Chapter 14

how much time should you allow for a patient to answer when you place a phone call

1 min or about 8 rings

a communication that contains all of the necessary information demonstrates which of the following

completeness

when a patient calls the office for a result of a lab test that happens to be normal you should

give the patient the results if the doctor has given permission that normal results may be given out

the appropriate response to a triage patient who is experience chest pain is

go to the nearest ER immediately preferably by ambulance

a mother calls and informs you that her son has a deep dog bite, your response should be

immediate medical help

If you put a caller on hold and determine it will be a long wait

offer to call back

the appropriate way to obtain patient confidentiality is to

put the message in a file folder marked confidential and place the folder on the physicians desk

the appropriate way to handle an incoming call for a practitioner from another practitioner is to

route the call to the practitioner immediately

what document indicates who is responsible for the various types of calls coming into the medical office and how the calls are to be handled

routing list

which of the following medical conditions require immediate medical help

snake bite

a patient calls with a billing problem stating the bill was too high, when the MA checks the acct she finds, the proper fee was charged

speak to the provider before responding to the patient

your first priority when responding to a complaint of an angry patient is to

stay call and try to pacify the caller

vinny receives a call from mr emerson, wife is confused and feeling faint is sweating, has a weak rapid pulse and skin is cool and moist

symptoms of shock

when handling an incoming telephone call regarding a patients progress report you should

take a message for the physician

Learning the telephone triage process includes

using the office's written guidelines for commonly asked questions

when talking to a patient on the phone, use

a normal conversational tone

which type of call must be immediately routed to the provider

an emergency

which of the following guidelines should you follow when placing an outgoing telephone call

ask if its a convenient time for the patient to talk

Before putting a caller on hold, ____.

ask the caller to state the purpose of the call

the appropriate way to address a patient with a difficult name to pronounce is

ask the patient how to pronounce his or her name

if a patient was over charged for services the appropriate response is

ask the patient to wait for a corrected statement before sending payment

Guidelines for dealing with a sales person on the phone include

asking the salesperson to send you information

which of the following types of telephone calls can a MA resolve

call to change an appt

which of the following symptoms indicates a heart attack

chest pain radiating to the arm, shoulder, and jaw

when you receive or place a phone call your message should be logical and free from ambiguity, which of the following c's ..

clarity

A telephone message that is organized and logical demonstrates ____.

cohesiveness

when a message is organized and logical it is which of the 5 c's of communication

cohesiveness

when you are respectful of a caller which of the 5 c's do you follow

courtesy

2 options that should always be included in the menu for an automated voice response unit are instructions for the caller if the call is an emergency and an option to

dial 0 to speak to an operator

If a patient remains dissatisfied after discussing a bill,

document all comments and relay the information to the physician

after speaking with a patient on the phone about an issue a MA must always

document the conversation in the patients record

Chris answers the telephone, and the caller, a patient named Mr. Patterson, tells Chris that the physician asked him to call the office and let her know how the prescribed medication was working. Mr. Patterson begins to explain in detail how much better he feels and what effect he thinks the medication is having. What should Chris do?

document the patients call and report it to the physician

Speaking clearly and distinctly to help the person you are speaking to understand you is called

enunciation

if you can not give your undivided attention because of an emergency in the office

explain that you are handling an urgent matter and offer to call back

If you do not recognize the name of the patient calling the most appropriate response is

has it been some time since you've seen the doctor

If uncertain about whether to give particular information to a patient on the telephone, a general principle is to ____.

have the provider return the patients call

which of the following is an example of a common triage question that a medical assistant might answer

how do I make my child with chicken pox more comfortable

a drop in body temperature during prolonged exposure to cold is called

hypothermia

the first thing you should do when answering the telephone is

identify the medical office and yourself

under what circumstances will a pharmacist call to check before dispensing refills

if more than 1 year has passed since the original prescription was written

when is it acceptable for an MA to authorize a pharmacy to refill a prescription

if the physician lists in the chart that that the authorized prescriptions are approved

which of the following office procedures should be followed if the practitioner is not in the office when an emergency phone call comes in

instruct the caller to dial 911 for an ambulance

When you answer the phone, you know immediately that the caller is angry. Without identifying herself, the caller begins shouting at you that she had been told that an office visit would cost $79, but her bill was for $135. She says the office is discriminating against her by charging her more than the normal amount. How should you handle this call?

listen carefully and acknowledge the patients anger

if you receive another call while talking to a patient the procedure to follow is to

make sure the 2nd call is not an emergency before putting the call on hold

what can you do to make a message concise

make the message brief and direct

Telephone calls that require the physician's personal attention include ____.

patients request to discuss abnormal test results

The result of answering the phone while carrying out another task is

possible errors in message taking

one of the most important telephone skills saying words correctly is called

pronunciation

a MA should answer all telephone calls using

proper telephone etiquette

the recommended procedure for handling billing inquiries is to

pull the patients chart and billing information

A guideline to follow when an attorney calls the office is to

release information only when the physician has authorized you to do so

the best way to handle a patient who calls the office in real distressing pain is to

schedule an appointment immediately or tell the patient to go to the emergency room

when dealing with a patient who is nervous, upset, or angry should you,

show empathy and understanding of the callers feelings

the appropriate way to deal with a caller who refuses to identify himself is to

suggest he write a letter to the physician

when a call with a patient is long or complicated

summarize the details of the call to ensure understanding by both you and the patient

Mrs. Worth is calling for the result of the CEA (cancer marker) test she had. Georgia, a new administrative medical assistant, looked up the record and discovered that the result is abnormal. Georgia asks you what she should tell Mrs. Worth. What should you tell Georgia?

tell mrs. worth the physician will call back with the results

which of the following is not a way to help insure accurate telephone messages

tell the caller the physician will call him/her back

what is an advantage to having a voicemail system in the medical office

the caller never receives a busy signal

when dealing with a telephone triage problem, remember

to advice the caller that recommendations are based on the symptoms and are not a diagnosis

which of the following conditions requires immediate medical help

trouble breathing

Before placing an outgoing telephone call to a patient you should

verify the correct phone number

a disadvantage of communicating by telephone is that

you cannot see the callers visual signals such as body signals or facial expressions

what is the best response to a patient who calls to ask if he or she can use a medication that was used to treat a previous condition

you should not use the medication because it may not be helpful