Chapter 14 Telephone Techniques

The appropriate response to a triage patient who is experiencing chest pain is ____.

"Go to the nearest emergency room immediately, preferably by ambulance."

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 chickenpox more comfortable?"

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 that the physician will call back with the results."

A mother calls and informs you that her son has a deep dog bite. Your response should be ____.

"Your son needs immediate medical help."

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

Under what circumstances will a pharmacist call to check before dispensing refills?

If more than one year has passed since the original prescription was written

When may a medical assistant authorize a pharmacy to refill a prescription

If the physician has authorized in the patient's chart that refills are approved

Which of the following office procedures should be followed if the physician is not in the office when an emergency phone call comes in?

Instruct the caller to dial 911 for an ambulance

Which of the following is not a way to help ensure accurate telephone messages?

Tell the caller the physician will call him or her back

Which of the following medical conditions requires immediate medical help?

Snakebite

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

Ask if it is a convenient time and if the person has time to talk

Which of the following types of telephone calls can a medical assistant resolve?

Call to change an appointment

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 Cs of effective communication does this demonstrate?

Clarity

A telephone message that is organized and logical demonstrates ____.

Cohesiveness

A communication that contains all of the necessary information demonstrates which of the following?

Completeness

When you are respectful of a caller, which of the five Cs of communication do you exhibit?

Courtesy

Which of the following can be used to obtain a long-distance telephone number?

Directory assistance service

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 patient's description and relay the information to the physician

What type of call must be immediately routed to the physician?

Emergency

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 patient's anger

What can you do to make a message concise?

Make the message brief and direct

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

One minute or about eight rings

Which of the following documents indicates who is responsible for the various types of calls in the office and how the calls are to be handled?

Routing list

The appropriate way to address a patient with a last name that is difficult to pronounce is to ____.

ask the patient how to pronounce his or her name

If a patient was overcharged for services, the appropriate procedure is to ____.

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

Guidelines for dealing with a salesperson on the phone include ____.

asking the salesperson to send you information

Which of the following conditions requires immediate medical help?

Trouble breathing

The best response to patients who call to ask if they can use a medication that was prescribed for a previous condition is ____.

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

When talking to a patient on the phone use ____.

a normal conversational tone

Before putting a caller on hold, ____.

ask the caller to state the purpose of the call

Two 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 zero 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 telephone about a clinical issue, a medical assistant must always ____.

document the conversation in the patient's record

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

enunciation

If you cannot give your undivided attention to a caller because of an emergency in the office, ____.

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

When a patient calls the office for the result of a laboratory test that happens to be normal, you should ____.

give the patient the results if the physician has authorized that normal results may be given out

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

have the physician return the patient's call

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

If you receive another call while talking to a patient, the procedure to follow is to ____.

make sure the second call is not an emergency before putting that call on hold

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

offer to call back

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

patient requests 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 is saying words correctly, which is called ____.

pronunciation

A medical assistant should answer all telephone calls using ____.

proper telephone etiquette

The recommended procedure for handling billing inquiries is to ____.

pull the patient's chart and billing information

The appropriate way to maintain patient confidentiality is to ____.

put the message in a file folder marked "Confidential" and place the folder on the physician's desk

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 appropriate way to handle an incoming call for a physician from another physician is to ____.

route the call to the physician immediately, if possible

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.

Vinnie receives a call from Mr. Everson, who says his wife is confused. He says she is pale and is feeling faint and sweaty. Mr. Everson also says his wife has a weak, rapid pulse, and her skin is cool and moist. Vinnie should recognize these symptoms as ____.

shock

When dealing with a patient who is nervous, upset, or angry, ____.

show empathy and an understanding of the caller's feelings.

If the patient calls with a billing problem but, in fact, the proper fee was charged, the best approach is to ____.

speak to the physician before responding to the patient

Your first priority when responding to a complaint of an angry patient is to ____.

stay calm and try to pacify the caller

When arranging a conference call among physicians, ____.

suggest several time slots so everyone is available

The appropriate way to deal with a caller who refuses to identify himself is to ____.

suggest that he write a letter to the physician and mark it "Personal"

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

When handling an incoming telephone call regarding a patient progress report, you should

take a message for the physician

A phone call regarding the side effects of a medication can be answered by ____.

the nurse practitioner

When dealing with a telephone triage problem, remember ____.

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

Learning the telephone triage process includes ____.

using the office's written guidelines for commonly asked questions

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 caller's visual signals such as body language or facial expression