Telephone Call Handling Quiz

When answering a telephone call, you should not:

• remain expressionless.

• identify yourself.

• repeat back to the caller any information you record.

• let the caller know when they may expect a response.

A phone screening manual is sometimes called a(n) _____ manual.

• triage

• priority

• authorization

• employee

• screening

When a patient calls with a medical question, you should:

• treat the question lightly if you feel the patient’s concern is unfounded.

• guess at the answer if you are not sure.

• ask the patient to call back at a later time when the doctor is not busy.

• document the patient’s information and relay it to the doctor for review.

If you are speaking to a patient face-to-face at the office and the phone rings, you should:

• let it go unanswered.

• say, “excuse me for a moment, please,” and answer the call.

• answer the call while you continue talking with the patient in the office.

• pick up the phone and say, “please hold,” then go back to your conversation.

If a caller is requesting information, you should ask if you can call him or her back if it will take you longer than ____ to retrieve it.

• 30 seconds

• 1 minute

• 3 minutes

• 5 minutes

When documenting a telephone call, you should:

• include your own name or initials.

• only record the patient’s reason for calling.

• always mark the message “URGENT.”

• never attach anything to the message before you pass it on to the physician.

It is most appropriate to use an answering machine:

• only when all lines are busy.

• anytime the office is closed.

• during the office lunch break.

• when you are too busy with other work to answer the phone.

When obtaining a telephone message from a recording device or outside answering service, you should not:

• use active listening skills.

• delete them as soon as you listen to them for confidentiality purposes.

• list all patients who leave messages so you can pull their charts (or access their electronic health record [EHR]).

• prioritize messages according to the order in which they were received.

When scheduling appointments, you must do all but which of the following?

• Use at least three identifiers of the patient.

• Confirm the last appointment date.

• Assess the type of appointment needed.

• Note the type of appointment needed in the schedule.

Which of the following is the most appropriate question to ask when scheduling an appointment?

• Are you a patient here?

• What do you think is wrong with you?

• What is the reason for the visit?

• When would you like to come in?