CH. 11 SCHEDULING APPOINTMENTS AND PATIENT PROCESSING

Modified-Wave scheduling

-2 Patients in @10am 1 @10:30am repeats at throughout the day -patients are scheduled @ 1st interval of each hour, none in the 2nd

Time-Specified (Strem) scheduling

-M.A must understand certain procedures/visits/paperwork when scheduling -Practitioner sees more patients with less pressure

Electronic Appointment System

-indefinite time span -search by: *patient name *length and type of appt. *more than 1 person can access it at a time *Printouts available

Wave Scheduling

-several patients seen in office seen in order of arrival. -short-term flexibility hourly -assumes times needed for patients will average out daily

Manual Appointment System

-visual organization in many styles -multiple columns to correspond with P's in the group -Time can be divided accordingly - 6 months at a time

Open Office Hours

-walk-ins are seen in order of arrival Examples are: -Urgent Care -Laboratories -Imaging Facilities -Emergency Department DA: waves of busy and slow times, longhairs when crowded

Recheck Appointment

15 mins.

Complete Physical Examination (PE)

45 mins.

Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP)

A written document describing the healthcare facility's privacy practices.

A. 15

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. A. 15 B. 20 C. 30 D. No explanation is necessary

D. give them the last appointment of the day

An effective way to deal with patients who are always late for appointments is to ...? A. refuse to schedule them after this happens B. have them wait until it is convenient for the physician C. advise them that they disrupt the office schedule D. give them the last appointment of the day

Information Packet

An ideal tool to provide new patients with information is a(n)_____________________.

C. grouping procedures

An obstetrician who devotes two afternoons a week to seeing pregnant patients is using an appointment scheduling method called? A. wave scheduling B. advance booking C. grouping procedures D. modified wave scheduling

CDC

Center for Disease Control

Progress Notes

Documentation in the medical record to track the patients condition and progress

-scan/copy insurance card -perform verification of eligibility -obtain patients I.D to take DEMO and confirm identity

During the check-in process, what three things must the M.A do for all patients?

Screening

EXAMINING and SEPARATING patients by determine the SEVERITY of illness and PRIORITIZING appointments accordingly

Integral

Essential; being an indispensable part of a whole

Parameters

Guidelines or boundaries

HIPAA

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

Create some sort of signal with Provider to remain on schedule

How can the M.A handle a Provider who habitually spends more than the allotted time with patients?

Ask a few screening questions about specific symptoms or diseases

How does a M.A take steps to protect other patients in reception area?

-enforce policies -If immediate attention is acquired, accommodate the patient accordingly -if its not urgent, schedule appointment for next available time

How does the M.A handle a patient who comes in with no appointment?

summarize the brochure and use active listening skills to address any questions

How should a M.A review a new patient brochure with a new patient?

-invite patient into a private room to talk out their anger -use good listening skills and be empathetic -Notify administrator

How should an M.A handle a situation when a patient is angry?

-amount of blood to have available -specific anesthesiologist -assistant surgeon -specific instruments

Identify the special requests a Provider may have fo inpatient surgeries?

-smile and make eye contact -verbally ask to sign in and make aware you will be with them momentarily.

If M.A is unable to greet a patient at the reception desk, what actions can help acknowledge the person?

-Notify Patient -Provide the option of reschedule for inconvenience

If the provider is delayed what should the M.A do with the patients waiting?

-insurance info -reason for visit -Demographic info

List 3 features that would cause a HIPAA violation with sign-in register

-patient name -appt/arrival time -appt with? -new patient? -info change? -insurance change

List 6 features of a HIPAA-appropriate sign in register.

15 mins.

New patients should be asked to arrive _____ minutes before an appointment to complete paperwork.

NPP

Notice of Privacy Practices

Verification of Eligibility

Process of confirming health insurance coverage for the patient

Follow-Up Appointment

Provider rechecks a condition that may have resolved or monitoring an on going condition.

-Name -Address -Phone # -Social Security -Insurance Information -Email -Allergies -Admitting Diagnosis -Providers Orders

REQUIREMENTS for scheduling patient procedures:

Double Booking

SHOULD BE AVOIDED AT ALL TIMES -OR REFLECTED AT ALL TIMES

Proficiency

Skilled, result of training or practiced

Triage

Sort out and CLASSIFY the INJURED; used in military and emergency settings to determine PRIORITY of a patient to be treated

Intervals

Space of time between events

demographic

Statistical data of a population; healthcare includes patient name, address, birthdate, employment, insurance information

B. speaking in a lower tone of voice

The M.A may help an angry caller calm down by....? A. getting angry in return B. speaking in a lower tone of voice C. referring the situation to the office manager immediately D. Calling the provider into the situation

C. demographics

The statistical characteristics of human populations are called? A. numbers B. perceptions C. demographics D. phonetics

Chief Complaint

To determine how much time to allow for an appointment, the M.A needs to obtain information about the ___________.

Disruption

Unexpected event that throws a plan into disorder; prevents a system or process from continuing

-contact triage nurse -if N/A, bring patient into exam room and notify provider -follow procedures in place

What action should M.A take when a patient has an emergent condition?

Lunch Conferences Hospital Rounds Vacations

What are four reasons to block out days in the Providers schedule when setting up the appointment Matrix?

B. Self-Scheduling

What is the appointment-setting method by which a patient logs onto the internet and views facilities schedule to set his or her own appointment? A. Flexible office hours B. Self-Scheduling C. Grouping procedures D. Advance booking

-Emergency is life threatening -Urgency is serious but NOT life threatening

What is the difference between an emergency and an urgent appointment?

Provider can still use and disclose the health info as permitted

What must occur if a patient refuses to sign the NPP form?

-questions -collect copay -make return appt -provide appt reminder card -thank patient for coming and provide appropriate farewell per situation

What occurs during checkout process?

D. "James Brown"

When calling a patient from the reception room to escort to an exam room, how should the M.A call the patient? A. "James Brown, Dr. Walden is ready for you." B. "James Brown with the sore throat" C. "James Brown with a birthdate of June 6" D. "James Brown"

PROVIDERS and PATIENTS

When developing n appointment schedule, _____________ and ______________ must be considered.

Always repeat DATE/TIME @ end of every call

When scheduling an appointment over the telephone, what options are available to remind patients of the appointment?

-bleeding -chest pain -feeling very ill

When screening patients at the reception desk, What patient conditions require immediate action by the M.A?

A. chest pain

When screening patients at the reception desk, which patient has an emergent condition and requires immediate care? A. chest pain B. sore throat C. tick bite D. ankle injury

Matrix

Where something is created or takes shape; base on which you build

B. Wave scheduling

Which type of scheduling is an attempt to create short-term flexibility within each hour? A. Time-Specified scheduling B. Wave scheduling C. Stream Scheduling D. Modified-wave Scheduling

C. To be prepared for future legal consequences regarding the patients care

Why is it necessary to include a note in the patients chart when they do a no-show? A. To bill the patient for the time B. To keep count of the number of no-shows for a possible drop in the future C. To be prepared for future legal consequences regarding the patients care D. To provide M.A with reminder to call and reschedule

Demographic Information

____________________ includes the patents address, insurance information, and email address.

CT

computed tomography

ECG

electrocardiogram

EHR

electronic health record

EMT

emergency medical technician

MRI

magnetic resonance imaging

Expediency

means of achieving a particular end; situation requiring urgency or caution

Established Patient

patient who has been treated previously by the healthcare provider within the past 3 years

Preauthorization

process REQUIRED by some insurance carriers in which the provider obtains permission to perform certain procedures or services or refers a patient to a specialist.

Precertification

process of DETERMINING if a procedure or service is covered by the insurance plan and what the reimbursement is for that procedure or service.

Grouping Procedures

schedule all PE before lunch, FOLLOW-UPS after lunch

Patient Portal

secure online website that gives patients 24-HR access to personal health info using a username and password

Practice Management Software

type of software that allows the user to enter demographic information, schedule appointments, maintain lists of insurance payers, perform billing tasks, and generate reports

NO-SHOW

when a patient fails to keep an appointment without any notice; must be documented in MHR