Medical Front Office Journal Questions

Transcription

1 Medical Front Office Journal Questions Chapter 1 Why is it important for you to know your learning style as you begin to become a professional medical assistant? What is critical thinking and why is it so important in the medical field? How is critical thinking used in the medical office on a daily basis? Chapter 2 Some say that the medical field is one of the most rapidly changing professional fields. Why do you feel this is true? You have been given a choice of the century in which you would want to live. What century would you choose and why? Chapter 3 Why are good grooming and professionalism essential for medical assistants to be successful in their careers? Chapter 4 What is professionalism and why is it important to the person entering the medical assisting field?

2 Chapter 5 With multicultural issues becoming increasingly common in the medical office, what ethnic and cultural influences are important for medical assistants to understand to meet the needs of patients? Most patients who visit a medical office are either ill or afraid of the possible information the physician may give them. This fear may cause the patient to use defense mechanisms to handle the information. Ethnic and cultural backgrounds also play a role in how patients react in the physician s office. What do medical assistants need to know about defense mechanisms and multicultural issues interfering with communication? Chapter 6 Medical assistants are often confronted with situations in the medical office where they must make ethical decisions, taking into account both etiquette and cultural preferences. Since culture and etiquette may be a part of ethics, what are the actual differences among these concepts? Current ethical issues in the medical office are more difficult to assess than in earlier times because of recent scientific advancements. How do ethics play a part in such issues as abortion, organ transplants, and allocation of organs?

3 Chapter 7 If a lawyer communicates with the physician s office and asks for information about a patient, what information can be legally provided to him or her? What does the medical assistant need to do before giving this information to the lawyer? What laws and regulations directly affect the basic management of the medical office? Chapter 8 Joan, a medical assistant in a physician s office that uses a computer for billing, leaves the office and does not back up the information to the server that she saved during that day s work, she didn t make a hardcopy of the work, and she shredded the papers because of HIPAA regulations. That night a virus crashes the computer, and it will not work. What has she not done to protect the records of this medical office? What devices can you use to save large amounts of data without using several floppy disks?

4 Chapter 9 The medical assistant who answers the telephone is often the person who gives the first impression of the entire office, especially to new patients. He or she will use both verbal and nonverbal communication in telephone conversations. How is this comment true in the medical office? While you are working as a medical assistant, two phone calls come in at the same time: one for an appointment, which you answer first, and one from a mother who says her child might have swallowed rat poison. How would you handle these calls to be sure the patients get the attention they need? Chapter 10 It has been said that appointment scheduling is at the heart of the medical practice. What does this mean and why is appointment scheduling so important? Why is it important to reserve a few appointments a day for emergencies? When is the best time to keep these appointments open? What days of the week usually require more open appointments? What should be done with the patients in the waiting room if an emergency occurs?

5 Chapter 11 A receptionist in a physician s office is preparing to greet patients who are visiting the office. What materials does she need to prepare to properly greet patients? Chapter 12 The medical assistant is responsible for many tasks that contribute to the efficient daily operation of the medical office. List four essential duties that the medical assistant performs to keep the office running smoothly. You are a medical assistant assigned the task of helping your office go green by developing a waste prevention and recycling policy. Another goal of this program is to save money on supplies. The physicians ask you to come up with some ecologically based, cost-saving strategies for the office. What recommendations would you make to them, and why? Budgeting and cost-effectiveness are important to the smooth operation of a medical office. A medical assistant is responsible for making recommendations on equipment purchases. She has been given a certain amount of money to purchase a new copier for the office; however, the copier she thinks would be of greatest benefit to the office is $145 above the budgeted price. What options does she have?

6 Chapter 13 English Grammar is a basic course that does not seem to have any direct relationship to the study of medicine. So why do we expect medical assistants to study English grammar as part of written communications in the medical office? List four ways that medical assistants will use grammar on a daily basis. Time management is an important part of efficiency in the medical office. What can be done to make opening the mail more efficient? Chapter 14 Why is proper filing and management of medical records so important with regard to time management in the medical office? The new HIPAA regulations have affected how medical records can be released. What steps must you take to be sure the confidentiality required by HIPAA has been followed prior to releasing information in a medical record? You are a new medical assistant in a large medical practice where each physician keeps his or her own medical records. In what ways can you reduce confusion and be sure physicians receive the proper medical records?

7 Chapter 15 What are the reasons some physicians have not yet adopted an EHR system? What are some of the advantages the EMR has over a paper medical record? What are some of the disadvantages? Chapter 16 To be effective, risk management must include all areas of office practice. Risk management in the clinical areas includes patient safety, but how is risk management important in the administrative area? To be effective, risk management must include all areas of office practice. Risk management in the clinical areas includes patient safety, but how is risk management important in the administrative area? Chapter 17 You have been asked to help revise the Notice of Privacy Practices for the physician s office where you work. As you make revisions, what do you need to make sure is included in this statement? Helen is one of your patients in the physician s office where you work as a medical assistant. Helen has been very ill and has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. Her ex-husband Dave, who is also a patient of the office in which you work, is demanding to know what is wrong with Helen because she will not tell him. Although there is no exclusion in her medical record concerning Dave, you notice that her patient disclosure form has not been updated in several years. Her divorce has occurred since Helen completed the form. What do you do in this situation?

8 Chapter 18 John has been seen by Dr. Victor. As you look at the medical record in preparation for coding the diagnosis for today, you see that Dr. Victor has not provided a diagnostic code that would uphold the need for the procedures to the insurance company. From past diagnoses, you see that there have been diagnoses that could be used. What should you do? Chapter 19 With the CPT codes changing each year, why is it so important that the medical office obtain a new code book each year? What are the dangers of not obtaining this book? Why should coding books for the two previous years be kept? Chapter 20 What is meant by coordination of benefits when patients have more than one insurance policy? How is Medicare considered in determining coordination of benefits? How are benefits determined for patients seen in the medical office? Chapter 21 Johnny was riding in his mother s car when another car hit them. Johnny was taken to the local hospital for treatment. The hospital sent the claim to the parent s medical insurance for payment. The insurance company refused to pay the claim. How could this have happened when the insurance was in force?

9 Chapter 22 Why is it important for public relations and financial reasons to be sure all entries are posted to monthly statements correctly? Mr. Smith has been a patient of Dr. Sanza for many years. Over the years, Dr. Sanza has written off many of his visits because of Mr. Smith s inability to pay. You know that Mr. Smith now receives a retirement check each month and has insurance to pay all but his copayment. Today, he walks to the door to leave without paying the copayment. How do you handle this situation? Chapter 23 Dr. Foot forgot to go to the bank on the way to the office, so he has asked you to go into the petty cash fund so he can have money for lunch. The petty cash is actually his money, so why shouldn t you just give him the money? What do you need to do to be sure the petty cash fund is correctly accounted? As the person in the physician s office who will be accepting checks for payment of services, what steps do you need to take to avoid receiving a bad check? Chapter 24 At the end of each day, the medical assistant should summarize the activities for that day. What does this mean? Shirley is a new employee at the practice. She has arrived today to be sure that her payroll records are complete. What records would a payroll clerk need to obtain for a new employee?

10 Chapter 25 You are the office manager, and a co-worker has been neglecting her duties and making mistakes. This co-worker has also become your friend outside of the office. How would you approach this situation? Why should some of the contact with a new employee be verbal rather than written when establishing a time for an interview? Chapter 26 An employee has committed an illegal act outside the office. What possible effect could this have on public relations for a physician? Chapter 27 Why should emergency telephone numbers be posted near phones? Since the physician is usually in the medical office when it is open, why should the medical assistant know how to handle medical emergencies? Chapter 28 Why are a résumé and a cover letter important items in your job search?