Appointments Module
In addition to blocking out professional travel in the appointment book, assistants may arrange the flights and accommodations for physicians.
True
Medical office assistants are responsible for scheduling and canceling appointments.
True
Stream scheduling is the most commonly used scheduling system.
True
What is hospitalization?
When a patient is checked into a hospital
Which of the following is an outpatient diagnostic test?
a blood test
Dr. Brenner will be out of the office starting at 3:15 PM on August 10. How should the assistant record this in the appointment matrix?
Block out the time on August 10, and note the reason the physician is unavailable.
Mrs. Lopez calls to schedule an appointment for what she thinks is a sinus infection. This is an example of what kind of an appointment?
A routine appointment
What is one of the advantages of double-booking appointments?
Allows for urgent care when there are no available appointments
Why is keeping accurate records in practice-management software important?
Entries become a permanent, legal record
What should the assistant do when a patient stops at the front desk after an appointment?
Exercise proper customer service and collect the required payment Review the patient's chart to make sure it is complete Check if the patient needs a follow-up visit All of the above
Which of the following serves as a reminder for patient appointments?
An appointment card A confirmation call A reminder notice All of the above
What is a referral?
An authorization for a patient to receive specialized services from another practice
How can assistants calm patients' fears about their hospital admission?
Answer their questions and provide them with information
Why do assistants include the abbreviation NP when entering a new patient's appointment in the appointment book?
As a reminder to have the patient complete registration forms
What is the best way to filter a salesperson's request to see the physician without disrupting the office schedule?
Ask for product information and a business card
What is a benefit of having the assistant schedule a consultation referral?
Assistants can record information on the referral form. Assistants can communicate important details. Patients may be less anxious if they don't have to schedule it themselves. All of the above
Why are outpatient tests scheduled by an office assistant?
Assistants know the referral process and the medical language involved.
What role do medical office assistants play in referring a patient for a consultation?
Assistants may schedule the appointment and answer patient questions.
A patient must be with a practice for more than a year to be considered an established patient.
False
As an assistant, TJ deals with many people who want to see the physician. How should he handle all of these people?
Filter their requests
What does it mean to schedule by exception?
Fitting emergencies into the schedule, even if the office is busy
What should the medical office assistant do after a patient has had surgery?
Follow up with the hospital and patient
Why might a patient be referred to another physician or facility?
For testing For a second opinion For an examination All of the above
Which of the following is true about emergency hospitalization?
Assistants still must be prepared with the patient's information.
Which of the following is a feature of practice-management software?
Generates reports Creates and tracks claims Manages electronic medical records (EMR) Schedules appointments All of the above
What is a disadvantage of the wave scheduling system?
Patient wait times may vary
Sam is speaking with a new patient who wants to schedule an appointment. What information does he need from the patient?
Patient's phone number Patient's address Patient's name Patient's date of birth All of the above
Why are outpatient instructions important?
Patients may need to prepare for the appointment.
What are walk-ins?
Patients who want to see the physician without an appointment
Why may physicians refer patients for outpatient tests?
The medical office does not have the required equipment.
Which of the following is a common reason for a delay in the schedule?
The physician is held up at the hospital
Under what circumstance might a physician refer a patient to another physician for a consultation?
The physician would like a second opinion on patient care.
How does an open office hours scheduling system eliminate missed appointments?
There are no scheduled appointments.
What is one of the disadvantages of grouping similar appointments?
There is less flexibility with appointment times.
Why are emergencies scheduled by exception?
They are serious situations that require immediate attention
Which of the following statements about cancellations is correct?
They occur when patients notify the office that they cannot keep scheduled appointments
What does wave scheduling assume about patients?
They rarely arrive for their appointments on time.
What is the purpose of practice-management software?
To allow staff to complete tasks electronically
Why should a new patient arrive 15-20 minutes prior to an appointment?
To complete new patient registration
What is the purpose of appointment reminder systems?
To increase patient show rates
A cancellation is when a patient notifies the medical office that they cannot keep a scheduled appointment.
True
A medical office assistant should always consult the office guidelines for preferred methods of scheduling.
True
Diego is scheduled to see Dr. Wise at 10:30 AM for a medication check. The office assistant just scheduled Greg to see Dr. Wise at 10:30 AM for a backache. The 10:30 AM appointment time is now double-booked.
True
What should guide the medical office assistant in making appointments?
Office policy
What is the standard time assigned to a prenatal examination?
15 minutes
What is the maximum amount of time a patient should wait to be seen?
20 minutes
What is one of the disadvantages of stream scheduling?
A late patient can cause the entire schedule to become delayed.
What should be considered when determining how much time is needed for a patient's appointment?
A patient's reason for scheduling A physician's preferences A physician's availability All of the above
What is a scheduling system?
A preplanned way of separating available time in the schedule
How can a physician consultation be scheduled?
By an assistant By a patient By a physician All of the above
Sam, a medical office assistant, is calling the Health East Hospital to schedule an appointment for a patient. He has been transferred to the correct department. How should he start the conversation with the receptionist?
By identifying himself and the office he's calling from
What steps can a medical office assistant take to fill a canceled appointment time?
Call patients who have appointments scheduled later that day or week
How should assistants respond to disruptions in the office schedule?
Calmly
What does the abbreviation "C" represent in practice-management software?
Cancellation
What does the abbreviation "c/o" represent?
Complains of
Alicia, an assistant, is preparing to call an outpatient facility to set up an appointment. In addition to the patient's name and contact information, what other patient information will she need to provide?
Date of birth and reason for the test
Tom, a medical office assistant, receives a call from a patient who has what sounds like a serious infection. How should Tom schedule the acutely ill patient?
Double-book the appointment, if necessary
Sophia has been asked to schedule a hip replacement surgery for a patient. What type of hospitalization will this be?
Elective
When scheduling an elective hospitalization, which gets scheduled first?
Elective surgery
Samantha received a large cut that demands immediate attention. The physician cannot perform the procedure and immediately sends Samantha to the hospital. What type of hospitalization is this?
Emergency
Which type of hospitalization is not planned in advance?
Emergency hospitalization
Mrs. Applegate has been referred to another physician for a consultation. She prefers to schedule the appointment herself. What should the assistant do?
Give her a referral form and the facility's contact information
A patient, Trent, is scheduled for a 7:45 AM hospital admission. What does this mean?
He will be formally checked into the hospital at 7:45 AM
Which of these statements is the best way to respond to an unexpected visitor to the office?
I'm sorry, but Dr. Torrez's schedule is full today. Would you like to schedule an appointment for another time?
Under what circumstance would a hospital admit a patient before surgery is scheduled?
In an emergency
When blocking out unavailable appointment times, why is it important to note where the physician will be?
In case there is a need to contact the physician
An unscheduled patient has stopped by Dr. Hopkins' office, hoping to see the physician. Suzanne, the assistant, determines that the patient's request is not an emergency. How should she handle the patient?
Inform the patient of the office's appointment policy and offer to schedule a future appointment
What is one of the advantages of the modified wave system?
It offers some flexibility in case a patient is late
How does an appointment card help a medical office's schedule?
It reminds patients of their scheduled appointments
What is a disadvantage of practice-management software?
It requires staff to maintain
Why does the initial information gathered from a new patient include the patient's date of birth?
Knowing the patient's date of birth distinguishes between patients with the same name and helps the physician better prepare for the appointment.
What is the standard procedure for recording a patient's name for an appointment?
Last name, first name
Why are unexpected visitors to the medical office often problematic?
Many offices rely heavily on scheduled appointments. Including another appointment could put pressure on the physician to hurry. Adding the appointment could delay a patient's scheduled visit. All of the above
Paul was last seen by Dr. Carson five years ago. When scheduling his next appointment, what kind of a patient will the assistant consider him?
New
What does the abbreviation "NP" represent?
New Patient
How can an assistant determine if a person is a new patient?
New patients have never been seen, or they have not been seen in the past three years.
What does the abbreviation "N/S" stand for in the practice-management software?
No-show
When a patient misses an appointment without calling the office, it is commonly referred to as what?
No-show
Dr. Velasquez has been delayed at the hospital for another hour. How should the assistant respond?
Notify all scheduled patients and give them the option to reschedule
Which of the following is a key step in scheduling an appointment?
Offer the patient choices of dates and times
What factors should be considered when choosing a scheduling system?
Patients with special needs may require extra attention. Patients who use public transportation may need time to make arrangements. Patients may need to schedule around childcare arrangements. Patients want to avoid interrupting their work and school schedules. All of the above
What does the abbreviation "PT" represent?
Physical therapy
In what manner must medical office assistants present themselves when talking to patients?
Polite and courteous
Software that manages medical office operations is typically referred to as what?
Practice-management software
What is one of the advantages of grouping similar appointments?
Reduces staff preparation between appointments
Which of the following statements about routine visits to the medical office is correct?
Routine appointments require basic equipment and little preparation.
Which of the following tasks can be completed using practice-management software?
Scheduling patients Notating patient accounts Billing and Insurance All of the above
What is a benefit of electronic scheduling software?
Searching for available appointment times is made easy.
What should an assistant do when there is a concern about the current scheduling system?
Share the concern with the office manager
What is practice-management software?
Software that electronically manages medical office operations
Travis is confronted by a pharmaceutical rep wishing to see the physician. Dr. Smithfield has a full schedule. What should Travis do?
Tactfully request that he leave literature for the physician to review