MA Front Office Test Questions #9-16

Because some physicians' handwriting is illegible, the electronic health record helps guarantee that the documents will be readable even several years after their creation.

True (Because data are typed into the EHR, the record is more easily read than a physician's handwriting in a paper medical record.)

If English is not the caller's primary language, the medical assistant must use listening skills to ensure understanding.

True (IF)

By legal definition, if it isn't charted, then it didn't happen.

True (If an action is not charted in the medical record, then it is considered not to have happened.)

Medical records offer protection to the physician during legal proceedings if they are accurate and complete.

True (If medical records are accurate and complete, they will protect the actions of the physician during medical professional liability proceedings.)

Less storage space is needed for EHR systems.

True (In general, EHR systems use much less storage space than paper medical record systems.)

The medical assistant should always ask permission before placing a caller on hold.

True (MA)

Downcoding and upcoding are illegal practices, and medical assistants can be prosecuted for either practice.

True (Medical assistants can be prosecuted for downcoding and upcoding, as both as illegal practices.)

The medical assistant must take care not to offer medical advice to the patient.

True (Medical assistants can never offer medical advice to patients)

Open office hours do not work well for most practices.

True (Most practices prefer scheduled appointments so that the workday can be planned to the best extent possible and the staff can be prepared to meet the patients' needs.)

Scheduling systems should be individualized to each specific practice.

True (No two offices operate exactly alike, so scheduling must be planned to make the best use of the physician's and staff members' time.)

Information contained in an electronic health record usually can be accessed from several different physical places.

True (One of the greatest advantages of an EHR system is its flexibility, because records can be accessed from virtually anywhere.)

Placing the paperwork that new patients must fill out on the physician's Web site saves time during the new patient's first appointment.

True (Paperwork can take 30 minutes to complete, so when it is done in advance, the patient usually can see the physician more quickly and leave the office sooner.)

Medical assistants should make an effort to learn the names of the patients who come to the physician's office.

True (Patients are more trusting and amenable when they feel that the physician and staff truly care about their needs. Learning patients' names is one way to gain patients' trust.)

Every patient has the right to expect courteous treatment in a physician's office.

True (Patients have the right to expect courteous treatment in the physician's office.)

The patient's medical record should never leave the office.

True (Patients' medical records should never leave the medical office.)

A payment method in which providers are paid for each individual enrolled in a plan, regardless of whether the person sees the provider that month, is called a ______ plan.

capitation

The medical assistant should be extremely careful when using a speakerphone because

confidentiality can be violated.

What is a specific amount of money a patient must pay out of pocket before the insurance carrier begins paying?

deductible

What is the cause of a disease?

etiology

When placing callers on hold, how often should you check back to make sure the caller still wants to remain on hold?

every 1 minute

According to the Controlled Substances Act, there are ___________ schedules of drugs, with Schedule I having unacceptable use.

five

The abbreviation for grain is __________.

gr

When new stock is added, it should be placed

in the back.

Which of the following is a monthly activity?

inventory emergency supplies

Books, manuscripts, and computer-recorded items are classified as __________ mail.

media

Common items that criminals look for in physicians' offices include

narcotics and cash.

The abbreviation used in the tabular index NOS stands for _____________.

not otherwise specified

The abbreviation in billing POS represents the _______________.

place of service

The medical assistant may help an angry caller to calm down by

speaking in a lower tone of voice.

A Medicare plan is divided into four parts. Part C covers which expenses?

specialist

Fourth digits in a diagnosis code are called ____________________.

subcatergories

Where is the most secure location for prescription pads?

under lock and key

A(n) ____________ is a company that sells supplies or equipment to the medical office.

vendor

A type of insurance that protects workers from loss of wages after an industrial accident that happened on the job is called

workers' compensation

Which of the following is recommended as appropriate for answering incoming calls in an extremely busy medical office?

"Dr. Bewell's office. Ms. Blakely speaking."

If Mr. Jones's has a $500 deductible then his insurance pays 80% of the charges, how much will his policy pay on his surgery bill of $5,500.00?

$4000.00

Any toys placed in the waiting area should be washable.

(True) Toys in the reception area should be washable.

One time unit in anesthesia coding typically equals which of the following?

15 minutes

If your office is in New York and you need to contact a supplier in Chicago, which New York time would be the earliest that you should call to place an order, assuming that the supplier opens at 9AM?

8 AM

Which of the following individuals would not normally be eligible for Medicare?

A 23 year-old with hypertension

STAT means "as soon as possible."

False ( it means immediately)

A crowded reception room means that the physician is very popular and competent.

False (A crowded reception room means that the facility has a problem with scheduling.)

Usually, more staff members are needed when an office uses an EHR system.

False (EHR systems usually mean that an office can function with fewer staff members.)

When billing for supplies, materials, injections, and certain procedures, which CPT manual would you use?

HCPCS (HCPCS are codes used for supplies, materials, and injections.)

Which of the following is not correct with regard to ending a call?

Hanging up before the caller

A Medicare plan is divided into four parts. Part A covers which services?

Hospital

The federal health insurance program for individuals age 65 and older, the disabled, and patients with ESRD is

Medicare

What is a "dispensed" medication?

Medication given at office for patient to take at home

For which of the following products must a physician authorize the order and provide a copy of his or her DEA registration?

Narcotics

When searching the alphabetic index, "Liver" is an example of which of the following?

Organ or anatomic site

When receiving a box of supplies, the document included with the merchandise is known as the ____________.

Packing slip

The physician who enters into a contract with an insurance company and agrees to certain rules and regulations is called a ______ provider.

Participating

Which electronic feature is a secure online website that offers patients 24-hour access to personal health information using a username and password?

Patient Portal

Which of the following types of calls should be limited in the professional setting?

Personal

Who is the owner of a health records?

Physician

Which of the following expenses would be paid by Medicare Part B?

Physician's office visits

What is the monthly payment of a specific amount of money to a insurance company for individual health insurance coverage?

Premium

What is a temporary diagnosis made by the physician before all test results have been received?

Provisional diagnosis

What refers to the process of moving active files to inactive files?

Purging

Which abbreviation means four times a day?

QID

Which type of special postal service would you use for a heavy, expensive piece of medical equipment being returned to the manufacturer for a refund?

Registered

What is the process of cleaning equipment and instruments with detergent to reduce the number of microorganisms?

Sanitization

What are fifth digits in a diagnosis code called?

Subdivision

Which of the following is not required when a telephone message is taken?

The caller's account number

When answering incoming calls, what is the first thing the caller should hear?

The name of the facility

Which route of entry applies to medications applied directly to the skin, eyes, or ears for absorption?

Topical

Which federal government program insures a large group of people and authorizes dependents of the military personnel to receive treatment from civilian physicians?

Tricare

A space of time between events is an interval.

True (A space of time between events is an interval.)

Advance preparation for the arrival of patients helps the day progress smoothly and in a relaxed manner.

True (Advance preparation most assuredly helps the day run more smoothly and efficiently.)

The best practice is to place a patient's chart so that the name cannot be seen by those in the hallways of the physician's office.

True (Although seeing a name on a chart in a hallway is an incidental disclosure, it is still a good practice to position the record so that the name is not visible.)

A supply order includes sixty packages of gauze. Two packages were received and the others have not been delivered. The office manager goes to the local store to buy more gauze before the office runs out. What is the status of the other fifty-eight packages?

Backordered

The EHR allows access to patient information in an emergency.

Because patients' records are critical in emergencies, the electronic health record proves itself valuable in such situations.

All of the following help prevent low back pain except:

Bending from the waist when lifting an object

Which term refers to the frequency of purchases?

Buying cycle

Where should emergency medication and equipment be stored for easy access in the medical office?

Crash cart

Which of the following calls is considered urgent, but not an emergency?

Fever of 102 F

The medical assistant should always verify which of the following prior to the patient's appointment?

All of the above (Eligibility, Benefits and exclusions, Effective date of insurance)

Medical records used for procedural coding can include which of the following?

All of the above (Encounter form, Progress notes, Pathology report, Radiology report)

Which of the following are common sources of incoming calls to the physician's office?

All of the above (Other physicians, Laboratories, New patients)

When a patient calls with a complaint

All of the above (find the source of the problem. present options of solutions to the patient. Use an approach similar to that for angry callers.)

What duties should be performed in anticipation of the day at the provider's office?

All of the above should be performed (Turn on the lights in all examination rooms, Make sure each room is fully stocked with supplies, Turn on all equipment that will be used throughout the day.)

The FDA, a division of the ___________________, regulates over-the-counter drugs.

DHHS

Glass partitions should never be used in today's medical offices.

False (If glass partitions are usually open, they are perfectly acceptable for use in the physician's office. However, the medical assistant should not allow the glass partition to always remain closed, because that gives the impression that the staff is unfriendly and unavailable.)

The CPT is divided into eight sections.

False (It is divided in 6 sections)

The medical assistant should use medical jargon with patients and lay terms with physicians and other medical personnel.

False (Jargon should be used only with other medical professionals; when speaking with patients, medical assistants should use lay terms.)

A telephone in the reception area is useless, because most patients now carry cell phones.

False (Not all patients have cell phones, especially older patients. The phone will be handy if a patient needs to call a taxi or a relative to obtain a ride.)

Subjective information is that which the physician observes during the physical examination of the patient. True

False (Objective information is observed during the physical examination.)

The PDR is updated biannually.

False (PDR)

The medical assistant should take a patient's history in the reception area, where the patient can sit comfortably.

False (Patient histories should be taken in a private area so that the patient is able to speak freely.)

Patients understand if the physician's office is not completely clean, because most offices are busy facilities.

False (Patients expect an immaculately clean medical facility.)

The medical assistant should never give patients an estimate of what the cost of their visit will be, even on the initial visit.

False (Patients should be given a good estimate of what they should expect to pay, especially on the first visit.)

The EHR system is not capable of telling whether a certain procedure matches a specific diagnosis code.

False (The EHR system is able to distinguish matching diagnosis and procedure codes.)

If a caller refuses to identify himself or herself, the medical assistant can put the call through to the physician right then.

False (The caller should not be put through if he or she refuses to give a name; however, the medical assistant can offer to schedule an appointment so that the caller can speak privately with the physician.)

Complaints about fees must always be directed to the office manager or the biller.

False (The medical assistant can handle most calls about billing matters.)

If a patient calls the office and states that his or her condition has not improved since the office visit earlier in the week, the medical assistant can suggest over-the-counter medications that the patient could try.

False (The medical assistant can never suggest any type of treatment or medication, because this constitutes practicing medicine without a license.)

The medical assistant can refer patients to an Internet map if they call for directions to the physician's office.

False (The medical assistant must always provide accurate directions if the patient asks; it is helpful to have written directions handy that originate from different landmarks in the area.)

Patients who are too talkative should be dismissed from the physician's care before they take up too much of his or her time.

False (The medical assistant must tactfully deal with talkative patients.)

If the patient brings a relative to the physician appointment, this implies that the patient consents to discussion of the patient's care with the relative.

False (The medical assistant should never assume that the patient consents to discussion of his or her health with a friend or relative just because the person is with the patient for the office visit.)

The medical assistant should offer assistance only to patients who are obviously handicapped.

False (The medical assistant should offer to assist any patient who appears to need assistance.)

When documents are added to a patient's chart, the most recent information should be placed on the bottom

False (The most recent information should be on top in patients' medical records.)

Patients should always be given an exact time that the physician will return a call.

False (The physician cannot be held to a specific time to return a call, because emergencies or lengthy appointments make this practice nearly impossible.)

The facilities available at the office do not influence the number of patients the physician can see in a day.

False (The physician has only a certain number of exam rooms, so the practice can see only a limited number of patients based on the available facilities.)

The provider's habits should not influence appointment scheduling.

False (The provider's habits can greatly influence the schedule; if he or she is often late, the schedule can be thrown off for the entire day. The medical assistant must take the provider's habits into account when scheduling appointments.)

The records of any patient covered by Medicare or Medicaid must be kept at least 7 years.

False (The records of any patient covered by Medicare or Medicaid must be kept at least 10 years.)

The three basic filing methods are alphabetic, numeric, and characteristics.

False (The three basic filing methods are alphabetic, numeric, and alphanumeric.)

All sales calls are an interruption to the physician's day.

False (all)

The place of service never changes for physician billing.

False (can change location)

A generic medication is protected by copyright.

False (generic)

It is acceptable to code from the Alphabetic Index.

False (it is not acceptable)

A detailed history takes the shortest amount of time.

False (requires more time)

A 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 is called a preauthorization.

True (Preauthorization is a 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.)

An aggregate of activities designed to ensure adequate quality is called quality control.

True (Quality control is a group of activities designed to ensure adequate quality.)

Wave scheduling may involve several patients arriving at the same time.

True (Several patients may arrive at the same time when the office uses wave scheduling.)

The appearance of the reception room influences the patient's perception of the entire office.

True (The appearance of the reception area influences patients' perceptions of the staff and the facility.)

The medical assistant should never argue with a patient on the telephone or attempt to place blame on the patient's actions when a disagreement arises.

True (The medical assistant must always act in a professional manner and never argue or blame the patient for any event or situation.)

When an appointment is rescheduled, the first appointment date and time must be removed.

True (The medical assistant must make sure the first appointment is removed from the scheduling system before rescheduling the appointment.)

The medical assistant needs to watch the patient's body language.

True (The medical assistant needs to watch the patient's body language.)

The medical assistant should speak at a moderate pace when talking with patients on the telephone.

True (The medical assistant should talk at a moderate rate, neither too quickly nor too slowly, when on the telephone with patients.)

Transferring a call to a staff member without announcing the caller's name is considered unprofessional.

True (The professional medical assistant always announces the caller's name when transferring a call so that the receiving staff member can pull a record, ledger card, or other information that might be related to that particular patient.)

An electronic health record system conceivably could hold all the patients seen over the life of a physician's practice.

True (With external hard disk backup, a physician could store the records of all patients in the history of the practice.)

Main terms appear in bold type.

True (bold)

The guidelines for medical confidentiality apply equally to telephone conversations; therefore take care that no one overhears sensitive information.

True (guide)

Placing and receiving personal calls should be avoided during business hours.

True (placing)

Which of the following would be considered professional jargon?

Using a medical term such as encephalalgia instead of the lay term headache would be considered use of professional jargon.

Which schedule includes cough medications that present a low chance of abuse?

V

Which insurance policy covers employees of the large companies to compensate employment-related injuries?

Workers' compensation

Which term means to partially remove, relieve, or lessen the pain?

alleviate

A drug that relieves headaches and pain is classified as an _____________.

anaglesic

A pleasing telephone personality is developed by

being tactful.

A recipient of health insurance benefits is called ____________.

beneficiary