Scheduling practice questions

Answer: C) To absorb overruns, since complex procedures often take longer than the time estimated

Buffer time after complex procedures absorbs the frequent overruns these procedures cause, so the rest of the day's schedule stays on time.

• AIncorrect. Double-booking the buffer would fill it and defeat its purpose. The time is left open on purpose.
• BIncorrect. There is no general federal requirement for a set gap between procedures. Buffer time is a scheduling practice set by the office.
• CCorrect. Complex procedures often run past their allotted time. A buffer keeps later appointments from starting late.
• DIncorrect. Scheduling buffer time does not create a billable service. Charges are based on the documented services that were performed.

Answer: D) Wave scheduling

• AIncorrect. That groups similar visits together.
• BIncorrect. Open booking has no set appointments.
• CIncorrect. That gives each patient their own slot.
• DCorrect. Wave scheduling books several patients at the top of the hour.

Answer: B) Those visits need staff screening to set the right length, resources, and preparation

Offices limit self-scheduling for visits like new problems or procedures because staff need to screen them first. Screening sets the right appointment length, resources, and preparation instructions.

• AIncorrect. HIPAA protects health information. It does not stop patients from choosing a visit type, and many practices offer portal self-scheduling.
• BCorrect. Scheduling depends on the reason for the visit and the type of service. Staff may need to triage new problems or procedures to set the time interval, room or equipment, and patient instructions.
• CIncorrect. Portal bookings go straight into the practice's electronic schedule. Staff watch portal notifications to manage them.
• DIncorrect. Who booked the appointment does not affect payment. Payment depends on coverage, eligibility, medical necessity, and any required authorizations.

Answer: A) Once every 12 months

• ACorrect. The first is available after Part B has been in effect 12 months.
• BIncorrect. It's once every 12 months.
• CIncorrect. It's once every 12 months.
• DIncorrect. It's once every 12 months.

Answer: A) Call or message the patient, following office policy, to check whether they are having trouble connecting

When a telehealth patient hasn't joined, the assistant should first contact them per office policy, because technical problems are common. Marking a no-show or rearranging the schedule comes only after that attempt.

• ACorrect. Late arrivals to telehealth visits are often caused by technical problems. Reaching out lets staff help the patient connect, switch to another option if policy allows, or reschedule, before deciding the patient is a no-show.
• BIncorrect. Calling it a no-show after 5 minutes, without trying to reach the patient, is premature. The patient may simply be struggling with the technology.
• CIncorrect. Rearranging the schedule before contacting the patient may be unnecessary and disrupts another patient. The first step is to find out why the patient hasn't joined.
• DIncorrect. Waiting passively wastes the provider's time and the patient's chance to be seen. Prompt contact can often fix a connection problem within the slot.

Answer: C) Room them promptly away from other patients

• AIncorrect. They may need care.
• BIncorrect. That spreads illness.
• CCorrect. This limits exposure.
• DIncorrect. Separating the patient is enough.

Answer: A) The type of visit being booked and the provider's preferences and pace

Appointment intervals are set mainly by the purpose and type of visit and by the provider's preferences and needs. Insurance, call order and patient preferences don't decide how long a slot should be.

• ACorrect. Slot length depends on the purpose of the visit and type of service (for example, a new-patient exam vs. a quick recheck) and on how the provider works. These are core factors in optimal scheduling.
• BIncorrect. Insurance affects eligibility, authorization and billing. It does not decide how much time a visit needs.
• CIncorrect. Call order may affect who gets an open slot, but it has no bearing on how long a slot should be.
• DIncorrect. Patient preferences matter when choosing a slot, but age and time of day alone don't set the interval. The visit's purpose and the provider's needs do.

Answer: A) Double booking

Double booking means scheduling two patients at the same time with the same provider, often to fit in a short or urgent visit. Wave, modified wave, block and open booking each organize time in a different way.

• ACorrect. Two patients are given the same appointment time with the same provider, usually because both visits are expected to be short or one patient may not show up.
• BIncorrect. Modified wave books several patients in the first part of each hour (for example, two at 9:00) and single patients later in the hour, repeating each hour. It is a set hourly pattern, not adding one patient to a slot that is already taken.
• CIncorrect. Block scheduling sets aside stretches of time for one type of visit, such as physicals every afternoon. It does not describe placing an extra patient into a slot that is already booked.
• DIncorrect. In open booking (open hours), patients arrive without appointments and are seen in the order they come in. Here, both patients have a scheduled appointment time.

Answer: B) Offer the requested provider's first opening, mention the earlier openings with other providers, and let the patient choose

A patient's provider preference should be honored when possible. For a non-urgent visit with a long wait, the assistant should offer the requested provider's first opening along with earlier alternatives and let the patient decide.

• AIncorrect. Balancing workloads matters, but overriding a reasonable patient preference for a non-urgent visit is not patient-centered. The patient should be allowed to choose.
• BCorrect. The request should be honored when the schedule allows. For a non-urgent visit, explaining the wait and offering earlier alternatives lets the patient make an informed choice.
• CIncorrect. Double-booking a non-urgent follow-up without provider approval disrupts the schedule and increases wait times for other patients. Double-booking is generally reserved for specific situations defined by office policy.
• DIncorrect. Practices generally accommodate a patient's provider preference when they can. Refusing outright harms continuity of care and patient satisfaction.

Answer: A) Leaving much of the day open for same-day appointments

• ACorrect. It reduces wait times for care.
• BIncorrect. It focuses on same-day visits.
• CIncorrect. That's not advanced access.
• DIncorrect. It applies to all patients.