Chapter 16: Schedule Management
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.
When are confirmation calls typically made?
1 or 2 days before the appointment
Follow-up appointment
10-15 minutes
Suture removal
10-20 minutes
A patient calls for an appointment because she has had a sore throat for four days. How much time should you schedule for her appointment?
15 minutes
Prenatal examination
15 minutes
The typical time allotted for a routine Pap smear and pelvic examination is __________.
15 to 30 minutes
Emergency office visit
15-20 minutes
New patients should arrive _____ minutes early to allow time for filling out paperwork.
15-30
Pelvic exam and Pap smear
15-30 minutes
Few patients are willing to wait more than ______ minutes.
20
Most patients are willing to wait no more than __________ minutes to be seen by a medical provider.
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
In-office minor surgery such as a mole removal typically lasts __________.
30 minutes
Minor in-office surgery
30 minutes
Generally speaking, a new patient visit should be scheduled in the appointment book or electronic schedule for how long?
30 to 45 minutes
New patient visit
30-45 minutes
New patient physical examination
60 minutes
In an open-hours system, what is used to determine which practitioners are available to see patients at any given time?
A matrix
What does locum tenens refer to?
A substitute physician
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
If seeing an emergency patient causes a delay to the physician's schedule, what should you do?
Allow patients the opportunity to reschedule their appointments if they are unable to wait. Tell the patients who are waiting there has been an emergency.
Which of the following types of information should be on a patient's appointment reminder card?
Appointment time Provider's name Appointment date
When is the best time for fasting patients to be scheduled?
As early in the day as possible
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.
What is the best approach to handling patient cancellations?
Attempt to schedule another patient in the cancellation slot.
In what way(s) can the medical assistant assist a practitioner in managing the office schedule?
Avoid overbooking and underbooking
What is the best way to handle a practitioner who consistently throws off the office schedule by returning late from lunch?
Avoid scheduling patients for the first appointment after lunch when possible.
What is the standard abbreviation for blood pressure?
BP
Matrix
Basic format of an appointment book, established by blocking off times on the schedule during which the doctor is able to see patients
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.
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
Advance scheduling
Booking an appointment several weeks or even months in advance
Which of the following problems is eliminated by an open-hours scheduling system?
Broken appointments
Which of the following are ways to obtain authorization for a referral?
By filling out a specific paper referral form By making a phone request and speaking to a customer service representative Through an area of the insurance carrier's website
What is the common abbreviation for a complete physical examination?
CPE
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.
Minutes
Choice, Report of what happened and what was discussed and decided at a meeting Report of what happened and what was discussed and decided at a meeting
Locum tenens
Choice, Substitute physician hired to see patients while the regular physician is away from the office Substitute physician hired to see patients while the regular physician is away from the office
This type of scheduling groups similar appointments together on a certain day of the week or for certain times of day, which may be helpful with equipment and staffing.
Cluster
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
c/o
Complains of
After scheduling a surgical outpatient appointment, what should you do just before concluding the call with the scheduler?
Confirm the appointment.
cons
Consultation
What are some outside appointments that might be necessary?
Consultation with other physicians X-rays Laboratory work
Which of the following have been barriers to implementing an online scheduling option for some medical practices?
Cost Security
Itinerary
Detailed travel plan listing dates and times for specific transportation arrangements and events, the location of meetings and lodgings, and phone numbers
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.
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 correct procedure if a patient cancels an appointment?
Draw a single line through the patient's name in the appointment book. Write "canceled" in the appointment book.
In a paper scheduling format, how is it indicated that a time slot is unavailable?
Draw an "X" through unavailable time slots.
What is the standard abbreviation for an electrocardiogram?
ECG
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 are advantages of double-booking?
Emergency appointments can be easily booked. It works well for patients who do not have to see the doctor can be seen by other provider, such as the nurse practitioner.
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 the 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.
Which of the following are true of a walk-in patient?
Expects to see the doctor Arrives without an appointment
Carrie is to be scheduled for an elective outpatient surgical procedure. When you ask if she has a preferred date and time for the procedure, she tells you she would really like to have the surgery done on Monday of next week because her sister will be in town to help care for her. You check with the outpatient facility, and they have an operating room open at 11:30 on Monday morning. However, the surgeon is scheduled to leave for vacation on Monday at noon. What should you do?
Explain the situation to the surgeon and ask for his advice.
Which factors should be considered when choosing a meeting site?
Food services Adequate size of room Sufficient parking
Mr. Andre is scheduled for an outpatient surgical procedure next week. You have gone over the instructions with him, confirmed his understanding, and placed a copy of the instructions in the medical record. What else should you do concerning the instructions?
Give a copy to the patient.
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.
When scheduling an appointment for an abdominal CT scan, what steps should be taken?
Have all information from the practitioner regarding the appointment and access to the patient's medical record If possible, book the appointment when the patient is present to ascertain a convenient time for the patient After making the appointment, repeat the information, writing it down for the patient Give the patient oral and written instructions, answering any questions
Which of the following actions should a medical assistant take if a patient calls with an emergency?
Have the patient come in right away for a non-life threatening emergency Advise the patient to call 911 for a life-threatening emergency
Which types of information are listed on a superbill?
Health insurance Services performed Diagnoses
How are return appointments for established patients usually made?
In the office
Where is a reminder mailing placed after being addressed, depending on how far in the future the appointment is?
In the outgoing mail to be sent to the patient In the tickler file under the day when it should be sent
Besides the appointment book, where should it be noted if a patient cancels an appointment?
In the patient's medical record
What should be documented in a patient's chart after scheduling an outside appointment?
Instructions provided to the patient Date and time of the procedure
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 refers to large, unused gaps in the schedule. It results from cancellations or no-shows.
When is the best time to schedule patients who are chronically late?
Late afternoon
Underbooking
Leaving large, unused gaps in the doctor's schedule; this approach does not make the best use of the doctor's time
Which of the following are characteristics of modified-wave scheduling?
Less time-consuming appointments are scheduled in 10- to 20-minute time slots. It allows time for catching up before the next hour begins. Appointments that are expected to require more time are scheduled at the beginning of the hour.
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
Before calling to schedule an outpatient procedure, which types of information should the medical assistant have on hand?
Name of the procedure Patient's medical record Diagnosis
NP
New patient
What types of appointments typically require more time?
New patient visits Physical exams
NS
No-show patient
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.
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.
The appointment book and its format are dependent on all of the following items EXCEPT
Office location
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
Which of the following is the common abbreviation for Pap smear?
Pap
pt
Patient
What are the three major pieces of patient information that should be obtained when scheduling an appointment?
Patient name Reason for visit Patient phone number
What are the 3 components to consider while scheduling?
Patient needs Available facilities Physician's preference and habits
Walk-in
Patient who arrives at the office without an appointment
No-show
Patient who does not call to cancel and does not come to an appointment
Where should referrals be documented?
Patient's chart
Which of the following information is needed when scheduling a patient's outpatient surgical procedure?
Patient's date of birth Patient's name Patient's address and phone number Patient's allergies and current medications
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 can cause appointment scheduling to get off track?
Patients arriving late Appointments running longer than expected Emergency appointments No-shows
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 information should be collected from a new patient when scheduling an appointment?
Phone number Insurance information Name
PT
Physical therapy
Who should receive copies of the itinerary when a physician must travel?
Physician Office personnel
The scheduling system chosen usually depends on which of the following factors?
Physician preferences Type of practice
The practitioner has recommended that a patient have an annual physical to include a breast examination. What is the best way to help a patient remember to schedule next year's appointment?
Place the patient's name in a tickler file so when the time arrives, a form can be sent to remind the patient to call for an appointment
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. Post a sign in the check-in area stating if the practice has a no walk-in policy. Allow the patient to see a PA or an NP, if available.
Which of the following may be required before you schedule an outpatient surgical procedure?
Prior authorization for the procedure from the insurance company.
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
Which audiovisual equipment may need to be arranged when planning a meeting?
Projector Podium Microphone
Which of the following should be done when arrangements for an outside appointment have been made?
Provide the patient with written instructions. Be sure the patient understands any preprocedure instructions.
In addition to the name of the procedure and amount of time the surgical suite is needed for the procedure, what other information do you need to obtain from the medical record or physician before scheduling an outpatient surgical procedure?
Reason for the procedure
re
Recheck
ref
Referral
What is the best approach for handling the cancellation of an appointment by a patient?
Remind the patient of the importance of follow-up care and if possible schedule her for another appointment while she is still on the phone
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
RS
Reschedule
Which of the following should you do when scheduling a patient for a fasting procedure?
Schedule the procedure as early in the day as possible.
What is the best way to deal with patients who are routinely late for their appointments?
Schedule them for an appointment toward the end of the day.
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 of the following would typically be blocked off on an appointment schedule because the doctor is unavailable?
Scheduled meetings Vacation days and holidays Lunch Surgery Hospital rounds
Time-specified scheduling
Scheduling in which patients arrive at regular, specified intervals, assuring the practice a steady stream of patients throughout the day
Open-hours scheduling
Scheduling in which patients arrive at the doctor's office at their convenience and are seen on a first-come, first-served basis
Cluster scheduling
Scheduling similar appointments together at a certain time of the day or week
What are possible actions when a patient misses an appointment?
Send out a form letter to the patient. Document the no-show and inform the physician.
Which of the following are goals of an appointment scheduling system?
Smooth flow of patients Minimum waiting times
You are checking the physician's schedule for the next week. You notice that there are 3 surgeries scheduled: one on Tuesday and two on Thursday. Why is it important to check the schedule?
So you can call and confirm the surgery and patient's arrival 1 day prior to the 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 of the practice and state that you are confirming the patient's appointment. Remind the patient of special instructions regarding the appointment.
surg
Surgery
Which of the following would be blocked off on an appointment schedule because the doctor is unavailable?
Surgery Holidays Hospital rounds Vacation days Lunch Scheduled meetings
S/R
Suture removal
Double-booking system
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
Appointments for new patients are most often arranged by the patient contacting the office via:
Telephone
Which of the following materials are needed to schedule an outpatient surgical procedure?
Telephone Calendar Patient medical record Pen
To schedule an appointment, what are the three major pieces of information needed from the patient?
Telephone numbers Purpose of the visit Full name
What is the appropriate action if a patient cancels an appointment and would like to call later to reschedule?
Thank the patient for the notice. Note the information in the appointment book.
If a patient has to cancel an appointment, which of the following are appropriate responses?
Thank you for calling. Would you like to reschedule?
In addition to the name of the procedure and diagnosis, what other information do you need when scheduling an appointment?
The amount of time the surgical suite will be needed
Why should the physician be informed when a patient has missed an appointment?
The condition may require an appointment. The physician may want you to call with a polite reminder. Legal issues may arise.
Which of the following are common procedures for scheduling pharmaceutical representatives?
The doctor may set aside certain times or days during the week to meet with representatives. Have the representative leave a business card with product information, and the physician will arrange an appointment if interested.
In terms of scheduling, the term "no-show" means
The patient does not call or show up for his scheduled appointment
Place the steps for receiving e-mail scheduling in order, with the first step on top.
The patient signs up to receive email communication. The patient is assigned a password by the office. The patient may request an appointment as long as it id not needed immediately. The office returns a confirmation email of the scheduled appointment. An automatically generated reminder goes out to the patient when the appointment is approaching.
Yvonne had a cyst removed from her right hand three weeks ago. You scheduled her follow-up appointment for one week after the surgery, but she did not show up for the appointment. Today she called to say that the incision is red and oozing and has a foul smell. She thinks the surgeon "messed up" and is threatening a lawsuit. Which of the following statements applies in this situation?
The provider is protected from legal action if a "no-show" was documented when Yvonne missed her follow-up appointment.
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.
Which of the following should be in a physician's medical bag?
Thermometers Penlight Personal protective equipment Prescription pad
Which of the following are true of scheduling patients with diabetes?
These patients must eat meals and snacks at regular times. Use extra consideration when scheduling appointments.
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.
Why should you ask the patient about convenient times for the outpatient surgical procedure appointment?
This gives the patient a sense of control over a scary situation.
Which scheduling system assumes a steady stream of patients all day long at regular, specified intervals?
Time-specified
Which type of scheduling is also called stream scheduling?
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 the insurance company be contacted prior to scheduling an appointment outside of the office?
To determine if the service is covered and obtain an authorization number
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
Modified-wave scheduling
Variation on the wave scheduling method
Which of the following are strategies that patients sometimes use to avoid waiting at the medical office?
Walking in without an appointment and expecting to be seen Deliberately arriving after a scheduled appointment time Arriving earlier at an appointment in hope of being seen sooner
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 was discussed What decisions were made
When scheduling appointments that require a patient to fast, be sure to inform the patient of which of the following?
When fasting should start That the test may not be completed if the patient does not fast
When should you apply the matrix to your appointment book?
When you first get it, if possible
In some specialties, patients may be booked weeks or months ahead in __________scheduling.
advance
A medical assistant may be responsible for setting up the list of topics to be discussed or presented at a meeting in the order of presentation. This list is called __________.
an agenda
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
A medical assistant can help a practitioner make the most efficient use of his time by __________.
avoiding overbooking or underbooking
When a patient's visit requires more time, you assign the patient a(n) ______ slot.
back-to-back
An advantage of a computerized scheduling system is that it __________.
can identify patients who routinely are late, forget their appointments, or cancel
Scheduling all patients on Wednesdays for wellness checkups is an example of ______ scheduling.
categorization cluster
When scheduling a patient for an outpatient surgical procedure, the medical assistant should __________ before choosing the facility or surgeon.
check with the patient's insurance company to verify coverage
Setting time frames apart for specific appointment types refers to _________ scheduling.
cluster
Physical examinations or procedures such as physical therapy or ultrasound are scheduled only at certain times in __________.
cluster scheduling
The appointment scheduling system that groups similar appointments together during the day or week is __________.
cluster scheduling
Which appointment scheduling system is also called categorization scheduling?
cluster scheduling
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
A patient with diabetes whose blood sugar falls too low may experience __________.
confusion
A patient with __________ requires extra consideration when scheduling and should not be scheduled for late morning.
diabetes
Which patient information would the medical assistant provide when scheduling a patient's surgery?
diagnosis and insurance information
The appropriate procedure to follow for a patient who misses an appointment is to __________.
document the no-show in the appointment book and in the patient's chart
A no-show is a patient who
does not call to cancel an appointment. does not come to a scheduled appointment.
Which type of appointment scheduling system can be helpful if a patient calls and needs to be seen that day but no appointments are available?
double-booking
Purposely scheduling 2 or more patients in the same time slot is known as
double-booking.
The appropriate procedure to follow with a cancellation is to __________.
draw a single line through the patient's name and write "canceled" in the appointment book before entering the rescheduled time
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.
The first step in preparing the appointment book is to __________.
establish the matrix of the appointment book
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
Which of the following appointments typically takes 5 to 15 minutes?
follow-up office visit
Because medical appointment books are legal documents, the schedule should be written in
ink
A disadvantage of the open-hours scheduling system is that __________.
it increases the possibility of inefficient downtime for the provider
A detailed travel plan that lists dates and times of flights and events, locations, and telephone numbers is a(n) __________.
itinerary
An ______ is a detailed travel plan, listing dates and times of flights and events, locations of meetings and lodgings, and telephone numbers.
itinerary
The main reason a diabetic patient who takes insulin must eat meals and snacks at regular times is to __________.
keep the blood sugar from dropping too low
An appointment book is considered a ______ record.
legal
Supplies required for house calls vary depending on the
location of the visit. type of visit.
Another name for a substitute practitioner who is hired to see patients while the regular practitioner is away is __________.
locum tenens
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 patient who is currently in the office needs immediate attention, but the practitioner has been called away to an emergency at the hospital. The best solution is to __________.
make sure the patient is seen by another practitioner
Overbooking
matches Choice, Scheduling appointments for more patients than can reasonably be seen in the time allowed Scheduling appointments for more patients than can reasonably be seen in the time allowed
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
A patient who neither calls to cancel nor goes to the appointment is known as a
no-show.
E-scheduling is another term for __________.
online scheduling
Which of the following appointment scheduling systems allows patients to arrive at their own convenience with the understanding that they will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis?
open-hours scheduling
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
A disadvantage of the wave scheduling system is that __________.
patients become annoyed or angry when they realize that they have appointments at the same time as other patients
Management consultants suggest that a schedule be written in blue ink because it is a ______ document.
permanent legal
When you are obtaining patient information for an appointment, you should include the __________.
purpose of the visit
Which of the following appointment reminders is best used for appointments that need to be scheduled 6 months to a year away from the patient's current appointment?
recall notice
A system of ________ helps patients to remember to call to schedule appointments at appropriate times.
recall notices
Appointment reminders include appointment cards, reminder mailings, reminder calls, and __________.
recall notices
Entering the appointment in the scheduler first and then filling out the appointment card
reduces the chance of error.
A medical assistant tells a patient that fasting prior to having blood drawn means __________.
refraining from eating and drinking anything, beginning the night before the blood is drawn
Which appointment reminder is especially helpful for patients with a history of late arrivals or no-shows?
reminder call
For which type of appointment reminder does the patient self-address a card when leaving the office that is sent to the patient a week before the scheduled appointment?
reminder mailing
It is appropriate to put _________ in a tickler file.
reminder postcards
For a physician to communicate with a patient via "mouse" calls, the patient must
sign the appropriate releases.
In order to communicate with the office by e-mail, a patient must
sign up and be assigned a password. sign a release to allow e-mail communication.
If the outpatient surgery is scheduled at a facility that is not a provider that accepts the patient's insurance,
the insurance may not pay any of the bill.
The practice's schedule matrix should be based on ________.
the practitioner's schedule
The appointment book is a legal record and as such experts feel the old appointment books should be kept by the practice for at least __________ years.
three
In order to schedule appointments efficiently, you must have a guideline of how much ______ visits are expected to take.
time
The appointment scheduling system that assumes a steady stream of patients all day long at regular, specified intervals is __________.
time-specified scheduling
What situations can result in the practitioner having large, unused gaps in the schedule?
underbooking and patient cancellations
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
Before selecting a facility for an outpatient surgical procedure, it is important to
verify the patient's type of insurance.
Patients who come in without an appointment are called
walk-ins.
In which appointment scheduling system is the number of patients to be seen each hour calculated by dividing the hour by the length of the average visit?
wave scheduling
The appointment scheduling system that is based on the reality that some patients will arrive late and others will require more or less time than expected with the provider is __________.
wave scheduling