Question 1

When a requested appointment time is not available, the medical assistant should

Accepted Answer

The medical assistant should explain why requested times are not available and offer an alternative day and time the patient can see the physician.

Question 2

For security reasons, stating that the doctor is unavailable is best used in which of the following situations?

Accepted Answer

For security reasons, merely state that the doctor is unavailable. Stating over the telephone that the provider is out of town could lead to attempted burglary or other unauthorized intrusion on the premises. When a provider is delayed, show concern for the patient, but do not be overly apologetic, which might imply some degree of guilt. Most patients realize that a provider has certain priorities. When the provider is called to an emergency, give waiting patients an option to wait or reschedule.

Question 3

The first prerequisite for scheduling an outpatient admission or procedure is

Accepted Answer

All outpatient admissions and/or procedures begin with an order from the physician.

Question 4

An obstetrician who devotes two afternoons a week to seeing pregnant patients is using an appointment scheduling method called

Accepted Answer

The grouping of procedures or patients means seeing patients with the same or similar conditions in a certain block of time.

Question 5

Health records should never be left in the examination room to be picked up and read by a patient. When using an EHR, it is important to remember to log out of the computer when you are ready to leave the room.

Accepted Answer

Health records should never be left in the examination room to be picked up and read by a patient. When using an EHR, it is important to remember to log out of the computer when you are ready to leave the room.

Question 6

Which type of scheduling is an attempt to create short-term flexibility within each hour?

Accepted Answer

Wave scheduling is an attempt to create short-term flexibility within each hour. Wave scheduling assumes that the actual time needed for all the patients seen will average out over the course of the day. When each patient is given a specific time for his or her appointment, this is referred to as time-specified or stream scheduling as it keeps a steady flow of patients moving through the office. This is the most common type of scheduling used in healthcare facilities. The wave schedule can be modified in several ways. For example, one method is to have two patients scheduled to come in at 10 AM and a third at 10:30 AM. This hourly cycle is repeated throughout the day. In another version, patients are scheduled to arrive at given intervals during the first half of the hour, and none are scheduled to arrive during the second half of the hour. Booking two patients to come in at the same time is sometimes used to work in a patient with an acute illness or injury when there are no open appointments. This works out best if one of the patients needs lab work or another procedure done prior to seeing the provider.

Question 7

For legal purposes, what needs to occur when a patient fails to keep an appointment?

Accepted Answer

Failed appointments need to be documented in the patient's health record as well as the appointment schedule, for legal purposes. A patient may try to claim abandonment, when he or she has actually been the one to miss the appointments. It is important to determine the reason for failed appointments and to do whatever is possible to remedy the situation. Telephone the patient to make sure no misunderstanding has occurred.

Question 8

Patients may fail to appear for appointments because

Accepted Answer

Reasons patients fail to keep appointments include inability to pay, difficulty facing illness, and constant long wait times at the doctor's office.

Question 9

A person who fails to keep an appointment without giving advance notice is called a

Accepted Answer

A no-show patient fails to keep a scheduled appointment without giving advance notice to the office.

Question 10

Which of the following is true concerning the scheduling of new patients?

Accepted Answer

New patients must be clear on financial policies when they schedule their first appointment so that they can be prepared to pay for services that day.

Question 11

A parent or guardian must accompany all children under the age of 10 into the exam room with no exceptions. Minors need a parent to consent to treatment in most cases.

Accepted Answer

Usually, the parent or guardian accompanies the child into the exam room, but some exceptions exist, such as a case of suspected child abuse. Older children certainly can see the doctor without a parent, especially for routine visits, such as a school sports physical. However, minors still need a parent to consent to treatment in most cases.

Question 12

When the physician is scheduled at outside facilities, the medical assistant must be sure to allow time for

Accepted Answer

The medical assistant must always allow travel time when the physician is seeing patients at outside facilities.

Question 13

The medical assistant must remember that the physician will have other types of appointments that will need special notation in the appointment schedule, such as

Accepted Answer

Other types of appointments that need to be noted in the appointment schedule are times that the physician will be performing surgery or other procedures and therefore will not be in the office and available for patients.

Question 14

All patients want to be kept informed about how long they should expect to wait to see the provider. Any delay longer than ________ minutes should be explained.

Accepted Answer

All patients want to be kept informed about how long they should expect to wait to see the provider. Any delay longer than 10 to15 minutes should be explained.

Question 15

Which type of scheduling system is often used in an urgent care setting?

Accepted Answer

In an open office hours method, the facility is open at given hours of the day or evening, and the patients are told that they can come in at any time. This type of system is often used in an urgent care setting. Patients are then seen in the order in which they arrive, although a patient with an urgent condition may be seen ahead of those who arrived before them. Booking two patients to come in at the same time is sometimes used to work in a patient with an acute illness or injury when there are no open appointments. This works out best if one of the patients needs lab work or another procedure done prior to seeing the provider. Grouping or categorizing of procedures is another method of scheduling that appeals to many practitioners.

Question 16

When patients need a series of appointments, it is best to

Accepted Answer

Series of appointments are best handled by setting them on the same day of the week and at the same time so that the patient can remember them more easily.

Question 17

Which types of outpatient procedures might be scheduled by the physician's office?

Accepted Answer

Numerous types of outpatient procedures are scheduled by the physician's office, including MRIs, CT scans, blood work, day surgeries, radiologic tests, and others.

Question 18

When rescheduling an appointment, which of the following needs to occur?

Accepted Answer

When rescheduling an appointment, make sure the first appointment day and time are removed from the appointment book, and then set the new appointment. Scheduling patients who often arrive late as the last patients of the day helps reduce the inconvenience on the schedule.

Question 19

Which of the following scheduling systems reduces the number of calls to the office and is available to the patient 24 hours a day?

Accepted Answer

Software is available that allows the patient to self-schedule through secure links to the provider's appointment book. These systems will reduce the number of calls to the office and are available to the patient 24 hours a day. With computerized scheduling multiple users can access the appointment schedule at the same time minimizing the wait time for patients. Another advantage of computerized schedule is the reports that can be generated. Some appointment books show an entire week at a glance, and many are color coded, with a special color used for each day of the week. This is very helpful when the provider asks the patient to return.

Question 20

Uncertainty in new surroundings can often create ____________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Uncertainty in new surroundings can often create...

Quiz 9: Scheduling Appointments and Patient Processing

When a requested appointment time is not available, the medical assistant should

For security reasons, stating that the doctor is unavailable is best used in which of the following situations?

The first prerequisite for scheduling an outpatient admission or procedure is

An obstetrician who devotes two afternoons a week to seeing pregnant patients is using an appointment scheduling method called

Health records should never be left in the examination room to be picked up and read by a patient. When using an EHR, it is important to remember to log out of the computer when you are ready to leave the room.

Which type of scheduling is an attempt to create short-term flexibility within each hour?

For legal purposes, what needs to occur when a patient fails to keep an appointment?

Patients may fail to appear for appointments because

A person who fails to keep an appointment without giving advance notice is called a

Which of the following is true concerning the scheduling of new patients?

A parent or guardian must accompany all children under the age of 10 into the exam room with no exceptions. Minors need a parent to consent to treatment in most cases.

When the physician is scheduled at outside facilities, the medical assistant must be sure to allow time for

The medical assistant must remember that the physician will have other types of appointments that will need special notation in the appointment schedule, such as

All patients want to be kept informed about how long they should expect to wait to see the provider. Any delay longer than ________ minutes should be explained.

Which type of scheduling system is often used in an urgent care setting?

When patients need a series of appointments, it is best to

Which types of outpatient procedures might be scheduled by the physician's office?

When rescheduling an appointment, which of the following needs to occur?

Which of the following scheduling systems reduces the number of calls to the office and is available to the patient 24 hours a day?

Uncertainty in new surroundings can often create ____________.