine
- The Nike Air Zoom Pulse announced in fall 2019 is aimed at "everyday heroes" that typically work in what type of institution?
Answer: Hospital
- What mouthwash brand is named after a doctor who pioneered antiseptic surgical techniques in the 19th century?
Answer: Listerine
- What “D” technique is electrically induced heat, often used during surgery, in order to help maintain blood flow and prevent excessive bleeding? It gets its one-word name from greek words literally meaning “heating through.”
Answer: Diathermy
- What “A” aeronautic object can also describe the action of tilting a patient in the OR in order to expose a lateral portion, or to change a patient’s hemodynamics?
Answer: Airplane
- A retractor with heads on both ends, one wider than the other, is often referred to by why two-word name? It is also two branches of the U.S. military, who play a college football game against each other at the end of season?
Answer: Army Navy
- A code blue signifies that a patient is in cardiac arrest. What other color code signifies a neonatal or pediatric emergency?
Answer: Code Pink
- In obstetrics, the abbreviation VBAC means vaginal birth for a patient who previously had what surgical procedure?
Answer: Cesarean
- Sometimes used during surgery to remove foreign objects from narrow spaces like the ear canal, Hartmann foreign body forceps are often known by what reptilian name?
Answer: Alligator
- Surgeon John Kennedy performs an operation on Uncle Junior, later receiving an intimidating visit from Tony, on a 2001 season-three episode of what HBO series?
Answer: The Sopranos
- Surgeons crowd around an anesthetized patient in "The Gross Clinic," an 1875 painting by what American artist?
Answer: Thomas Eakins
- Whose principles guide surgeons on how to handle tissue during a procedure (for example, be gentle and use aseptic technique)?
Answer: Halsted
- Which nickname might a surgeon use to refer to a cut-and-cautery tool? It’s also an eponym for the father of biophysics who invented the device (an “electrosurgical generator”).
Answer: Bovie
- What 10-letter word that has the last six letters as "surgeon" is an archaic word that was once used to mean "surgeon?"
Answer: Chirurgeon
- Which B-word for a loud, deep noise is also the name of an ergonomic “hub” for surgical equipment that’s designed to give OR staff easy access to things like outlets and shelving?
Answer: Boom
- Due to the machine’s shape, which letter of the alphabet describes the “arm” that gives you access to x-rays in the OR?
Answer: C
- Which number scalpel blade is one of the most commonly used and is held like a violin bow rather than in a pencil grip to ensure a straight cut (for example, at the start of a C-section)?
Answer: 10
- Which healthcare AWS can you add to Microsoft Office to make it easy to cover up any protected or personally identifying information in documents?
Answer: Philter
- Which type of “thumb” forceps work well for handling dense tissue and dressings and is named after the neurosurgeon who designed them?
Answer: Adson
- You might casually call them “blanket warmers” but what’s the more technical term for the OR equipment that can also be used to keep IV fluids at the right temp? (Hint: The name makes it sound more like a piece of furniture—and who wouldn’t want a blanket warmer in their bedroom?)
Answer: Warming Cabinet
- After primary and secondary care, which level of healthcare service includes specialized providers like cancer treatment, dialysis, and palliative care?
Answer: Tertiary
- A classic depiction of a surgeon “suiting up” for the OR includes gloves, a face mask, a cap, and even eye protection like goggles, but which lower extremity also needs a disposable covering before they can “step into” the sterile space?
Answer: Feet
- What’s the eponymous term for the most common oral suctioning device (particularly, its tip) that’s used to prevent aspiration?
Answer: Yankauer
- Which type of hemostat/clamp has an Irish-sounding name, though it was named for the American gynecologist who invented it? (Hint: They’re also called Mosquito or Rochester forceps)
Answer: Kelly
- Which forceps are commonly used to clamp and control blood vessels and arteries? (Hint: They were likely named for a British thyroid surgeon who treated the Royal family)
Answer: Dunhill
- In 2022, the American health insurance provider formerly known as Anthem Inc. changed its name to what?
Answer: Elevance Health
- Which long-handled surgical scissors with a blunt tip are a popular choice for delicate procedures and were named for the reconstructive surgeon who designed them (in part because he needed a tool he could use with his small hands)?
Answer: Metzenbaum
- In 2020, Dr. Helen Egger and her daughter co-founded which digital startup company that provides virtual support and mental healthcare services for kids and their families? (Hint: The name was inspired by the playful, family fun of certain cute marine mammals)
Answer: Little Otter
- If a surgeon has to leave the OR during a procedure (say, for a quick bathroom trip) the initial scrubbing in they did will be void and they’ll have to scrub in again before they return. What verb is used to describe the interruption to the sterile procedure?
Answer: Breaking
- What organization maintains the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)? The ICD is a diagnostic tool for health management and clinical purposes used worldwide.
Answer: World Health Organization
- Which type of forceps that's great for grasping slippery tissue (like intestines) is made of stainless steel like most surgical instruments, but has a name that might make you think it’s made of tiny trees?
Answer: Littlewood
- Which medical term describes the surgical removal of deposits of fat that are blocking a carotid artery?
Answer: Endarterectomy
- During a laparoscopy, which tool can be inserted into the abdomen to place tools (e.g., graspers, a camera) and/or draw up fluid? (Hint: It has three parts: a seal, a cannula, and an obturator)
Answer: Trocar
- Which -ectomy is a minimally invasive “micro” surgery to remove varicose veins with a small needle or scalpel?
Answer: Phlebectomy
- Historically, an "operating theater" was an operating room with seating for an audience of other medical professionals and students. The oldest surviving operating theater is located in a hospital in what northeastern U.S. state?
Answer: Pennsylvania
- Morphine and fentanyl are examples of which class of drug that is commonly given for pain during and after surgery?
Answer: Opioids
- Not just for keeping the sunlight out of your living room, which term also applies to the sterile, disposable coverings in an OR?
Answer: Drapes
- Which bone is the second largest in the hindfoot, supports the weight of the body, and helps the ankle move? (Hint: The name comes from the Latin for ankle bone—no surprise there).
Answer: Talus
- Which sandy sea-side seat is also the name of a technique/position that an orthopedic surgeon might choose for a rotator cuff repair?
Answer: Beach Chair
- Whose drain is considered a last resort to control post-surgical bleeding? (Hint: It was named after the surgeon who came up with the technique, as well as a pioneer in antiseptic procedures)
Answer: Mikulicz’s
- A kocher is what kind of surgical tool that can be used to stop bleeding or hold on to dense tissues?
Answer: Clamp
- A procedure that ends with “-ostomy” means that the surgeon has made what kind of opening or hole in the abdomen?
Answer: Stoma
- In a June 2023 policy statement, the American Medical Association noted of what calculation commonly used to measure whether a person is overweight, that it has done "historical harm" and been used "for racist exclusion"?
Answer: Body mass index (BMI)
- Wisevoter.com has nominated which European low country has having the best healthcare system in the world? It beat out Japan and Sweden for the honor.
Answer: Belgium
- Which U.S. state, currently governed by Ron DeSantis, was told in July 2023 by a federal judge that it violates the ADA by placing children with complex medical situations in nursing homes?
Answer: Florida
- Swiss physician Emil Theodor Kocher is credited with a few surgical inventions, among them which type of instrument that’s used to help prevent blood loss during a procedure?
Answer: Clamp
- Although his name is now most closely associated with a brand of antiseptic mouth wash, which British doctor is known as the “father of modern surgery” for his work with bacteriology, infection, and antiseptics?
Answer: Dr. Joseph Lister
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that runs the Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs, and the federally facilitated Marketplace, is overseen by what federal department?
Answer: Health and Human Services
- In 2006, UnitedHealthcare acquired the healthcare division of which company that’s more likely to make you think of green and yellow tractors?
Answer: John Deere
- Literally translating as "to hold the place of," what two-word Latin phrase describes a physician temporarily working in a place where they don't live?
Answer: Locum Tenens
- Which bacterial infection, whose symptoms include a sore throat and fever, and whose name derives from the Greek for “skin,” was the cause of death of the eldest daughter of Grover Cleveland?
Answer: Diphtheria
- Before joining the executive team at UnitedHealthcare, Dr. Anne Docimo, MD, was executive VP of Population Health and chief clinical transformation officer for Jefferson Health in Philadelphia. What leadership role does she have at UnitedHealthcare?
Answer: Chief Medical Officer
- It sounds like blasphemy, but it’s the truth! What procedure can be used to repair or otherwise cosmetically enhance the eyelid?
Answer: Blepharoplasty
- What term is used to describe professionals who work alongside (and often together with) medical specialists like doctors and surgeons—for example, dentists, dietitians, physical therapists, and medical assistants?
Answer: Allied
- In 2023, UnitedHealth Group Inc. made its way to No. 10 on what magazine’s Global 500 list of the top companies around the world with the highest total revenue?
Answer: Fortune
- Perhaps one of the first travel nurses in history, what was the name of the Englishwoman who became famous in the 19th century during the Crimean War as a manager and trainer of nurses?
Answer: Florence Nightingale
- Versed is a common brand name for which IV medication that can be given to quell a patient’s pre-op jitters?
Answer: Midazolam
- A trabeculectomy can make a new pathway in the eye to allow fluid to drain. What chronic, progressive eye disease that causes high pressure in the eyes and damage to the optic nerve is the procedure used to treat?
Answer: Glaucoma
- In 1865, Joseph Lister was inspired by the somewhat gnarly purification research of Louis Pasteur and decided to try out some chemicals as possible infection prevention measures on his surgical patients. In 1867, what substance that comes from coal tar (and was primarily being used to make city sewage smell less rank) did he start using to clean hands and surgical tools, as well as a spritzing in the air of the OR to make sterile field, that ended up lowering the post-op death rates for his patients to 15%?
Answer: Carbolic acid
- Informed agreement to procedures or other medical necessities that is obtained when a healthcare provider and the patient are not in the same physical location is known by what 10-letter term?
Answer: Teleconsent
- What is the name of the maneuver that decreases preload and builds pressure in the venous system, thus helping expose venous bleeding that might not be readily apparent?
Answer: Valsalva
- If a surgeon were to attempt to perform a hemispherectomy on The Scarecrow from "The Wizard of Oz," they might have a difficult time doing so, since a hemispherectomy involves the full or partial removal of what organ?
Answer: Brain
- On October 23, 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) held an international conference on primary health care in Astana, the capital of what Central Asian nation?
Answer: Kazakhstan
- Surgery existed long before operating rooms, and in Ancient Rome, the origin of the modern-day designated procedure room were in the form of what pop-up outdoor construction that sounds more like you’re going into the circus than a craniotomy?
Answer: Tent
- What condition occurs when one of more than 150 namesake sacs in the human body becomes inflamed with synovial fluid? The shoulder, heel, knee, and shin are some of the most commonly affected locations.
Answer: Bursitis
- The Sistrunk procedure can be used to remove a cyst from which duct of the throat?
Answer: Thyroglossal
- DaTscan is a radioactive tracer used in a medical procedure to help diagnose what condition?
Answer: Parkinson's disease
- What kind of healthcare facility’s name comes from the Latin for “guest”—which will be comforting to you are in one and hoping it will be a short stay?
Answer: Hospital
- A hemorrhoidectomy is the surgical removal of—you guessed it—hemorrhoids. The condition means that what structures in the anal region are swollen? (Hint: Like the varicose ones that appear on the legs)
Answer: Veins
- The International Museum of Surgical Science in Chicago serves as a macabre dedication to the art of cutting people open, including a surgeon "Hall of Fame." Included in the museum's archives are letters and journals from what famous English statistician who is often considered the founder of modern nursing?
Answer: Florence Nightingale
- The difficult-to-spell sphygmomanometer is a device used in healthcare settings to measure what bodily function?
Answer: Blood pressure
- Which medical specialty deals with conditions that cause inflammation in the bones, muscles, and organs?
Answer: Rheumatology
- Which U.S. President signed the Medicare and Medicaid Act into law on July 30, 1965?
Answer: Lyndon B. Johnson
- In the 1990s the majority of emigration of South African health care professionals was to what European power?
Answer: United Kingdom
- Led by CEO Oliver Kharraz, what NYC-based company with a rhyming name was founded in 2007 to help patients find healthcare providers and book appointments online?
Answer: Zocdoc
- In 2005, Isabelle Dinoire became the first patient to undergo a partial face transplant. In what country did she receive this groundbreaking surgery?
Answer: France
- Appropriately featuring three stars in its logo, what is the name of the healthcare program for American uniformed service members, retirees, and their family members?
Answer: Tricare
- Army-Navy, Deaver, and Weitlaner are examples of which surgical tool that's used to pull back tissue and hold an incision open?
Answer: Retractor
- Which term applies to an endoscope that’s used to visualize and perform procedures on the organs of the genitourinary system (for example, the bladder)?
Answer: Cytoscope
- If a surgeon asks for a “four-by-four,” they’re not asking for a wooden plank or talking to you about their all-wheel drive vehicle. What material that’s great for sopping up blood are they talking about?
Answer: Gauze
- Green biotechnology refers to biotechnology used in the environmental sector, whereas what color is used to describe biotechnology used in the medical and pharma field?
Answer: Red
- Hayden Christensen plays a patient who experiences intraoperative awareness and paralysis during a heart transplant in what 2007 film?
Answer: Awake
- "Tumor profiling" is another way to refer to looking for and testing genes, proteins, and other substances known by what B-word?
Answer: Biomarker
- A provider doesn’t have to be a boxer to perform what kind of biopsy that gets a core sample of tissue?
Answer: Punch
- Juliano Pinto is a paraplegic man who symbolically "kicked off" an event in WHAT COUNTRY in 2014 by using a mind-controlled robotic exoskeleton?
Answer: Brazil (World Cup)
- The reason orange foods like carrots and sweet potatoes may be good for vision and eye health is that they are high in what compound, which is converted by the body into Vitamin A retinol?
Answer: Beta-Carotene
- One common argument in favor of value-based healthcare is the outsize costs of today's fee-for-service system. What percent of U.S. GDP was spent on healthcare in 2018? We'll accept responses within 3% of the correct answer.
Answer: 18% (15% - 21% accepted)
- Operating-room scenes are a fixture of what 2010s ABC drama series that features Freddie Highmore as an autistic surgeon?
Answer: The Good Doctor
- What term beginning with the letter H is for keeping the same level of blood in a patient during an operation?
Answer: Hemostasis
- Nephrorrhaphy is better known as a surgery that involves the repairing and suturing of a wound to what fist-sized organ that’s located just below the rib cage?
Answer: Kidney
- Sutter Hospital, located near Sutter's Fort, was created in 1921 by a group of 17 physicians (in addition to local civic leaders) in reaction to the failures of the city's healthcare systems during what medical crisis?
Answer: Influenza outbreak
- What is the five-letter "B" word that is used to refer to a dosage of fast-acting insulin that is often given via the continuously-attached "pump" device worn by some patients with diabetes?
Answer: Bolus
- Repealed in late 2019 before taking effect, a 40% tax on employer-sponsored healthcare coverage exceeding a certain value was nicknamed after what American automaker?
Answer: Cadillac
- Both Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are mRNA vaccines—what does the "m" stand for?
Answer: Messenger
- In addition to claiming the nation's oldest hospital, which Ivy League University is home to the Perelman School of Medicine, the oldest medical school in the USA?
Answer: The University of Pennsylvania
- During a clinical assessment, it is common that a psychiatrist may use a brain imaging technique known as a PET scan. What does PET stand for?
Answer: Positron Emission Tomography
- What doctor-author has penned best-selling medical books such as "Complications" "Checklist Manifesto," and "Better?"
Answer: Atul Gawande
- RN stands for "registered nurse"; LPN stands for "licensed WHAT nurse?"
Answer: Practical
- Many insurers use value-based pricing for Kymriah, a pricey gene therapy for certain blood cancers that is made by what Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company?
Answer: Novartis
- What 11-letter A-word means the surgical repair, unblocking, or dilation of a blood vessel to restore lost blood flow?
Answer: Angioplasty
- Once involved in a significant moment in American history, in which city will you find Parkland Memorial Hospital?
Answer: Dallas
- What word, often paired with "prosthetics," refers to external devices, like braces, that influence the muscular and skeletal systems?
Answer: Orthotics
- In 2022, the Healthcare Business Women’s Association awarded two IVQIANs honors: “Luminary” Susan Lipsitz and what ascending celestial title to Sue Bailey?
Answer: Rising Star
- What is the name of the Pittsburgh-based hospital system that was formed when Highmark (Blue Cross-Blue Shield) purchased the assets of the West Penn Allegheny Health System?
Answer: Allegheny Health Network
- The prefix “Chrondo” refers to what substance found in the human body?
Answer: Cartilage
- In what year did Congress pass the Affordable Care Act? Formally called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, it is colloquially known as Obamacare.
Answer: 2010
- In January of 2018, Amazon, JP Morgan, and what third corporate behemoth announced a plan to work together on providing transparent healthcare plans to employees?
Answer: Berkshire Hathaway
- The American Medical Association (AMA) was formed after a resolution by the state medical association of what state called for the formation of a national organization?
Answer: New York
- Which type of perioperative nurse isn’t just standing there spinning around in circles, but rather, acts as a liaison between staff in and outside the OR, as well as overseeing tasks like getting patient consent before the procedure, checking instrument counts, and making sure everything stays sterile?
Answer: Circulating
- Possibly including how much a patient’s share of the cost is for each drug, what is the term for the list of drugs a patient’s plan covers?
Answer: Formulary
- Which medical terminology suffix means “to crush” (for example, a procedure to break up some pesky kidney stones)?
Answer: -tripsy
- Which surgical instrument can be used to get thin slices of skin to be used in grafting?
Answer: Dermatome
- An international eradication program for dracunculiasis led to a record low 15 cases in 2021, and may make the disease ultimately the second ever eliminated among humans. What African worm is responsible for the dwindling disease?
Answer: Guinea Worm
- "Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World" is a book from 2003 by writer Tracy Kidder that traces the life of a physician and anthropologist as he focuses on fighting tuberculosis. What non-U.S. country is the focus of the book?
Answer: Haiti
- Medicaid managed care programs in which states receive waivers from the federal government and then enroll patients in private health plans with fixed monthly premiums began in what decade?
Answer: 1980s
- Neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi described continuing to work as a resident despite a Stage IV lung cancer diagnosis in what bestselling 2016 memoir?
Answer: When Breath Becomes Air
- What 10-letter "N" word describes a disease originating at a hospital, such as a surgical site infection acquired within 48 hours of an operation?
Answer: Nosocomial
- Which surgical tool that starts with C looks like a stylus with a little hook on the end and is used for tasks like scraping tissue?
Answer: Curette
- What health-related word evolved from a Middle English term describing the venom of a snake which came from a Latin word meaning "slimy liquid or poison?"
Answer: Virus
- Combining an integrated image guidance system and a linear accelerator on a robotic manipulator, what is the name of the medical robot invented by John Adler at Stanford and released by Accuray Incorporated? The dangerous-sounding device is frequently used for tumor removal and other oncological procedures.
Answer: CyberKnife
- Who was the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States? British by birth, she returned to the United Kingdom to become the first woman listed in the Medical Registry of the General Medical Council for the UK.
Answer: Elizabeth Blackwell
- What is the brand name of the oral contraceptive that the FDA approved on July 12, 2023, making it the first oral contraceptive approved for over-the-counter sales in the United States?
Answer: Opill
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