General Office Duties

The process of establishing a matrix for the day's appointment page can best be described by which of the following? A. Identifying the treatment required for each patient's visit B. Consulting guidelines to determine the length of time needed for each patient C. Blocking out the hours the physician is unavailable D. Allotting appointment times according to each patient's complaint

Blocking out the hours the physician is unavailable

Which of the following concepts help(s) protect the patient's privacy? A. Client's words B. Confidentiality C. Completeness D. Chronological order E. Clarity

Confidentiality

Which of the following salutations is correct? A. Dear Mr. Lutgen, B. Dear Mr. M. Lutgen! C. Dear Mr. Lutgen: D. Mr. Lutgen

Dear Mr. Lutgen:

The most appropriate way to correct an error in a patient's medical record is to A. erase the error and write the correct information. B. tear the page out and destroy it. C. write over the error with a permanent marker, write the correct information, and initial the correction. D. cover the error with correction fluid and write the correct information. E. Draw a line through the error, write the correct information, record the date, and initial the correction.

Draw a line through the error, write the correct information, record the date, and initial the correction.

Which of the following is true about postage meters? A. They can print postage directly on the envelope. B. They can print postage onto a special gummed label. C. The medical assistant should remember to change the date on it daily. D. It can save the office from the hassles of keeping several different denominations of stamps on hand. E. All of the above are true.

E. All of the above are true.

Which of the following is the definition of a block letter format? A. The date, subject, closing, and signature lines are centered. B. The date, to, from, and subject lines are capitalized. C. The date, subject, closing, and signature lines are flush to the right. D. Each line is justified to the left.

Each line is justified to the left.

Which of the following is the best way to handle an angry caller? A. Place the caller on hold until he or she calms down. B. Express regret that the caller has a complaint. C. Interrupt the caller to tell him or her your point of view. D. Admit the error immediately.

Express regret that the caller has a complaint.

What is the abbreviation for a follow-up appointment? A. FP B. FA C. FU D. FUP

FU

A 75-year-old woman calls the office and is concerned about her test results. Her follow-up appointment is in a week. She insists on an answer and you know the test results are not good. What should you do? A. Pull her chart, find the test result, and read the result to the patient. B. Find the test result and ask the physician to interpret the result for the patient. C. Tell the patient she has to wait for her follow-up to get the test results. D. Mail or fax the patient a copy of the test results to take to another physician to interpret. E. This problem is not your responsibility; you should have the office manager handle it.

Find the test result and ask the physician to interpret the result for the patient.

Which of the following letter formats is most commonly used in a medical office? A. Simplified B. Full-block C. Modified D. Baronial E. None of the above

Full-block

What should you do with a letter addressed to the physician and marked "Personal"? A. Give it directly to the physician. B. Open it with the other mail. C. Open the mail and annotate it. D. Return to sender. E. Give it to the office manager to open.

Give it directly to the physician

Which of the following is used to separate file folders? A. Identification labels B. Out guides C. Captions D. Guides

Guides

Which type of record must be kept permanently? A. The records of minors B. The records of the elderly C. Immunization records D. Financial records E. Legal records

Immunization records

Which of the following refers to a method of deciding where to file a letter? A. Coding B. Sorting C. Indexing D. Transferring E. Annotating

Indexing

Which of the following is the correct way to write the physician's name and title on the inside address in a letter? A. Jay B. Smith, M.D. B. Dr. B. Smith C. Dr. Smith D. Dr. Jay B. Smith, M.D.

Jay B. Smith, M.D.

If a patient is chronically late or requires more of the physician's time than other patients, when should this patient's appointment be scheduled? A. First appointment of the day B. Last appointment of the day C. Last appointment before lunch D. First appointment after lunch

Last appointment of the day

Which of the following is the correct state postal abbreviation for Mississippi? A. MS B. MA C. MT D. MC E. ME

MS

What is the basic format of appointment books called? A. Buffer B. Group C. Matrix D. Wave

Matrix

Which of the following is (are) the official record of the proceedings of a meeting? A. Agenda B. Itinerary C. Memorandum D. Minutes

Minutes

According to the United States Postal Service, what is the correct abbreviation for Nebraska? A. NR B. NK C. NE D. NB E. NA

NE

Which of the filing systems is used by every large clinic that has more than 5000 patients? A. Color coded B. Alphabetic C. Numeric D. Alphanumeric E. Tickler

Numeric

Which of the following systems is most appropriate for filing reference materials for patient needs? A. Subject B. Numeric C. Alphabetic D. Chronological

Numeric

Which of the following is the least structured of all the scheduling systems? A. Open hours B. Advance scheduling C. Modified wave D. Wave scheduling E. Double booking

Open hours

According to the USPS, the word plaza should be abbreviated as follows. A. PZ B. PL C. PLA D. PLZ

PLZ

Which of the following is a "write it once" bookkeeping system? A. Single-entry B. Double-entry C. Journal D. Pegboard

Pegboard

When establishing appointment guidelines for a medical office, whose preferences should be considered first? A. Patients B. Nurse C. Physician D. Office manager

Physician

According to the USPS, the word suite should be abbreviated as follows. A. S B. STE C. ST D. SE

STE

Which of the following includes specifications for preventive maintenance of office equipment and ensures against future repair costs? A. Guarantee B. Warranty C. Procedure manual D. Service agreement

Service agreement

Which of the following words is plural? A. Stomata B. Calculus C. Diverticulum D. Corpus

Stomata

A tickler file is an example of which of the following filing systems? A. Numeric B. Subject C. Alphabetic D. Chronological

Subject

According to the principles of source-oriented medical recordkeeping, forms and progress notes should be arranged in which of the following orders? A. Chronological B. Reverse chronological C. Alphabetic D. Subject

Subject

Which filing system is the most widely used? A. Subject B. Chronological C. Numeric D. Color coded

Subject

Which is the most appropriate initial step for medical assistants to take when a patient comes into the office in an emergency situation? A. Send the patient to the nearest hospital. B. Call 9-1-1. C. Schedule an appointment for the patient at the next available time. D. Reschedule the current appointment for a later time. E. Take the patient into an examination room.

Take the patient into an examination room.

Which of the following is required to operate a fax machine? A. Telephone line B. Dictation machine C. Scanner D. Computer

Telephone line

Which of the following is the most important information to record when scheduling an appointment for a patient? A. Mailing address B. E-mail address C. Age D. Birth date E. Telephone number

Telephone number

Which of the following is true about formatting the body of a letter? A. The body begins 5 lines below the subject line. B. The body is usually double spaced. C. There is usually a blank line left between paragraphs. D. The body is usually indented 1 inch from the salutation and subject line. E. All of the above are true.

There is usually a blank line left between paragraphs.

Which of the following is true about special endorsements such as "Address Service Requested"? A. There must be a 1/4-inch clear space around the endorsement. B. The endorsement must read in the opposite direction from the delivery and return address. C. The endorsement has to be directly to the left of the postage area. D. Endorsements differ for each class of mail but the cost is always the same. E. None of the above are true.

There must be a 1/4-inch clear space around the endorsement.

Which of the following files is used as a reminder? A. Inactive B. Tickler C. Numeric D. Subject

Tickler

Which type of filing system is the best to use to remind you to renew an office magazine subscription each year? A. Tickler files B. Card files C. Alphabetic files D. Numeric files

Tickler files

Which of the following scheduling methods allows short-term flexibility within an hour to account for variables in appointments? A. Open hours B. Categorization C. Fixed D. Wave E. Double booking

Wave

Which of the following types of scheduling is based on the reality that some patients will arrive late? A. Open hours B. Advance C. Double booking D. Wave

Wave

Which of the following is an appropriate complimentary closing? A. Sincerely: B. Yours Truly C. Best Wishes D. Best wishes E. Yours truly,

Yours truly,

When blocking off the matrix in an appointment book, you should block off A. lunch. B. hospital rounds. C. vacation. D. consultations. E. all of the above

all of the above

A list that specifies each place a traveler will visit is A. minutes. B. an agenda. C. a schedule. D. an itinerary. E. an invitation

an itinerary

The process of highlighting key points of a letter is known as A. annotating. B. sorting. C. tracing. D. handling. E. composing

annotating

When answering incoming calls, A. answer with your name and the number of the office. B. ask right away, "How may I help you?" C. answer with the name of the office followed by your name. D. answer by giving the number of the office and asking, "How may I help you?"

answer with the name of the office followed by your name

The type of stationery often used for memos and short letters is known as A. watermark. B. standard letterhead C. executive letterhead. D. baronial letterhead.

baronial letterhead

When an incoming call is received, the telephone should be answered A. within 1 minute. B. by the second or third ring. C. by the third or fourth ring. D. when there is no patient nearby. E. by the answering service.

by the second or third ring

A business phone should be answered A. on the first ring only. B. by the second or third ring. C. by the answering service first. D. after the third ring.

by the second or third ring.

Using precise and accurate medical terminology and writing legibly and neatly are examples of A. clarity. B. conciseness. C. completeness. D. confidentiality. E. enunciation

clarity

Files of patients who have died or moved away are known as A. transferred. B. closed. C. active. D. inactive.

closed

An x-ray with an accompanying report should be sent as A. first-class mail. B. combination mailing. C. special standard mail. D. restricted mail.

combination mailing

Invoices and statements of account should always be sent A. standard mail (A). B. standard mail (B). C. Priority Mail. D. first-class mail.

first-class mail.

Reserving certain times in the schedule to perform similar procedures is known as A. double booking. B. grouping. C. wave scheduling. D. advance scheduling

grouping

If the patient calls in to report that he or she is doing well after surgery, the medical assistant should A. transfer the call to the physician or surgeon. B. transfer the call to the attending nurse. C. handle the call and make note of the patient's report in his or her medical records. D. thank the patient for calling and hang up. E. explain to the patient that he or she needs to call only if things are going badly.

handle the call and make note of the patient's report in his or her medical records.

When sending a patient a new piece of equipment such as a hearing aid, it is best to A. send it COD. B. trace the package. C. insure the package. D. never send it via USPS mail.

insure the package

A room in which people can talk or meet without being seen or heard from the patient reception area is a(n) A. boardroom. B. interim room. C. conference room. D. ante room.

interim room

Mr. Smith is a regular patient who has been coming in for follow-up treatment for prostate cancer. When greeting Mr. Smith, A. avoid using his name. B. ask him how he is recovering from the prostate cancer. C. make eye contact. D. do all of the above.

make eye contact

The most appropriate filing system for a practice with more than 15,000 active patient records is A. geographic. B. subject. C. alphabetic. D. chronological. E. numeric.

numeric.

SOAP pertains to A. dictation equipment. B. computer code. C. malpractice. D. vital signs. E. patient records.

patient records

The process of checking a letter for errors is known as A. editing. B. annotating. C. proofreading. D. abbreviating.

proofreading.

The formal greeting in a business letter is known as the A. identification line. B. salutation. C. complimentary closing. D. notation. E. dateline.

salutation

Arranging papers to be filed in sequential order prior to filing is known as A. indexing. B. coding. C. transferring. D. sorting. E. transcribing.

sorting

Business and organization records should be filed according to A. subject and topic. B. date. C. names. D. index.

subject and topic

A call concerning an x-ray lab result should be handled by A. the medical assistant. B. the lab technician. C. the physician. D. any of the above.

the medical assistant

If a patient calls about insurance coverage, the call should be handled by A. the physician who performed the test or procedure in question. B. the medical assistant. C. the next available physician. D. the insurance company. .

the medical assistant

Triage refers to A. sorting which calls need to be handled by the physician and which calls can be answered by the medical assistant. B. the screening and sorting of emergency situations. C. dealing with various insurance companies. D. dealing with angry and fearful patients. E. none of the above.

the screening and sorting of emergency situations

The identification line in a business letter includes the A. typist's initials. B. subject. C. salutation. D. signature. E. closing.

typist's initials

According to the American Medical Association, the patient's records must be kept for how long after the patient's final visit? A. 1 year B. 3 years C. 7 years D. 10 years

10 years

The correct placement of the notations line in a business letter is A. 2-1/2 inches below the top edge. B. on the second line below the inside address. C. 2 lines above the body of the letter. D. 2 lines below the signature block. E. directly under the dateline.

2 lines below the signature block

Priority Mail provides A. next-day service. B. 2-day service anywhere in the United States. C. 2-day service between major business markets. D. none of the above.

2-day service between major business markets

How long should employee health records be kept? A. 1 year B. 2 years C. 3 years D. 10 years E. Indefinitely

3 years

How long should you hold onto old appointment books? A. 1 year B. 2 years C. 3 years D. 5 years E. 10 years

3 years

Several patients are waiting to be seen by the physician, who has just arrived at the office. Which of the following patients should be examined by the physician first? A. A walk-in patient with a swollen wrist B. A patient scheduled for a Pap smear C. A patient scheduled for a high fever and coughing D. A patient scheduled for having discharge from the penis E. A walk-in patient complaining of pain radiating to the left arm

A walk-in patient complaining of pain radiating to the left arm

Which of the following is the best type of scheduling system for an office that requires yearly follow-up appointments? A. Advance scheduling B. Wave scheduling C. Double booking D. Modified-wave scheduling E. Open hours

Advance scheduling

What action should a medical assistant take if a caller wants to talk to a physician but the physician is not in? A. Hang up. B. Transfer the call to the physician anyway. C. Ask the person to write a letter to the physician and mark it Personal. D. Advise the person that the physician is not in the office, find out the caller's identity, and offer to take a message or inform the patient of an appropriate time to call back.

Advise the person that the physician is not in the office, find out the caller's identity, and offer to take a message or inform the patient of an appropriate time to call back.

Which of the following calls requires the physician's personal attention? A. Calls from other physicians B. Calls from patients who want to discuss test results C. Prescription renewals previously not authorized D. All of the above

All of the above

Which of the following words should be capitalized? A. Proper names B. Sums of money C. Geographical locations D. Days of the week E. All of the above

All of the above

Which of the following is a reason to keep medical records? A. They supply statistical information. B. They facilitate reimbursement. C. They provide evidence in lawsuits. D. All of the above are true.

All of the above are true.

Which of the following is true about sending money through the mail? A. You should never send cash. B. Postal money orders can be purchased at the post office. C. For a small fee, you can obtain a copy of a paid money order for up to 2 years after the date it has been cashed. D. All of the above are true.

All of the above are true.

. When filing identical names, what should you use to determine how to file a medical record? A. The patients' dates of birth B. The patients' identification numbers C. The patients' places of birth D. Any of the above

Any of the above