Chapter 42 Scheduling Appointments

which of the following is NOT a guideline for appointment scheduling?

- concentrate on the person to whom you are speaking

- repeat information back to the patient

- speak quickly to save time when another patient is waiting

- schedule the proper amount of time for the type of appointment

speak quickly to save time when another patient is waiting

what is one advantage of a computer appointment system?

- it is always available

- it is useful if the office includes several practitioners and several locations

- both are correct

- none

it is useful if the office includes several practitioners and several locations

which of the following applies to any manual appointment book?

- the pages display a single day

- there is a separate book for each physician

- it is a legal document that must be kept on file

- it can provide a backup to the computer schedule

it can provide a backup to the computer schedule

what time interval is frequently used to set up the appointment schedule in a medical office?

- 5 mintues

- 15 minutes

- 30 minutes

- 45 minutes

15 minutes

how is patient confidentiality maintained related to the daily schedule?

- create only one copy of the daily appointment schedule

- do not post the schedule in areas to which patients have access

- accompany patients at all times when walking through the office

- use a number system instead of a name system for the daily schedule

do not post the schedule in areas to which patients have access

what is the name for scheduling patients similar problems or conditions on certain days?

- wave

- clustering

- modified wave

- stream

clustering

what system schedules three or four patients every half hour, who are seen in the order they arrive?

- wave

- clustering

- modified wave

- stream

wave

what is the goal of stream scheduling?

- to schedule the same amount of time for each appointment

- to be sure that there is always a patient waiting to see the physician

- to give the physician time to respond to telephone messages between patients

- to schedule patients so that there is a steady flow of patients moving through the office

to schedule patients so that there is a steady flow of patients moving through the office

what is the minimum amount of time that would commonly be alloted for the examination of new patient?

- 10 minutes

- 20 minutes

- 15 minutes

- 30 minutes

30 minutes

what is the advantage of open office hours?

- they give patients more flexibility

- they reduce patient waiting time

- they take full advantage of a computer filing system

- patients know what to expect about how long they will have to wait

they give patients more flexibility

When is double-booking often used?

- when the physician uses two examination rooms

- when a patient with an acute injury or illness must be fitted into the schedule

- when there is more than one physician scheduled to be in the office

- when the physician is running behind schedule

when a patient with an acute injury or illness must be fitted into the schedule

if an office uses a modified wave scheduling system, approximately how many patients are given individual appointment times?

- no patients (0%)

- all patients (100%)

- most patients (80% to 90%)

- about half of the patients (50%)

about half of the patients (50%)

which of the following is an advantage of patient self-scheduling compared to scheduling using an appointment book?

- appointment times can be more easily changed if necessary

- patients always received the appointment time they request

- patients must receive confirmation of their appointment time electronically or by letter

- patients do not need to place a telephone call to the office to schedule an appointment

patients do not need to place a telephone call to the office to schedule an appointment

how does the medical assistant set up the appointment schedule?

- block out the times when the patient can be seen

- block out the times when the medical assistant will not be available

- block out the times when the physician is not available to see patients

- block out the times when the medical office is open

block out the times when the physician is not available to see patients

how long in advance can patients usually schedule appointments?

- up to 3 months

- up to 6 months

- up to 12 months

- up to 2 years

up to 6 months

which of the following reasons for an office visit will require the most time?

- an immunization

- a postoperative checkup

- a complete physical examination

- a follow-up visit for hypertension

a complete physical examination

which of the following variables will have the greatest effect on the appointment matrix?

- the availability of facilities and equipment

- the season of the year

- the type of scheduling system used by the office

- location of examination rooms within the office

the availability of facilities and equipment

which of the following is a physician preference or need that may affect the appointment schedule?

- the time of day a physician prefers to do certain types of examinations

- the type of scheduling method used by the medical practice

- the availability of medical assistants and other staff

- the number of satellite offices affiliated with the medical practice

the time of day a physician prefers to do certain types of examinations

which of the following are included as established patients?

- patient who do not need a physical examination

- patient who have appointment at regular intervals

- patients with insurance referrals

- patients who have been seen in the medical office during the past 3 years

patients who have been seen in the medical office during the past 3 years

if patients must fast for laboratory tests, what special scheduling requirements should be initiated?

- schedule the patient for the laboratory test at least 1 week before an appointment with the physician

- schedule the patient early in the morning if possible

- instruct the patient to arrive for the laboratory test with a full bladder

- the patient can be scheduled at any time of day that is convenient

schedule the patient early in the morning

what information must be obtained from a new patient for billing purposes?

- the patient's work schedule

- the patient's past medical history

- whether the patient smokes cigarettes

- the type of medical insurance and coverage

the type of medical insurance and coverage

which of the following adult patients has the highest priority to be seen by the physician on the day the patient calls, if possible?

- the patient who complains of nausea and vomiting for the past 3 days

- the patient with a fever of 101.8F since the previous evening

- the patient who has an unexplained weight loss over the past 2 months

- a patient who has had difficulty falling asleep for 2 weeks

the patient who complains of nausea and vomiting for the past 3 days

which condition is the lowest priority and could wait until an available appointment in 1 or 2 days?

- vaginal bleeding during pregnancy

- earache with drainage

- cold with runny nose

- a laceration (cut) that will not stop bleeding

cold with runny nose

which method(s) can be used to allow the physician to avoid falling behind or catch up with appointment times?

- leave at least 15 to 20 minutes free each morning and/or afternoon

- schedule a lunch break that is 20 to 30 minutes longer than the physician will need

- end appointment times about an hour before the physician really plans to go home

- schedule the physician for examination rooms that are side by side

- all

all

how does the office usually handle visits from pharmacy representatives or medical salespeople who want to see the physician?

- give them a specific appointment time, often during the lunch break

- take their cards and inform them that the physician will contact them if needed

- allow them to wait until the physician has a free minute between patients

- see them at the completion of scheduled office hours

give them a specific appointment time, often during the lunch break

if an unscheduled patient comes to the office but does not appear to be ill, what should the medical assistant do?

- plan to fit the patient in between patients

- allow the patient to wait until the end of office hours to be seen as the last patient of the day

- tell the patient he can wait to see if there is a cancellation or missed appointment

- explain that patients are seen with appointments only, and give the patient the first available appointment

explain that patients are seen with appointments only, and give the patient the first available appointment

what is important when changing the appointment date and time for a patient?

- delete or erase the original appointment completely

- record that the appointment was changed in the patient's medical record

- always draw a line through the original appointment if a manual appointment book is used

- give the patient an appointment within 2 days of the original appointment, double-booking if necessary

delete or erase the original appointment completely

what is important when rescheduling a group of patients due to an unexpected change in the physician's schedule?

- give the patients new appointments as soon as possible

- reschedule the patient on an extra day, such as a Saturday

- write a note of apology to each patient because of the appointment change

- extend the physician's schedule by 1 hour for each of the next 3 days

give the patients new appointments as soon as possible

when a patient does not keep an appointment or call to cancel, what should the medical assistant do?

- send the patient a letter instructing him or her to find another physician

- expect that the physician will call the patient

- document the missed appointment in the medical record

- nothing--the patient obviously does not want to see the physician

document the missed appointment in the medical record

why is it important to document missed appointments in the patient's medical record?

- it show that the patient had an appointment and didn't keep it

- it is a potential defense against a claim that the physician was not available

- it provides grounds to terminate a relationship with the patient

- it provides written documentation that the patient does not follow medical advice

- all

all

what is a way to handle a patient who has a pattern of being late for appointments?

- give the patient the last appointment of the day

- encourage the patient to find another physician

- call the patient the day before the appointment and remind him or her to be on time

- send the patient a note encouraging him to be on time for his or her next appointment

give the patient the last appointment of the day

if a patient with managed care insurance must be referred to a specialist physician, what is the responsibility of the primary care physician's office?

- nothing; the patient just makes an appointment with the specialist

- to make an appointment with the specialist

- to submit a referral form the managed care organization and obtain preauthorization for the referral

- to notify the specialist so that the specialist's office can obtain preauthorization for a patient appointment

to submit a referral form the managed care organization and obtain preauthorization for the referral

which of the following information should the medical assistant have on hand before scheduling a diagnostic test for a patient?

- the patient's name and telephone number

- the patient's insurance information

- the type of procedure being performed

- the patient's diagnosis or the reason the procedure is being performed

- all

all

why should the office have a system to verify that the results of diagnostic tests were given to patients?

- to verify that the test were done

- to place the results of the test somewhere permanent

- to protect the physician from possible lawsuits for malpractice or abandonment

- to have test results ready for the physician to discuss with the patient at the next visit

to protect the physician from possible lawsuits for malpractice or abandonment

when the patient is going to be admitted to the hospital from home, what should the medical assistnat do?

- make sure there is preauthorization for the admission

- arrange transportation for the patient

- schedule the physician to be at the hospital when the patient is admitted

- instruct the patient not to eat or drink after midnight the night before the admission

- all

make sure there is preauthorization for the admission

within what time period must the physician visit a patient he or she has admitted to the hospital?

- 1 hour

- 12 hours

- 24 hours

- 48 hours

24 hours

when scheduling surgery for a patient, what information should be provided in addition to the type of surgery, name of surgery, and name of the surgeon, and any assistant surgeon?

- the insurance prior authorization number

- the exact date that the surgeon wants to perform the surgery

- the name and telephone number of the patient's next of kin

- whether the patient has completed a living will or health care proxy

- all

the insurance prior authorization number

which of the following diagnostic tests is usually included in preadmission testing before any surgery?

- ultrasound of the operative area

- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

- electroencephalogram (EEG)

- electrocardiogram (ECG)

- all

electrocardiogram (ECG)

why must proper procedures be adhered to in scheduling patients for consultations with specialists?

- specialist will only accept patients who are referred by another physician

- managed care insurance often requires written referral forms, or it will not pay

- the physician must demonstrate that the patient needs the service

- the specialist needs to have a complete history on the patient before seeing him

managed care insurance often requires written referral forms, or it will not pay

who is responsible for giving the patient written instructions before surgery?

- the surgeon's office

- the primary care physician's office

- the hospital or day surgery center

- written instructions are not necessary

the surgeon's office