Lesson 10 & 12

Accomodations for patients with various disabilities or where language barriers exist include what?

Access to forms in other languages, pamphlets in large print, knowledge of local interpreters for other languages, provide electronic forms

Which patients should be escorted to the exam room and provided instructions about what they are to do?

All patients should be escorted to the exam room rather than just telling them where to go. Use appropriate title and last name when calling patient to clinical area.

What is the best way to decide if a patient requires special assistance?

Ask all patients if they need assistance. Don't assume someone does or doesn't need help.

What is the form authorizing health insurance benefits and payments to be sent directly to the provider?

Assignment of benefits authorizes insurance payments for covered services and also will list anything not covered

What is required when ensuring completion of forms for all patients?

Assignment of benefits, receipt of NPP, authorization to release medical records

What are factors when creating the scheduling matrix?

Availability of Rooms and Equipment, provider Preferences, patient Needs

Which type of scheduling would the Medical Front Office Assistant employ when a patient with a critical illness needs to come in, but another patient already has the 20-minute slot scheduled for a brief follow up visit?

Double booking schedules two patients at the same time, and is sometimes used when it's necessary for a patient with a critical injury or illness to get in. The appointment slot is booked for 15 to 30 minutes and at least one of the patients will only need a small fraction of that time. It is best to try to balance both patients' needs with this type of scheduling. The correct answer is: Double Booking

What is the appropriate way for the medical front office assistant to greet an existing patient entering the office?

Each patient should be greeted warmly and somewhat formally. When possible, use patient's name using their title and last name

When the Medical Front Office Assistant informs a patient that the provider only schedules bone density testing on Friday mornings, which type of scheduling is being used?

Grouping / Clustering / Categorization booking refers to scheduling patients in groups of similar types of appointments on the same day or within a certain block of time during a day. This scheduling creates a cluster of appointments based on the category of service being provided (such as bone density testing, wellness visits, etc.)

A patient is in the office having his hearing aid checked but is having difficulty hearing at the front desk. What action should the medical front office assistant take?

Moving the patient to a quieter room removed background noise. Facing them when speaking allows them to read your lips and also providing them with written instructions is helpful

Which information is included on the Patient Intake form that new patients need to complete?

Patient name, address, phone, date of birth, insurance company, policy, and group numbers, social security number, and driver's license

An effective way to deal with patients who are chronically late for appointments is to:

Patients who are chronically late, can put a strain on the practice. Offices will often schedule habitually-late patients as the last appointment of the day. In some practices, habitual latecomers are told to arrive at the office 30 minutes earlier than the scheduled appointment.

When completing the visit, what is part of the check-out process?

Provide receipt for payment and an appointment card, collect copay or deductible and document day sheet, check the encounter form or EHR about fees to collect. Unwanted reassurance is not part of the check-out process.

When using Stream Scheduling, patient appointments are booked:

Stream Scheduling is another name for Time-Specific appointment scheduling. Each patient is given a specific time for their appointment at regular intervals. This keeps a steady stream of patients moving through the office throughout the day.

The purpose of creating a scheduling matrix by the Medical Administrative Assistant is:

The Medical Administrative Assistant creates the scheduling matrix to establish when the provider is available and unavailable to see patients. It is also recommended to consider provider preferences when setting up the matrix.

The provider was called into emergency surgery and is now running 30 minutes late for morning appointments. What should the Medical Front Office Assistant do?

When a physician is faced with an unexpected delay, or is called away to an emergency, apologize to the patient and explain the situation (as appropriate). Give the patient an estimate of how long the delay will be and keep them informed about the status. If the wait will be longer than 15 minutes, offer the option to either continue to wait or reschedule for another day. Depending on the practice, the patient might have an option to see another available provider who accepts their insurance.

What is important when setting up an appointment for a new patient?

When scheduling a new patient, it is important to gather quite a bit of preliminary information (including chief complaint). Additionally, it is essential to share information with the individual as well. All patients need to know what their financial obligations will be prior to arriving for their appointments. New patients should also be provided directions to the office.

If several patients cancel their appointments for the day, what action should the Medical Front Office Assistant take?

When there are cancellations it is good to have a list of patients to contact who may be able to come in on short notice.

Which type of scheduling is sometimes known as Tidal Wave Scheduling?

With Open Hours, patients are not scheduled to come in at a specific time but are instead seen in the order they arrive at the facility; however, urgent matters are seen ahead of patients with less-significant issues. This is also known as Tidal Wave Scheduling because there can be a "tidal wave" of patients coming in all at once.

The process to confirm that health insurance benefits are effective for the patient on the date of service is to?

verify eligibility; which is the process used to confirm that health insurance are effective. This ensures routine, as well as special procedures, are covered by insurance