Deck 10: Appointments, Scheduling, Medical Records, Filing, Policies, and Procedures

Question 1

While documenting a patient history, the medical assistant does not make eye contact with the patient. This is an example of which of the following?

A) Passive listening
B) Positive nonverbal communication
C) Negative nonverbal communication
D) Evaluative listening
E) Effective use of silence

Answer 1

Negative nonverbal communication

Question 2

How should the medical assistant handle a misdirected fax of patient information?

A) Fax a request to the incorrect fax number and ask for destruction of the document.
B) Fax a request to the incorrect fax number and request a return fax.
C) Write a letter to the recipient explaining the error.
D) Call the recipient and apologize for the error.
E) Ask the recipient to forward the fax to the correct number.

Answer 2

Fax a request to the incorrect fax number and ask for destruction of the document.

Question 3

The patient's temperature is 97.6F and is listed in the medical chart as: T97.6S111eeb224_7d6b_d62a_a739_49a84ff7691c_TB10483_11F (Ax). Which of the following is the least accurate method of taking body temperature?

A) Aural
B) Automated
C) Oral
D) Axillary
E) Rectal

Answer 3

Axillary

Question 4

Which of the following is a principle of medical asepsis that includes the safety measures of clean water, laws to protect the public from contaminated food, and availability of antimicrobial medications?

A) Infection control
B) Quality assurance
C) Universal precautions
D) Epidemiology
E) Immunization

Question 5

When scheduling appointments, you should consider all of the following, except

A) flexibility.
B) analyzing patient flow.
C) legal issues.
D) patient gender.
E) waiting time.

Question 6

A series of steps an employee is required to perform to maintain clinical and quality assurance is called which of the following?

A) Policy
B) Procedure
C) Notice
D) Schedule
E) Format

Question 7

Which of the following types of scissors or instruments may be straight or curved, with a combination of blades?

A) Sutures
B) Operating scissors
C) Bandages
D) Needle holders
E) Hemostats

Question 8

Which of the following medications should not be administered by mouth?

A) Insulin
B) Nitroglycerine
C) Vitamin D
D) Amoxicillin
E) Acetaminophen with codeine

Question 9

Which of the following terms describes an abnormal sensitivity to a drug?

A) Tolerance
B) Antagonism
C) Idiosyncrasy
D) Prophylaxis
E) Placebo

Question 10

A plan that covers employees in the event of injury or illness resulting in disability is referred to as

A) insurance withholding.
B) unemployment tax.
C) deposit requirement.
D) disability insurance.

Question 11

Which of the following is an example of horizontal communication?

A) When the supervisor communicates with a subordinate
B) When a supervisor communicates with another supervisor
C) When the medical assistant communicates with a supervisor
D) When a supervisor communicates with the physician

Question 12

The physician tells a patient she has a stone in a bursa of a synovial joint, and that she needs to have an incision into the joint to remove the stone. Which of the following medical terms describes the procedure to remove the stone?

A) Arthroscopy
B) Arthrotomy
C) Arthrostomy
D) Bursectomy
E) Bursolithotomy

Question 13

During a patient interview, which of the following actions best encourages the patient to express more information that can be collected for data?

A) Asking open-ended questions
B) Using medical jargon
C) Using medical terminology
D) Giving advice
E) Taking notes

Question 14

Which of the following terms best describes microbes that grow and live in the absence of oxygen?

A) Lactose positive
B) Gram positive
C) Saprophytic
D) Anaerobe
E) Aerobe

Question 15

Eating too much food containing iodine may cause an increase in which of the following serum levels?

A) Thyroxine
B) Creatinine
C) Glucose
D) Phosphorus
E) Alkaline phosphatase

Question 16

Inflammation of the uveal tract including the iris, ciliary body, and choroid of the eyes is known as

A) glaucoma.
B) conjunctivitis.
C) nystagmus.
D) hordeolum.
E) uveitis.

Question 17

According to the guidelines established by the American Records Management Association, which of the following represents the first filing unit in the name Mrs. Laila Jade Newton-Ross when filing alphabetically?

A) Laila
B) Jade
C) Newton
D) Mrs.
E) Ross

Question 18

A term used by BCBS plans that describes the fee based on actual fees charged by most physicians in the community is referred to as

A) customary maximum.
B) fixed-fee schedule.
C) point-of-service.
D) cost-containment practices.
E) fee-for-service.

Question 19

The forty-eight-year-old female underwent a cholecystectomy two days ago. She has fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, and jaundice. The physician's dictation in the previous sentence should be entered under which of the following headings in the medical record?

A) Progress note
B) Operative note
C) Discharge summary
D) Chief complaint
E) History and physical examination

Question 20

Good writing style demands all of the following, except

A) simplicity.
B) courtesy.
C) letterhead.
D) clarity.

Question 21

Feeling with the fingers or hand to verify data seen during inspection is called

A) mensuration.
B) auscultation.
C) palpation.
D) percussion.
E) manipulation.

Question 22

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic behavior of caretakers who abuse elderly patients?

A) Regression to childlike behavior
B) Use of drugs for stress relief
C) Excessive need for control of all aspects of patient care
D) Obsession with the burden of care taking
E) Demanding respect from patients

Question 23

Which of the following terms means "emotional awareness of another person's thoughts and feelings"?

A) Congruency
B) Projection
C) Apathy
D) Empathy

Question 24

Which of the following types of telephone calls should be reported to the physician as soon as possible?

A) Billing inquiry
B) Angry patient
C) Appointment scheduling
D) Pharmaceutical company survey
E) Patient insurance inquiry

Question 25

A patient's chief complaint should be documented in the medical record as described by the

A) physician.
B) patient.
C) appointment scheduler.
D) medical assistant.
E) medical dictionary.

Question 26

Which of the following filing methods make it the easiest to locate a misfiled record?

A) Tickler
B) Color-coding
C) Numerical
D) Chronological
E) Subject

Question 27

Which of the following situations causes incomplete sterilization in an autoclave?

A) Using distilled water in the reservoir
B) Keeping the temperature too high
C) Allowing air to enter the chamber
D) Venting after the pressure is equalized

Question 28

A medical record is most defensible in a court of law if it includes which of the following?

A) Signature of primary care physician
B) Names of consulting physicians
C) Accurate documentation of care
D) Legible corrections
E) Complete laboratory results

Question 29

Which of the following types of pamphlets is most appropriate for the waiting room of a cardiology practice?

A) Literature on remedies and back pain
B) Literature on blood pressure and weight loss
C) Literature on alopecia and melanoma
D) Literature on anxiety and stress
E) Literature on cataracts and glaucoma

Question 30

Which of the following medications are classified as loop diuretics?

A) Potassium-sparing diuretics
B) Thiazide diuretics
C) Osmotic diuretics
D) Organic acid diuretics

Question 31

Which of the following are denoted by the graduations on a tuberculin syringe?

A) Minims
B) Milligrams
C) Units
D) Cubic centimeters

Question 32

Which of the following situations demonstrates failure to observe a patient's right to informed consent?

A) Family members override a patient's advanced directive for life support.
B) A procedure is performed on a patient without discussion of alternative treatments.
C) A copy of the medical record is released to an insurance company without written consent of the patient.
D) A patient receives an incorrect dose of medication.
E) During a surgical procedure on a patient, the physician neglects to remove a piece of gauze before closing the incision site.

Question 33

In a medical record, dyspepsia should be recorded under which of the following body systems?

A) Reproductive
B) Urinary
C) Digestive
D) Circulatory
E) Nervous

Question 34

A seventy-six-year-old woman is evaluated because of shortness of breath. She has severe osteoporosis and a stooped, labored gait. Which of the following positions will best accommodate this patient?

A) Fowler's
B) Supine
C) Sims'
D) Prone
E) Dorsal recumbent

Question 35

A drug used to relieve the symptoms of allergic reactions is an

A) antihypertensive.
B) antipruritic.
C) antipyretic.
D) antihistamine.
E) antidote.

Question 36

When all lines begin at the left margin, with the exception of the date line, complimentary closing, and keyed signature, this letter style is referred to as

A) full-block.
B) simplified.
C) modified-block.
D) professional.

Question 37

A telephone feature that answers calls and has a recording that identifies services available by pressing a specific number is known as which of the following?

A)  E-mail
B)  Voicemail
C)  Fax transmission
D)  Answering service
E)  Automated routing unit

Question 38

Which of the following patient appointment scheduling systems is based on the concept of increasing efficiency by performing one task at a time?

A) Stream
B) Modified wave
C) Double booking
D) Clustering
E) Open hours

Question 39

Which of the following terms refers to the compound effect of a drug taken over time in individual small amounts?

A) Immunity
B) Idiosyncrasy
C) Adverse reaction
D) Tolerance
E) Cumulative action

Question 40

Which of the following organizations regulates physicians' supplying, prescribing, administering, or dispensing controlled substances?

A) National Institutes of Health (NIH)
B) American Medical Association (AMA)
C) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
D) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
E) Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Question 41

Which of the following medical specialties involves the use of radioactive substances for diagnosis, therapy, and research?

A) Neurology
B) Nuclear medicine
C) Immunology
D) Pathology
E) Internal medicine

Question 42

Which of the following is a diagnostic and therapeutic procedure done by a physician involving the introduction of a hollow needle and stylet into the subarachnoid space of the spinal cord?

A) Myelogram
B) Carotid angiogram
C) Patch test
D) Lumbar puncture
E) Alpha-fetoprotein testing

Question 43

Which of the following is the most appropriate step to do before transcribing?

A) Clean the equipment thoroughly
B) Use a writing pad with a stiff back
C) Obtain legal authority
D) Listen all the way through

Question 44

In a capillary puncture, which of the following is the result of squeezing the site?

A) Increased number of red blood cells
B) Dilution of the blood sample with tissue fluid
C) Decreased hemolysis of red blood cells
D) Coagulation of the blood sample
E) Increased oxygen content of the blood sample

Question 45

Which of the following terms refers to legal, mental, or moral responsibility?

A) Tact
B) Respect
C) Accountability
D) Knowledge
E) Concern

Question 46

Which of the following is a defense mechanism demonstrated by an obese patient who accuses the medical office scale of being incorrect after he is weighed on it by a medical assistant?

A) Regression
B) Rationalization
C) Intellectualization
D) Compensation
E) Projection

Question 47

Which of the following parts of a compound microscope contains the light source?

A) Stage
B) Turret
C) Ocular lens
D) Objective lens
E) Base

Question 48

Which of the following microorganisms appear as chains when stained and viewed through a microscope?

A) Staphylococci
B) Streptococci
C) Vibrio
D) Bacilli
E) Micrococci

Question 49

What is the color of the stopper of a Vacutainer blood specimen collection tube that contains the additives potassium oxalate or sodium fluoride?

A) Lavender
B) Orange
C) Yellow
D) Blue
E) Gray

Question 50

Diphtheria and tetanus (DT) toxoids may be combined and given as one injection along with which of the following vaccines?

A) Typhoid
B) Rubella
C) Pertussis
D) Mumps
E) Varicella

Question 51

Which of the following is NOT an appropriate method to retain and protect medical records?

A) Storing original documents unless specifically requested by a court
B) Storing all records on open shelves for easy access by all staff
C) Developing a plan to transfer records to compact disk or microfilm for long-term storage
D) Classifying patients' records as active, inactive, or closed
E) Knowing state laws governing length of time records must be kept

Question 52

A drug used to reduce fever is an

A) antidote.
B) antipyretic.
C) antipruritic.
D) antihypertensive.
E) antiemetic.

Question 53

Which of the following office machines meets the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) (formerly HCFA) mandate for a fully automated claims processing system?

A) Computer
B) Telephone
C) Fax machine
D) Transcriber unit
E) Photocopier

Question 54

A mechanism by which the medical assisting credential remains current is known as which of the following?

A) Registration
B) Reciprocity
C) Recertification
D) Endorsement
E) Accreditation

Question 55

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), how often must an exposure control plan be reviewed and updated?

A) Every six months
B) Every twelve months
C) Every eighteen months
D) Every twenty-four months
E) Every thirty-six months

Question 56

Which of the following is included in a medical assistant's portfolio?

A) Passport
B) High school diploma
C) Marriage certificate
D) Resume
E) Birth certificate

Question 57

Which of the following terms means "slowly deteriorating, weakening, or wasting"?

A) Convalescent
B) Prodromal
C) Declining
D) Remission

Question 58

Which of the following is the definition of "accounts receivable"?

A) Total amount of money owed to the medical practice
B) Total amount of money owed by a medical practice
C) Total assets owned by a medical practice
D) Payments made to a medical practice

Question 59

Medical assistants are expected to perform each of the following tasks, EXCEPT

A) creating and maintaining medical records.
B) maintaining the security system.
C) removing sutures.
D) educating patients.

Question 60

Which of the following is a primary purpose of a living will?

A) It names a person responsible for a patient's medical decisions.
B) It gives a physician authority to make medical decisions for a patient.
C) It allows family members to dictate a patient's medical care.
D) It ensures that a patient's wishes regarding lifesaving measures are upheld.
E) It keeps a patient alive by whatever measures are necessary.

Question 61

Which of the following sentences demonstrates improper use of grammar?

A) The office manager is going to be late.
B) Greg and Amanda is coming in tomorrow.
C) Dr. and Mrs. Mabry may be shown to the examination room.
D) Mr. Brown is here for his appointment.
E) The patient and her husband have an appointment tomorrow.

Question 62

Medical assistants now spend more of their time caring for which of the following patients?

A) Children
B) Pregnant women
C) AIDS patients
D) Elderly patients
E) Angry patients

Question 63

Which of the following allows data saved on a disk to be read but not altered?

A) Write protect
B) Clipboard
C) Boilerplate
D) Random access memory (RAM)
E) Read-only memory (ROM)

Question 64

Which of the following describes the action of chloramphenicol?

A) Antitussive
B) Anticoagulant
C) Antipyretic
D) Antibiotic
E) Anesthetic

Question 65

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has developed a dietary guideline called MyPlate. In MyPlate, which of the following answer choices are foods that should be consumed every day in the largest amounts?

A) Fruits and dairy products
B) Protein and fats
C) Vegetables and grains
D) Dairy products and water
E) Fat-free products

Question 66

What blood component is tested for phenylalanine levels?

A) Plasma
B) Whole blood
C) Serum
D) Lymph

Question 67

Which of the following is the most appropriate site for intramuscular injections in toddlers?

A) Gluteus maximus
B) Ventrogluteal muscles
C) Vastus lateralis
D) Latissimus dorsi
E) Deltoid

Question 68

Which of the following terms describes objective evidence of a disease that can be observed by the medical assistant?

A) Syndrome
B) Symptom
C) Symbol
D) Sign

Question 69

In which of the following situations is consent unnecessary in order for a patient to be examined, treated, or to have his or her medical information released?

A) Emergencies
B) When the patient is a minor
C) When the patient is elderly
D) When the patient has a chronic illness

Question 70

Which of the following is the longest vein in the body?

A) Saphenous vein
B) Inferior vena cava
C) Superior vena cava
D) External jugular
E) Internal jugular

Question 71

When filing records of patients with lung cancer for later retrieval, which of the following filing systems is most appropriate?

A) Numeric
B) Subject
C) Alphabetic
D) Chronologic
E) Geographic

Question 72

Which of the following instruments is used to expand the nostrils for examination?

A) Goggles
B) Nasal speculum
C) Otoscope speculum
D) Anoscope
E) Ophthalmoscope

Question 73

Each of the following infectious diseases is a viral infection, EXCEPT

A) HIV.
B) genital herpes.
C) mumps.
D) chickenpox.
E) Impetigo.

Question 74

Which of the following terms describes the instrument that measures the heart's electrical impulses?

A) Electrocardiology
B) Electrocardiologist
C) Electrocardiograph
D) Electrocardiogram
E) Electrocardiography

Question 75

Which of the following is among the most common mood disorders?

A) Schizophrenia
B) Seasonal depression
C) Dissociative disorders
D) Panic anxiety disorder
E) Bipolar disorder

Question 76

Which of the following is an indirect filing system?

A) Subject
B) Numeric
C) Computer
D) Geographic

Question 77

Which of the following abbreviations is written in the appointment book to indicate that a patient did not show up for his appointment?

A) RS
B) NP
C) NS
D) FU
E) NA

Question 78

Which of the following is a procedure that examines accounts receivable to determine various lengths of nonpayment delinquencies?

A) Extending credit
B) Posting transactions
C) Age analysis
D) Cycle billing
E) Skip tracing

Question 79

Which of the following describes a drug that is designed to relieve nausea?

A) Antipyretic
B) Antibiotic
C) Antiemetic
D) Analgesic
E) Anesthetic

Question 80

All of the following are included in the four Ds of negligence, except

A) duty.
B) disturbance.
C) damage.
D) dereliction.
E) direct causation.