Chapter 16: Schedule Management

What does locum tenens refer to?

A substitute physician

When is the best time for fasting patients to be scheduled?

As early in the day as possible

Which of the following problems is eliminated by an open-hours scheduling system?

Broken appointments

In a paper scheduling format, how is it indicated that a time slot is unavailable?

Draw an "X" through unavailable time slots.

How are return appointments for established patients usually made?

In the office

Who should receive copies of the itinerary when a physician must travel?

Office personnel Physician

Where should referrals be documented?

Patient's chart

Which of the following is the best way to prevent patients who are routinely late for appointments from disrupting the appointment schedule?

Schedule them toward the end of the day.

Which types of information are listed on a superbill?

Services performed Diagnoses Health insurance

When a patient's visit requires more time, you assign the patient a(n) ______ slot.

back-to-back

Scheduling all patients on Wednesdays for wellness checkups is an example of ______ scheduling.

categorization cluster

A no-show is a patient who:

does not call to cancel an appointment. does not come to a scheduled appointment.

Purposely scheduling 2 or more patients in the same time slot is known as:

double-booking.

A patient who neither calls to cancel nor goes to the appointment is known as a:

no-show.

Which of the following should be recorded next to a canceled or no-show appointment?

"NS" or "can" Reason for canceling Initials

During time allotted in the schedule for a physician to return phone calls, the physician may answer e-mail inquiries from patients, which is called making:

"mouse" calls.

Match the appointment types with their time frames. -Prenatal examination -Pelvic exam and Pap smear -Minor in-office surgery -Suture removal

-15 minutes -15-30 minutes -30 minutes -10-20 minutes

Match the appointment types with their required time frames. -New patient physical examination -Follow-up appointment -New patient visit -Emergency office visit

-60 minutes -10-15 minutes -30-45 minutes -15-20 minutes

Which of the following actions should a medical assistant take if a patient calls with an emergency?

-Advise the patient to call 911 for a life-threatening emergency -Have the patient come in right away for a non-life threatening emergency

Match the schedule management terms with their definitions. -Advance scheduling -Cluster scheduling -Double-booking system -Modified-wave scheduling -Open-hours scheduling

-Booking an appointment several weeks or even months in advance -Scheduling similar appointments together at a certain time of the day or week -System of scheduling in which 2 or more patients are booked for the same appointment slot, with the assumption that both patients will be seen by the doctor within the scheduled period -Variation on the wave scheduling method -Scheduling in which patients arrive at the doctor's office at their convenience and are seen on a first-come, first-served basis

Which of the following are ways to obtain authorization for a referral?

-By filling out a specific paper referral form -Through an area of the insurance carrier's website -By making a phone request and speaking to a customer service representative

Match the schedule management key terms with their definitions. -Itinerary -Locum tenens -Minutes -Overbooking

-Detailed travel plan listing dates and times for specific transportation arrangements and events, the location of meetings and lodgings, and phone numbers -Substitute physician hired to see patients while the regular physician is away from the office -Report of what happened and what was discussed and decided at a meeting -Scheduling appointments for more patients than can reasonably be seen in the time allowed

Place the steps for scheduling an appointment in order, with the first step on top.

-Establish the type of appointment required by the patient. -Consult the template for the amount of time required for the appointment. -When possible, schedule appointments earlier in the day first and then move to later time frames. -Enter the patient's name, phone number, and reason for appointment in the time slot. -Repeat the appointment information to the patient, giving any necessary instructions regarding preparation for the appointment.

Place the steps for reserving an operating room in order, with the first step on top.

-Give preferred dates and times, the type of surgery, and the length of time the doctor will need the operating room. -Provide all relevant patient information. -Relay any requests from the doctor, such as blood type and units of blood needed. -Make sure all health insurance requirements are met and copies are filed appropriately. -Be sure the patient receives all necessary instructions and information.

Place the steps for scheduling outpatient surgical appointments in order, with the first step on top.

-Obtain detailed information about the procedure and patient information from the patient's medical record. -Call the appropriate surgery center at the requested facility, and identify the procedure you need to schedule and preferred dates. -Give the scheduler the patient's name, address, phone number, DOB, gender, and insurance information to the surgical center. -Inquire as to any preprocedure testing that may need to be done and patient preparation required. -Confirm the appointment date and time prior to hanging up. -Provide the patient with written instructions from the physician and information obtained while booking the appointment.

Match the terms related to schedule management with their definitions. -Walk-in -Time-specified scheduling -Underbooking -No-show -Matrix

-Patient who arrives at the office without an appointment -Scheduling in which patients arrive at regular, specified intervals, assuring the practice a steady stream of patients throughout the day -Leaving large, unused gaps in the doctor's schedule; this approach does not make the best use of the doctor's time -Patient who does not call to cancel and does not come to an appointment -Basic format of an appointment book, established by blocking off times on the schedule during which the doctor is able to see patients

Match the abbreviations related to appointment scheduling with their definitions. -re -ref -RS -S/R -surg

-Recheck -Referral -Reschedule -Suture removal -Surgery

Place the steps for making appointment confirmation calls in order, with the first step on top.

-Starting with the first appointment of the day, call the patient listed. -Ask for the patient, and give your name and the name of the practice and state that you are confirming the patient's appointment. -Remind the patient of special instructions regarding the appointment.

Place the steps for receiving e-mail scheduling in order, with the first step on top

-The patient signs up to receive e-mail communication. -The patient is assigned a password by the office. -The patient may request an appointment as long as it is not needed immediately. -The office returns a confirmation e-mail of the scheduled appointment. -An automatically generated reminder goes out to the patient when the appointment is approaching.

Match the appointment scheduling abbreviations with their definitions. -pt -PT -c/o -cons -NP -NS

-patient -Physical therapy -Complains of -Consultation -New patient -No-show patient

When are confirmation calls typically made?

1 or 2 days before the appointment

With modified-wave scheduling, patients are scheduled in ______-minute increments, OR patients are scheduled to arrive the first half hour, leaving the second half hour unscheduled.

15

New patients should arrive _____ minutes early to allow time for filling out paperwork.

15-30

Few patients are willing to wait more than ______ minutes.

20

To decrease the number of no-show patients, appointment confirmation calls should be made within what time frame before the appointment?

24-48 hours

A new patient has never been seen in the practice or has not been seen by the practice in ______ or more years.

3

An established patient has been seen by the practice within the past ______ years.

3

Some experts advise keeping old appointment books for at least ______ year(s).

3

Generally speaking, a new patient visit should be scheduled in the appointment book or electronic schedule for how long?

30 to 45 minutes

In an open-hours system, what is used to determine which practitioners are available to see patients at any given time?

A matrix

Which factors should be considered when choosing a meeting site?

Adequate size of room Sufficient parking Food services

Which is the best action for scheduling a physician who is consistently late for appointments?

Adjust the office schedule to handle the situation.

Which of the following are ways to handle scheduling situations caused by the physician?

Adjust the office schedule to handle the situation. Speak to the physician directly about the problem.

What type of scheduling is booking an appointment several weeks or months ahead of time?

Advance

In which type of scheduling are patients booked weeks or months in advance, such as for annual gynecologic examinations?

Advance scheduling

Which of the following types of information should be on a patient's appointment reminder card?

Appointment date Provider's name Appointment time

Which of the following are characteristics of modified-wave scheduling?

Appointments that are expected to require more time are scheduled at the beginning of the hour. It allows time for catching up before the next hour begins. Less time-consuming appointments are scheduled in 10- to 20-minute time slots.

What should you do when a pharmaceutical representative who is unknown to you comes into the office?

Ask for a business card and check with the physician before scheduling an appointment.

Which of the following should be done when choosing referral names of either physicians or facilities?

Be sure that all of the paperwork required by the insurance company has been completed. Be sure that the facility accepts the patient's insurance.

Which of the following should be done when arrangements for an outside appointment have been made?

Be sure the patient understands any preprocedure instructions. Provide the patient with written instructions.

When a patient calls to reschedule an appointment, when is it appropriate to write "cancel" and cross out the original appointment?

Before entering the rescheduled appointment

What does a medical assistant do in the appointment book if the doctor has a surgery at 9:00 a.m. and it will last about an hour?

Block off 2 hours in the appointment book

Which of the following are disadvantages of open-hours booking?

Charts cannot be pulled in advance. There is a possibility that no patients at the office at a given time.

Which scheduling system groups similar appointments together on a specific day or for a specific block of time during the day or week?

Cluster scheduling

What should be documented in a patient's chart after scheduling an outside appointment?

Date and time of the procedure Instructions provided to the patient

Which of the following are strategies that patients sometimes use to avoid waiting at the medical office?

Deliberately arriving after a scheduled appointment time Walking in without an appointment and expecting to be seen Arriving earlier at an appointment in hope of being seen sooner

What are the possible consequences of overbooking?

Difficulty maintaining a timely schedule Stress for the physician

In wave scheduling, how is the number of patients to be seen each hour determined?

Divide the hour by the length of the average visit.

What are possible actions when a patient misses an appointment?

Document the no-show and inform the physician. Send out a form letter to the patient.

Which scheduling system is useful when 1 patient can be seen by a nurse practitioner or physician assistant and the other by the physician?

Double-booking

How does the double-booking system differ from the wave or modified-wave system?

Double-booking assumes that both patients will be seen within the scheduled period.

How do you cross out a name in an appointment book?

Draw a single line through the name.

What is the best time to schedule fasting patients?

Early in the day

What is the preferred time for scheduling patients with diabetes?

Early morning

Which type of appointments cause the schedule to run behind because they have to be squeezed in?

Emergency

Which of the following can cause appointment scheduling to get off track?

Emergency appointments Appointments running longer than expected Patients arriving late No-shows

Which of the following are true of a walk-in patient?

Expects to see the doctor Arrives without an appointment

Which of the following are common procedures for scheduling pharmaceutical representatives?

Have the representative leave a business card with product information, and the physician will arrange an appointment if interested. The doctor may set aside certain times or days during the week to meet with representatives.

Besides the appointment book, where should it be noted if a patient cancels an appointment?

In the patient's medical record

Where is a reminder mailing placed after being addressed, depending on how far in the future the appointment is?

In the tickler file under the day when it should be sent In the outgoing mail to be sent to the patient

Which of the following information should be collected from a new patient when scheduling an appointment?

Insurance information Name Phone number

Which of the following is an advantage of open-hours scheduling?

It eliminates problems caused by broken appointments.

Which of the following are characteristics of a well-managed appointment book?

It is key to patient continuity of care. It presents the office in a positive, professional manner.

Which of the following are advantages of computerized scheduling?

It keeps track of patient attendance. It blocks off slots for emergency appointments.

Which of the following apply to underbooking?

It results from cancellations or no-shows. It refers to large, unused gaps in the schedule.

Which of the following are advantages of double-booking?

It works well for patients who do not have to see the doctor can be seen by other provider, such as the nurse practitioner. Emergency appointments can be easily booked.

When is the best time to schedule patients who are chronically late?

Late afternoon

Which audiovisual equipment may need to be arranged when planning a meeting?

Microphone Podium Projector

Which of the following are goals of an appointment scheduling system?

Minimum waiting times Smooth flow of patients

Which of the following is a meeting report that documents who was present, what happened, and what was discussed and decided at the meeting?

Minutes

In which scheduling system can multiple patients be scheduled at planned intervals during the first half hour, leaving the second half hour unscheduled?

Modified-wave

This form of scheduling allows time for catching up before the next hour begins.

Modified-wave

What is the appropriate action if a patient cancels an appointment and would like to call later to reschedule?

Note the information in the appointment book. Thank the patient for the notice.

Which of the following actions should be taken when scheduling outpatient procedures?

Obtain a prior approval or referral if required. Always verify the patient's insurance coverage before choosing the facility or physician.

Which scheduling feature allows patients to schedule themselves or request an appointment on the Internet?

Online scheduling

Why is it preferred to schedule appointments earlier in the day?

Open appointments later in the day allow space for unexpected appointments.

Which of the following is a scheduling system in which patients arrive at their own convenience with the understanding that they will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis?

Open-hours

Which procedure is used to schedule more patients than can reasonably be seen in the time allowed?

Overbooking

What are the 3 components to consider while scheduling?

Patient needs Available facilities Physician's preference and habits

What are the three major pieces of patient information that should be obtained when scheduling an appointment?

Patient phone number Reason for visit Patient name

Which of the following information is needed when scheduling a patient's outpatient surgical procedure?

Patient's allergies and current medications Patient's date of birth Patient's name Patient's address and phone number

Before calling to schedule an outpatient procedure, which types of information should the medical assistant have on hand?

Patient's medical record Diagnosis Name of the procedure

When scheduling outside appointments on behalf of patient, which types of information should be provided to the receiving center?

Patient's phone number Patient's insurance information Patient's date of birth Patient's address

Which of the following is time-specified scheduling?

Patients arrive at the office in a steady stream all day at regular, specified intervals.

Which of the following are true about fasting?

Patients cannot drink, unless allowed to drink water Patients cannot eat

Which of the following types of walk-in patients are exceptions that may be accommodated into the schedule?

Patients who arrive when the doctor or a PA or an NP is available Emergency patients

Which of the following are flexibilities allowed by wave scheduling?

Patients who miss appointments Appointments that require more time than anticipated

Which of the following should be in a physician's medical bag?

Personal protective equipment Thermometers Prescription pad Penlight

What types of appointments typically require more time?

Physical exams New patient visits

The scheduling system chosen usually depends on which of the following factors?

Physician preferences Type of practice

Which of the following are appropriate ways of dealing with a walk-in patient?

Politely ask the patient to call to schedule appointments in the future. Allow the patient to see a PA or an NP, if available. Post a sign in the check-in area stating if the practice has a no walk-in policy.

Which of the following types of information must be given to the scheduler when scheduling a surgery?

Preferred days and time Type of surgery

When should a new patient complete the required "new patient forms"?

Prior to the appointment if received by mail 15-30 minutes prior to the scheduled appointment

To schedule an appointment, what are the three major pieces of information needed from the patient?

Purpose of the visit Telephone numbers Full name

Which of the following should be done to verify the accuracy of a scheduled appointment after entering it into the appointment book or electronic scheduler?

Repeat the appointment date and time to the patient

Which of the following would typically be blocked off on an appointment schedule because the doctor is unavailable?

Scheduled meetings Lunch Vacation days and holidays Surgery Hospital rounds

Which of the following have been barriers to implementing an online scheduling option for some medical practices?

Security Cost

Which of the following materials are needed to schedule an outpatient surgical procedure?

Telephone Calendar Patient medical record Pen

If seeing an emergency patient causes a delay to the physician's schedule, what should you do?

Tell the patients who are waiting there has been an emergency. Allow patients the opportunity to reschedule their appointments if they are unable to wait.

If a patient has to cancel an appointment, which of the following are appropriate responses?

Thank you for calling. Would you like to reschedule?

When scheduling appointments that require a patient to fast, be sure to inform the patient of which of the following?

That the test may not be completed if the patient does not fast When fasting should start

Why should the physician be informed when a patient has missed an appointment?

The physician may want you to call with a polite reminder. The condition may require an appointment. Legal issues may arise.

Which of the following are possible disadvantages of open-hours scheduling?

There may be long wait times. There is too much downtime if there are few patients.

After scheduling an outpatient surgery, it is important to inform patients of which of the following?

They will need to arrange for transportation to and from the appointment.

Which scheduling system assumes a steady stream of patients all day long at regular, specified intervals?

Time-specified

Which of the following is the main goal of wave scheduling?

To begin and end each hour with the schedule on track

Why should a cancellation be noted in a patient's medical record?

To protect the practice from possible legal action

Identify the uses for an appointment book in an open-hours scheduling system.

To record patients as they arrive, for legal reasons To establish a matrix of when the physician is available to see patients

Which of the following types of information must be given to the scheduler when scheduling a surgery?

Type of surgery Preferred days and time

Where should the tickler item for a patient's recall notice be stored?

Under the month when the patient should call the office

Which of the following are true of scheduling patients with diabetes?

Use extra consideration when scheduling appointments. These patients must eat meals and snacks at regular times.

Which of the following would be blocked off on an appointment schedule because the doctor is unavailable?

Vacation days Holidays Hospital rounds Surgery Lunch Scheduled meetings

Which method of scheduling is based on the fact that some patients will arrive late and others will require more or less time than expected?

Wave

Which of the following scheduling systems works well in a large facility with several personnel to provide a large number of services?

Wave scheduling

What should meeting minutes include?

What decisions were made What was discussed

What is the correct procedure if a patient cancels an appointment?

Write "canceled" in the appointment book. Draw a single line through the patient's name in the appointment book.

What are some outside appointments that might be necessary?

X-rays Consultation with other physicians Laboratory work

A well-managed ______ is the key element of an efficient patient flow.

appointment book

A(n) ______ should be given to patients before they leave the office to remind them of their office visit.

appointment card

In open-hours scheduling, patients arrive:

at their own convenience.

A patient's ______ number provided by the insurance company should be included when documenting referrals in the medical record.

authorization

Setting time frames apart for specific appointment types refers to _________ scheduling.

cluster

Being able to access an appointment schedule from multiple areas in the office is an advantage of ______ scheduling.

computerized

It is beneficial to provide __________ to patients who are habitually late or typically no show for appointments.

confirmation calls

As patients leave the office, they are often given paperwork to return to the front desk. Other names for this paperwork are:

encounter form. superbill.

Return appointments for ______ patients are usually made at the time they are being checked out from a current appointment.

established

A patient who has been seen by the practice within the past 3 years is called a(n):

established patient

Refraining from eating or drinking anything beginning the night before a test is called _________.

fasting

The best appointment times for ______ patients are early in the day.

fasting

Wave scheduling has the ______ to allow for appointments that require more time than anticipated or for patients who miss appointments.

flexibility

Because medical appointment books are legal documents, the schedule should be written in

ink

An ______ is a detailed travel plan, listing dates and times of flights and events, locations of meetings and lodgings, and telephone numbers.

itinerary

An appointment book is considered a ______ record.

legal

Supplies required for house calls vary depending on the:

location of the visit. type of visit.

If a local physician is not readily available, a ______ may be hired to see patients while the regular physician is unavailable.

locum tenens substitute physician

A basic outline of the times the physician is and is not available to see patients is called a(n):

matrix

The basic format of an appointment book, established by blocking off times on the schedule during which the doctor is able to see patients, is a

matrix.

The ______ is often responsible for knowing the preferred physicians and facilities of the physician and specific insurance carriers.

medical assistant

A(n) ______ is someone who has never been to a certain facility before or has not seen the physician for more than 3 years.

new patient

Lab work, surgeries, and radiology appointments are examples of:

outside appointments.

Having a properly maintained appointment book shows respect for everyone's time and creates an efficient ______ flow.

patient

Management consultants suggest that a schedule be written in blue ink because it is a ______ document. More than one answer may be selected.

permanent legal

A system of ________ helps patients to remember to call to schedule appointments at appropriate times.

recall notices

Entering the appointment in the scheduler first and then filling out the appointment card:

reduces the chance of error.

It is appropriate to put _________ in a tickler file.

reminder postcards

In order to communicate with the office by e-mail, a patient must:

sign a release to allow e-mail communication. sign up and be assigned a password.

For a physician to communicate with a patient via "mouse" calls, the patient must:

sign the appropriate releases.

The practice's schedule matrix should be based on ________.

the practitioner's schedule

In order to schedule appointments efficiently, you must have a guideline of how much ______ visits are expected to take.

time

Leaving large, unused gaps in the schedule is called:

underbooking.

The reason for obtaining insurance information when scheduling a new patient is so that it can be ______ prior to the patient's appointment.

verified

Patients who come in without an appointment are called:

walk-ins.