Scheduling Part 1: Post Lecture Knowledge Check

What are three advantages of computer scheduling?

• Increased patient wait times, fewer errors, higher costs

• Only available appointment times are shown, tracks future appointments, ability to print provider’s daily schedule

• Reduced patient privacy, more complex system, requires less training

• Simplifies billing, increases paperwork, improves staff communication

When are patients scheduled in wave booking?

• At the same time each hour

• At specific intervals throughout the day

• At any time they prefer

• At intervals of 30 minutes each

How are patients scheduled in cluster or categorization booking?

• Randomly throughout the day

• By grouping patients with similar needs at specific times

• By allowing them to walk in at any time

• By scheduling them every 15 minutes

When scheduling appointments, what factors need to be taken into account?

• Provider preferences, patient needs, space availability, duration of office visits

• Insurance coverage, patient age, weather conditions, time of year

• Office décor, patient history, provider’s favorite time of day, staff availability

• Time of day, availability of coffee, patient’s travel time, provider’s meal times

An office schedules appointments every 20 minutes, with 30 minutes blocked off for lunch. However, the provider usually spends 30 minutes with each patient and takes 20 minutes for lunch. The waiting room is usually full. How could this office run more smoothly?

• Reduce patient appointment times to 10 minutes

• Increase the appointment intervals to 30 minutes

• Remove the lunch break and continue scheduling

• Add more patients to the schedule

True or False: Medical practices never charge for no-shows.

• True

• False

Why is automated call routing a good strategy for preventing no-shows?

• It allows patients to schedule appointments automatically

• It reminds patients of their appointments without staff intervention

• It provides patients with emergency contact information

• It schedules appointments faster than a receptionist

A patient was scheduled for an appointment, but the doctor was called away due to an emergency. How should the medical administrative assistant handle the situation?

• Do not tell the patient

• Reschedule the patient’s appointment for a later date

• Tell the patient to wait for 2 hours and see what happens

• Refer the patient to another doctor immediately

Why is it important to document no-shows?

• To charge the patient a fee

• To keep the appointment book tidy

• For legal reasons and tracking patient compliance

• To reduce the number of future appointments

Why is it important to get preauthorization if the patient’s insurance requires you to do so?

• It ensures the patient will be seen quickly

• It guarantees payment from the insurance company

• It reduces the patient’s paperwork

• It speeds up the scheduling process