The first thing you should do when answering the telephone is ____.

schedule an appointment for the caller

put the caller on hold

identify the medical office and yourself

notify the physician that a patient is calling

ask the caller why he is calling

Which of the following types of telephone calls can a medical assistant resolve?

Report from a patient concerning unsatisfactory progress

Patient requesting X-ray results

Call to change an appointment

Call from another physician

Personal calls to the physician

The appropriate way to deal with a caller who refuses to identify himself is to ____.

put the call through to the physician immediately

suggest that he write a letter to the physician and mark it "Personal"

tell him that you cannot help him if he does not identify himself

ask him to explain the problem to you

forward the call to the office manager

Telephone calls that require the practitioner’s personal attention include which of the following?

Administrative questions

Requests for referrals to other doctors

Billing inquiries

Reports from hospitals regarding a patient's satisfactory progress

Patient requests to discuss abnormal test results

What document indicates who is responsible for the various types of calls coming into the medical office and how the calls are to be handled?

Telephone directory

Routing list

Procedure manual

Policy manual

Employee handbook

If uncertain about whether to give particular information to a patient on the telephone, a general principle is to ____.

have the nurse relay the information

document the details of the call, including what you said, in the chart

realize it is appropriate and honest to give information to the patient

have the provider return the patient’s call

tell the patient you can't find the requested information

The recommended procedure for handling billing inquiries is to ____.

pull the patient's chart and billing information

insist that the patient pay the current charges

tell the patient to pay the charges, but the charges will be reviewed at a later date

notify the patient that the physician will not see him until the bill is paid

forward the patient's call to the physician

If a patient was overcharged for services, the appropriate procedure is to ____.

tell the patient to pay the current bill and a refund will be mailed

give the patient a credit toward future services

ask the patient to wait for a corrected statement before sending payment

apologize, but tell the patient nothing can be done

refund the difference out of the office's petty cash fund

A patient calls with a billing problem stating the fee was too high. When the medical assistant checks, the account she finds the proper fee was charged. What would be the best approach is to use in this situation?

Tell the patient that the bill is correct

Speak to the provider before responding to the patient

Explain each individual charge to the patient but tell him the payment is due

Tell the patient that healthcare is expensive

Adjust the amount anyway because the customer is always right

If a patient remains dissatisfied after discussing a bill, ____.

document all comments and relay the information to the physician

tell the patient that you are sorry he is dissatisfied, but the bill stands

turn the patient's bill over to a collection agency

terminate the patient's care until the bill is paid

ask the patient if he is willing to negotiate the charges

Mrs. Worth is calling for the result of the CEA (cancer marker) test she had. Georgia, a new administrative medical assistant, looked up the record and discovered that the result is abnormal. Georgia asks you what she should tell Mrs. Worth. What should you tell Georgia?

"Tell Mrs. Worth that the physician will call back with the results."

"Tell Mrs. Worth you are sorry, but she has cancer."

"Ask Mrs. Worth how she is feeling today; if she is feeling well, give her the results."

"Ask to speak to her husband and give him the results instead."

"Tell Mrs. Worth her test results are okay, but she needs to schedule another appointment."

Under what circumstances will a pharmacist call to check before dispensing refills?

Every time the prescription is refilled

If it has been two months since the last refill

If the pharmacist thinks the medication is not appropriate

If more than one year has passed since the original prescription was written

If the patient cannot remember the name of the medication to be refilled

When is it acceptable for a medical assistant to authorize a pharmacy to refill a prescription?

Never

If it is a regular medication for the patient

If the licensed practitioner has authorized in the patient’s chart that refills are approved

Only if the medical assistant has knowledge of the medication

If the patient states that this is an emergency

What is the best response to a patient who calls to ask if he or she can use a medication that was prescribed for a previous condition?

"You may use the medication if it has not expired."

"You should not use the medication because it may not be helpful."

"You may use the medication until you come in to see the provider."

"You may use the medication after I review it with you."

"You may use the medication, but it will probably cause side effects."

The best way to handle a patient who calls the office in real, distressing pain is to ____.

schedule an appointment immediately or tell the patient to go to the emergency room.

listen to the patient.

document the patient's symptoms.

advise the patient on methods for pain relief.

schedule an appointment when available.

Chris answers the telephone, and the caller, a patient named Mr. Patterson, tells Chris that the physician asked him to call the office and let her know how the prescribed medication was working. Mr. Patterson begins to explain in detail how much better he feels and what effect he thinks the medication is having. What should Chris do?

Interrupt the patient and route the call to the physician

Wait until the patient pauses, then tell him you will route the call to the physician

Document the patient's description and relay the information to the physician

Record the conversation and play it back for the physician later

Listen to Mr. Patterson and thank him for calling; no documentation is necessary

When you answer the phone, you know immediately that the caller is angry. Without identifying herself, the caller begins shouting at you that she had been told that an office visit would cost $79, but her bill was for $135. She says the office is discriminating against her by charging her more than the normal amount. How should you handle this call?

Interrupt the patient and ask for her name

Promise the patient that everything will work out

Listen carefully and acknowledge the patient's anger

Talk down to the patient if she will not listen

Shout that you cannot fix anything until she tells you who she is

Which type of call must be immediately routed to the provider?

Emergency

Billing errors

Prescription renewals

Requests for test results

Calls from attorneys

Which of the following conditions requires immediate medical help?

Flu

Abdominal pain

Vomiting

Diarrhea

Trouble breathing

Which of the following symptoms indicates a heart attack?

Slurred speech

Chest pain radiating to the arm, shoulder, and jaw

Diarrhea and abdominal cramps

Anorexia

Confusion and a strong, rapid pulse

Vinnie receives a call from Mr. Everson, who says his wife is confused. He says she is pale and is feeling faint and sweaty. Mr. Everson also says his wife has a weak, rapid pulse, and her skin is cool and moist. Vinnie should recognize these symptoms as ____.

hypothermia

a heart attack

shock

a stroke

a heat stroke.

A drop in body temperature during prolonged exposure to cold is called ____.

heat stroke

hypothermia

shock

sunstroke

stroke

Which of the following office procedures should be followed if the practitioner is not in the office when an emergency phone call comes in?

Make an appointment as soon as possible

Instruct the patient to call another practitioner

Instruct the caller to dial 911 for an ambulance

Take a detailed history of the patient's symptoms

Tell the patient the practitioner will call back as soon as possible

A guideline to follow when an attorney calls the office is to ____.

answer the attorney's questions

refuse to talk to the attorney

release information only when the physician has authorized you to do so

ask someone else to speak to the attorney if you are too anxious

put the call through to the physician immediately

Guidelines for dealing with a salesperson on the phone include ____.

asking the salesperson to send you information

notifying the physician that a salesperson is on the phone

inviting the salesperson to visit the physician at the salesperson's convenience

telling the salesperson the office is too busy to see salespeople

asking the salesperson to call back after hours

One of the most important telephone skills is saying words correctly, which is called ____.

etiquette

pitch

tone

pronunciation

enunciation

Speaking clearly and distinctly to help the person you are speaking to understand you is called ____.

etiquette

pitch

tone

pronunciation

enunciation

The appropriate way to address a patient with a last name that is difficult to pronounce is to ____.

call the patient by his or her first name

attempt to pronounce it the best you can

ask the patient how to pronounce his or her name

ask someone else to talk to the patient

avoid calling the patient by name

A medical assistant should answer all telephone calls using ____.

proper telephone etiquette

the patient's first name only

technical language

a standard telephone answering dialog

a flat, disinterested tone of voice

When talking to a patient on the phone use ____.

a low-pitched voice

technical language

a slow pace

a flat, disinterested tone of voice

a normal conversational tone

If you do not recognize the name of the patient calling, the most appropriate response is

"Could you please tell me your name?"

"Has it been some time since you've seen the doctor?"

"Have you been to this practice before?"

"I don't recognize your voice. Who are you?"

"Are you one of our patients?"

The result of answering the phone while carrying out another task is ____.

possible errors in message taking

preventing other office personnel from feeling they have to do your job

communicating to the patient that you are busy

efficiency in completing two tasks simultaneously

completing your work ahead of schedule so you can leave early

Before putting a caller on hold, ____.

ask someone else in the office to take the call

tell the caller that you have no choice

ask the caller to state the purpose of the call

tell the caller that you do not know how long the wait will be

give the name of the practice and say, "Hold, please."

If you put a caller on hold and determine it will be a long wait, ____.

offer to call back

tell the patient to call back

suggest that calling on another day would be better

explain how busy you are and say that you cannot talk

wait five minutes and then hang up the phone

If you receive another call while talking to a patient, the procedure to follow is to ____.

put the first caller on hold

answer the second call by saying "Hold, please" and return to the first call

make sure the second call is not an emergency before putting that call on hold

tell the second caller to call back when the office is not so busy

place both calls on hold until one of the callers gets tired of waiting and hangs up

If you cannot give your undivided attention to a caller because of an emergency in the office, ____.

ask someone else in the office to take the call

explain the emergency situation to the caller

explain that you are handling an urgent matter and offer to call back

tell the caller you cannot talk and hang up

tell the caller to call back tomorrow when you are not so busy

A disadvantage of communicating by telephone is that ____.

the patient's feelings are communicated easily over the telephone

you have to talk with difficult patients

you have to relay messages to the physician

the patient may not want to end the phone call

you cannot see the caller's visual signals such as body language or facial expression

When a call with a patient is long or complicated, ____.

interrupt the patient and tell her that the call is going nowhere

summarize the details of the call to ensure understanding by both you and the patient

ask the physician to take the call

tell the patient that you do not have any more time to talk

follow up the phone call by sending a written summary to the patient

When dealing with a patient who is nervous, upset, or angry, ____.

tell the patient that you will not continue the conversation until the patient settles down.

show empathy and an understanding of the caller's feelings.

tell the caller that you will not be talked to like that and hang up.

insist that the physician take the call.

demand that the patient stop shouting immediately.

The appropriate way to maintain patient confidentiality is to ____.

repeat the information over the phone to make sure that you understood it correctly

leave a confidential message on the physician's desk for his attention

tell the physician the information in the hallway between patients

put the message in a file folder marked "Confidential" and place the folder on the physician's desk

tell the patient you cannot take confidential information over the telephone

How much time should you allow for a patient to answer when you place a phone call?

One minute or about eight rings

30 seconds or about four rings

20 seconds or about three rings

20 rings

3 minutes

Which of the following guidelines should you follow when placing an outgoing telephone call?

Allow the phone to ring four times before hanging up

Ask if it is a convenient time and if the person has time to talk

Pull the patient's record after he answers

Begin with dates, times, or instructions while the person finds something to write with

Provide all the relevant information and hang up quickly to avoid annoying the patient

Learning the telephone triage process includes ____.

permitting the office staff to diagnose a patient's problem

eliminating the need to ask the patient his age and symptoms

using the office's written guidelines for commonly asked questions

training the office staff to prescribe a treatment plan for patients

using medical references as necessary to answer the patient's questions

Which of the following is an example of a common triage question that a medical assistant might answer?

"How do I make my child with chickenpox more comfortable?"

"How do I stop the bleeding from my incision line?

"My broken arm is really hurting, and I need you tell me what medication to take."

"Tell me what to do because I just dumped hot grease on my arm."

"My child just fell down the stairs and his head is bleeding. Can I put a topical antibiotic on it?"

When dealing with a telephone triage problem, remember ____.

that you have permission to prescribe a medication

to tell the caller it is his responsibility to get better

to avoid wasting time by having the caller repeat any instructions you give

to advise the caller that recommendations are based on the symptoms and are not a diagnosis

that almost any problem can be diagnosed over the telephone by an experienced medical assistant

The appropriate response to a triage patient who is experiencing chest pain is ____.

"It is just indigestion, so you need not worry about it."

"Lie down and rest and it will go away."

"I will tell the physician that you are having chest pain."

"You should make an appointment for a complete physical within the next six months."

"Go to the nearest emergency room immediately, preferably by ambulance."

When handling an incoming telephone call regarding a patient progress report, you should ____.

route the call to the physician immediately

take a message for the physician

handle the situation yourself

ask the nurse to handle the situation

tell the patient the physician will call him back shortly

The appropriate way to handle an incoming call for a practitioner from another practitioner is to ____.

route the call to the practitioner immediately, if possible

take a message for the practitioner

provide the calling practitioner with whatever information is requested

handle the call yourself without bothering the practitioner

tell the calling practitioner that the practitioner returns phone calls after hours

Which of the following medical conditions requires immediate medical help?

Common cold

Chickenpox

Snakebite

Indigestion

Abdominal cramps

A mother calls and informs you that her son has a deep dog bite. Your response should be ____.

"Your son needs immediate medical help."

"I will leave a message for the physician."

"As long as it is not bleeding, it is fine."

"Call back if he is not feeling better tomorrow."

"Put ice on the bite and apply a topical antibiotic."

Before placing an outgoing telephone call to a patient, you should ____.

notify the physician that you are making the call

wait and place the call after the office closes

verify the correct phone number

write down exactly what you will tell the patient

read the patient's entire medical record so you will be prepared to answer questions

After speaking with a patient on the telephone about a clinical issue, a medical assistant must always ____.

meet with the physician to discuss the call

schedule an appointment for the patient

bill the patient for the telephone time

document the conversation in the patient's record

work a little later to make up for lost time

When a patient calls the office for the result of a laboratory test that happens to be normal, you should ____.

never give the results to the patient

give the patient the results if the physician has authorized that normal results may be given out

take the message and give it to the physician, who will return the patient's call

mail the results to the patient

tell the patient to make an appointment to come in and review the results with the physician

Your first priority when responding to a complaint of an angry patient is to ____.

take careful notes

stay calm and try to pacify the caller

promise the patient that the issue will be resolved

follow up promptly on the problem

let the physician know there is a problem

When you receive or place a phone call, your message should be logical and free from ambiguity. Which of the following Cs of effective communication does this demonstrate?

Cohesiveness

Courtesy

Completeness

Conciseness

Clarity

When you are respectful of a caller, which of the five Cs of communication do you exhibit?

Cohesiveness

Courtesy

Completeness

Conciseness

Clarity

A communication that contains all of the necessary information demonstrates which of the following?

Cohesiveness

Courtesy

Completeness

Conciseness

Clarity

What can you do to make a message concise?

Make sure it contains all the necessary information

Be sure it is organized and logical

Make the message brief and direct

Be sure it is free from ambiguity

Be respectful and considerate

A telephone message that is organized and logical demonstrates ____.

Cohesiveness

Courtesy

Completeness

Conciseness

Clarity

Two options that should always be included in the menu for an automated voice response unit are instructions for the caller if the call is an emergency and an option to ____.

address billing questions

report progress after treatment

dial zero to speak to an operator

make an appointment

ask a medical question

Which of the following is not a way to help ensure accurate telephone messages?

Always have a pen and paper on hand

Verify the callback number

Tell the caller the physician will call him or her back

Jot down notes as the information is given

Verify the spelling of the caller's name