Chapter 9 Scheduling Appointments and Patient Processing

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and definitions related to scheduling appointments and patient processing in healthcare.

Progress Notes

Documentation in the medical record to track the patient's condition and progress.

Intervals

Space of time between events.

Disruption

An unexpected event that throws a plan into disorder; an interruption that prevents a system or process from continuing as usual or as expected.

Proficiency

Skilled as a result of training or practice.

Parameters

A rule that controls how something should be done; guidelines or boundaries.

Follow-Up Appointment

An appointment type used when a patient needs to see the provider after a condition should have been resolved or to monitor an ongoing condition.

Matrix

The environment where something is created or takes shape; a base on which to build.

Demographics

Statistical data of a population; in healthcare, this includes patient name, address, date of birth, employment, and other details.

Practice Management Software

A type of software that allows the user to enter demographic information, schedule appointments, maintain lists of insurance payers, perform billing tasks, and generate reports.

Integral

Essential; being an indispensable part of a whole.

Expediency

A means of achieving a particular end, as in a situation requiring urgency or caution.

Verification of Eligibility

The process of confirming health insurance coverage for the patient.

Notice of Privacy Practices

A written document describing the healthcare facility's privacy practices.

Screening

A system for examining and separating into different groups; in the healthcare facility, it means determining the severity of illness that patients experience and prioritizing appointments based on that severity.

Precaution

The process of determining if a procedure or service is covered by the insurance plan and what the reimbursement is for that procedure or service.

Triage

To sort out and classify the injured; used in the military and emergency settings to determine the priority of a patient to be treated.

Established Patient

A patient who has been treated previously by the healthcare provider within the past 3 years.

Patient Portal

A secure online website that gives patients 24-hour access to personal health information using a username and password.

No-Show

When a patient fails to keep an appointment without giving advance notice.

Precertification

The process of determining if a procedure or service is covered by the insurance plan and what the reimbursement is for that procedure or service.

ECG

Electrocardiogram.

NPP

Notice of Privacy Practices.

MRI

Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

CT

Computed Tomography.

EMT

Emergency Medical Technician.

EHR

Electronic Health Record.

HIPAA

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

CDC

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.