When scheduling a patient for an outpatient surgical procedure the medical assistant should

Medical assistants work alongside physicians, mainly in outpatient or ambulatory care facilities, such as medical offices and clinics.

In Demand  |  Medical assisting is one of the nation's careers growing much faster than average for all occupations, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, attributing job growth to the following:

  • Predicted surge in the number of physicians' offices and outpatient care facilities
  • Technological advancements
  • Growing number of elderly Americans who need medical treatment

Job Responsibilities  |  Medical assistants are cross-trained to perform administrative and clinical duties, as evidenced by the Occupational Analysis of Medical Assistants.

Here is a quick overview (duties vary from ​medical practice to medical practice depending on location, size, specialty, and state law):

Clinical Duties (may include, but not limited to):

  • Taking medical histories
  • Explaining treatment procedures to patients
  • Preparing patients for examinations
  • Assisting the physician during examinations
  • Collecting and preparing laboratory specimens
  • Performing basic laboratory tests
  • Instructing patients about medication and special diets
  • Preparing and administering medications, including by intramuscular, intradermal, and subcutaneous injections—including vaccinations/immunizations, as directed by a physician or other licensed provider (e.g., a nurse practitioner or physician assistant)
  • Transmitting prescription refills as directed
  • Phlebotomy
  • Taking electrocardiograms
  • Wound care and changing dressings

Administrative Duties (may include, but not limited to):

  • Using computer applications
  • Answering telephones
  • Welcoming patients
  • Updating and filing patient medical records
  • Coding and filling out insurance forms
  • Scheduling appointments
  • Arranging for hospital admissions and laboratory services
  • Handling correspondence, billing, and bookkeeping

Patient Liaison  |  Medical assistants are instrumental in helping patients feel at ease in the physician’s office and often explain the physician's instructions.

PCMH Team Member  |  Medical assistants are essential members of the ​patient-​centered ​medical ​home team. According to a survey by the Healthcare Intelligence Network, medical assistants ranked as one of the top five professionals necessary to the PCMH team.

CMA (AAMA)® Certification  |  Many employers of allied health personnel prefer, or even insist, that their medical assistants are CMA (AAMA) certified.

The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) offers certification to graduates of medical assisting programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).

Most patients are willing to wait no more than ____ minutes to be seen by a physician.

establish the matrix of the appointment book

The first step in preparing the appointment book is to ____.

The typical amount of time for a complete physical examination is ____.

A woman going to the physician for a routine prenatal examination can expect the appointment to last ____.

Which of the following accounts payable is typically the largest in a medical office?

Any payment the physician's office makes for goods or services is called ____.

One of the most common or numerous disbursements is payment for ____.

Business checks with stubs attached are ____ checks.

A type of check that states it is void after a certain time limit is a ____ check.

Which type of check is usually used for payroll in the medical office?

Which type of check is purchased from a bank, written on the bank's own checking account, and signed by a bank official?

A standard personal or business check that the bank verifies and then sets aside the funds to guarantee payment is a ____ check.

A special bank check that allows the depositor to withdraw funds from her account only is called a ____ check.

A physician may use a ____ check when he wants to withdraw money from the bank account but forgot his checkbook.

Which type of checks are preprinted in $10, $20, $50, and $100 denominations?

Which type of check would state "Pay to the Order of Myself Only"?

practice management software

Today, a practice's financial summary is generally prepared by ____.

Statement of income and expense

Which of the following demonstrates the practice's profitability by illustrating the practice's total income and expenses?

Which of the following shows how much cash is available to cover expenses, to invest, or to take as profit?

A physician may periodically review which of the following to ensure that the books balance?

Daily log and disbursements journal

Which of the following are usually components of a practice's accounting system?

The process of communicating the income and expenses of a business and its financial health is known as ____.

The part of the accounting process that consists of the systematic recording of business transactions is ____.

The bookkeeping system is available even if the power goes out.

Which of the following is not an advantage of using a computerized bookkeeping system?

Another term for a write-it-once system is ____ system.

capital plus its liabilities

A double-entry bookkeeping system is based on the principle that the company's assets are equal to ____.

The process of recording services provided, the fees charged, and payments received in a daily log is known as ____.

At the beginning of each day, if you are using a pegboard system, what is the first thing you should put on the pegboard?

Align the ledger card's first blank line with the carbon strip under the next available superbill

When you place a patient's ledger card on the pegboard, how should you position the card?

on the patient's ledger card and the current day's daily log

If you receive payment from a patient by mail after the office visit, you should record it ____.

the practice owes the patient money

When a patient has a credit balance, ____.

adjust the amount due off the account

When the office manager or physician decides that an account is uncollectable, you should ____.

The part of a check that takes the form of a fraction and identifies the specific bank on which a check is drawn is the ____.

Which of the following is not a common type of endorsement?

An endorsement that consists simply of the payee's signature is a ____.

A third-party endorsement is also known as a ____.

An endorsement that specifies precisely how the check may be redeemed, such as only for deposit in the practice's bank account, is a ____.

A type of endorsement often used by attorneys when they accept a check on behalf of a client but have no personal claim on the transaction is _____.

Explain that office policy does not allow you to take third-party checks

Charise was seen today for an ongoing infection. When she comes to the counter to check out, you tell her that the charge for today is $54. Charise takes her $260 paycheck out of her pocket and endorses it "Pay to the order of BWW Medical Associates," signs it "Charise Williams," and hands it to you. What should you do?


Accept the money order and record it on the daily log and the patient's ledger card

Jim Sanderson comes to the office today to pay the balance due on the statement you sent him last week. He presents the statement, showing an amount due of $96.75, and a money order for $96.75. What should you do?

The process of comparing the office financial records with the monthly statement from the bank is known as ____.

Review each item on the statement against your records to find the $400 difference

You are reconciling the office checking account with the bank statement that arrived this morning. After accounting for unrecorded deposits, checks, and debits, you find that the total in your practice records is $11,760 and the bank's total is $12, 160. What is the first thing you should do?

The computer computes the new balance each time you record a check.

Which of the following statements is true about electronic banking?

A new patient calls the physician's office and asks how long the appointment will take. The best response is ____.

The typical time allotted for a routine Pap smear and pelvic examination is ____.

In-office minor surgery such as a mole removal typically lasts ____.

it increases the possibility of inefficient downtime for the physician

A disadvantage of the open-hours scheduling system is that ____.

Which of the following appointment scheduling systems allows patients to arrive at their own convenience with the understanding that they will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis?

time-specified scheduling

The appointment scheduling system that assumes a steady stream of patients all day long at regular, specified intervals is ____.

The appointment scheduling system that is based on the reality that some patients will arrive late and others will require more or less time than expected with the physician is ____.

The appointment scheduling system in which two or more patients are scheduled for the same appointment time is ____.

The appointment scheduling system that groups similar appointments together during the day or week is ____.

In some specialties, patients may be booked weeks or months ahead in ____ scheduling.

Time-specified scheduling

Which of the following appointment scheduling systems is also called stream scheduling?

Which appointment scheduling system is also called categorization scheduling?

In which appointment scheduling system is the number of patients to be seen each hour calculated by dividing the hour by the length of the average visit?

patients become annoyed or angry when they realize that they have appointments at the same time as other patients

A disadvantage of the wave scheduling system is that ____.

Scheduling four patients to arrive at planned intervals during the first half hour, leaving the second half hour unscheduled, is an example of ____.

Which type of appointment scheduling system can be helpful if a patient calls and needs to be seen that day but no appointments are available?

Physical examinations or procedures such as physical therapy or ultrasound are scheduled only at certain times in ____.

can identify patients who routinely are late, forget their appointments, or cancel

An advantage of a computerized scheduling system is that it ____.

Place the patient's name in a tickler file so when the time arrives, a form can be sent to remind the patient to call for an appointment

The physician has recommended that a patient have an annual breast examination. What is the best way to help a patient remember to schedule next year's appointment?

Appointment reminders include appointment cards, reminder mailings, reminder calls, and ____.

Which of the following appointment reminders is best used for appointments that need to be scheduled 6 months to a year away from the patient's current appointment?

Which appointment reminder is especially helpful for patients with a history of late arrivals or no-shows?

For which type of appointment reminder does the patient self-address a card when leaving the office that is sent to the patient a week before the scheduled appointment?

Schedule the procedure as early in the day as possible

Which of the following should you do when scheduling a patient for a fasting procedure?

A patient with diabetes whose blood sugar falls too low may experience ____.

on the same day and time each week

The best time to schedule a patient who needs a regular appointment, such as a prenatal checkup, is ____.

Schedule them for an appointment toward the end of the day

What is the best way to deal with patients who are routinely late for their appointments?

draw a single line through the patient's name and write "canceled" in the appointment book before entering the rescheduled time

The appropriate procedure to follow with a cancellation is to ____.

The physician is protected from legal action if a "no-show" was documented when Yvonne missed her follow-up appointment.

Yvonne had a cyst removed from her right hand three weeks ago. You scheduled her follow-up appointment for one week after the surgery, but she did not show up for the appointment. Today she called to say that the incision is red and oozing and has a foul smell. She thinks the surgeon "messed up" and is threatening a lawsuit. Which of the following statements applies in this situation?

document the no-show in the appointment book and in the patient's chart

The appropriate procedure to follow for a patient who misses an appointment is to ____.

Avoid scheduling patients for the first appointment after lunch when possible

What is the best way to handle a physician who consistently throws off the office schedule by returning late from lunch?

verify the patient's insurance coverage.

You have been asked to schedule a patient for an outpatient surgical procedure. Before you choose the facility or surgeon, you should ____.


Explain the situation to the surgeon and ask for his advice

Carrie is to be scheduled for an elective outpatient surgical procedure. When you ask if she has a preferred date and time for the procedure, she tells you she would really like to have the surgery done on Monday of next week because her sister will be in town to help care for her. You check with the outpatient facility, and they have an operating room open at 11:30 on Monday morning. However, the surgeon is scheduled to leave for vacation on Monday at noon. What should you do?

avoiding overbooking or underbooking

A medical assistant can help a physician make the most efficient use of his time by ____.

What is the common abbreviation for a complete physical examination?

What is the standard abbreviation for an electrocardiogram?

A patient calls for an appointment because she has had a sore throat for four days. How much time should you schedule for her appointment?

How much will a medical practice generally receive if a physician charges $100 for services and the patient pays by credit card?

Do not encourage patients to use credit cards for payment.

If a medical practice accepts credit card payments, the American Medical Association (AMA) suggests the use of which guideline?

When do most smaller practices send out their statements?

A person who is in town on vacation goes to a physician with symptoms of food poisoning. The type of account to set up for this patient is a(n) ____.

The last date of payment or charge for each illness is used as the starting date for determining the time limit on that specific debt.

Which of the following is an accurate statement about open-book accounts?

Most of a physician's long-standing patients have a(n) ____.

Assume that the patient forgot to pay or was temporarily unable to pay

Which of the following is appropriate when placing an initial call to a patient about collections?

An initial letter of inquiry is generally sent when an account is ____ days past due.

If an account is ____ days past due, send a letter explaining that unless you hear from the patient by a specific date, the account will be given to a specific collection agency for collection.

A collection letter containing stronger wording that asks the patient to specify when the amount will be paid and to contact the office to make payment arrangements may be sent when an account is ____ days past due.

A letter that has a friendly, "we want to help" tone and gives the patient options but makes it clear that the patient must take some sort of action, is most appropriately sent when the account is ____ days past due.

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

Which of the following governs the methods that can be used to collect unpaid debts?

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

Which of the following is also called Public Law 95-109?

Fair Credit Reporting Act

Which of the following requires credit bureaus to supply correct and complete information to businesses for use in evaluating a person's application for credit, insurance, or a job?

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

Which of the following requires debt collectors to treat debtors fairly and without collection tactics such as harassment, false statements, threats, and unfair practices?

Which of the following requires creditors to provide applicants with accurate and complete credit costs and terms?

Choose an agency only after a patient fails to respond to the final collection letter or has twice broken a promise to pay

Which of the following should be a factor when you select an outside collection agency?

ensures that the practice will have sufficient income to cover expected expenses

An accounts receivable policy ____.

Inform the patient in writing why credit was denied

If a physician decides not to extend credit to a patient, what must be done according to the Fair Credit Reporting Act?

A payment arrangement in which the physician decides a patient will be billed every month for the full amount owed and should make whatever payment is possible each month is a(n) ____.

up to $500,000 or 1% of the practice's net worth

According to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, how much will a practice have to pay if a credit applicant joins and wins a class action lawsuit against the practice?

Adrian is a patient whose parents were killed in a skiing accident a few months ago. Adrian was involved in an automobile accident this morning. He refused ambulance transport and a friend brought him to your office because he needed only minor wound care. He turned 21 last week, so he is legally an adult. He tells you he has no insurance and doesn't know how he will pay for his care. Adrian might be a candidate for ____.

Check with the physician or office manager

You are working at a walk-in outpatient clinic. A young woman who appears to be in her 20s comes in with a large cut on her left arm. When you ask for her insurance information, she says, "I don't need insurance. My father is the chief physician in this clinic. He'll treat me for free." What should you do?

Which of the following information is needed when scheduling a patients outpatient surgical procedure?

Give the scheduler the patient's name, address, phone number, DOB, gender, and insurance to the surgical center. 6.

Which of the following tasks is the responsibility of a medical assistant when scheduling an outpatient surgical procedure?

Which of the following tasks is the responsibility of a medical assistant when scheduling an outpatient surgical procedure? Provide the patient with specific preoperative directions. A medical assistant is reinforcing teaching about a 24-hr Holter monitor test with a patient.

Which patient information would the medical office assistant provide when scheduling a patient's surgery?

Chapter 16.

Which method of appointment scheduling allows the patient to schedule their own appointment?

Online scheduling, also known as self-scheduling, allows patients to schedule their own appointments without having to call the office.

What important scheduling detail should be considered about a patient with an emergency?

What should be considered about a patient with an emergency? The patient should come at the first available appointment time.