Chapter 003 Office Communications
Multiple Choice Questions
1. At the beginning of the communication cycle, who organizes the message?
A. Patient
B. Physician
C. Sender
D. Receiver
2. What is the chosen method for transmitting a message?
A. Channel
B. Format
C. Message
D. Line
3. Giving words and gestures to ideas is known as:
A. Illustrating
B. Improvising
C. Coding
D. Encoding
4. A slightly tilted head or a perplexed look may indicate that the receiver is:
A. Nervous
B. Confused
C. Shy
D. Aggravated
5. A barrier to effective communication is:
A. Inactive listening
B. Active listening
6. All of these items contribute to our unspoken message, except:
A. Hairstyle
B. Eye contact
C. Appearance
D. Facial Expression
7. One of the most visible and expressive parts of the body is:
A. Face
B. Hands
8. This is expressed nonverbally by making and keeping eye contact with an audience.
A. Apprehension
B. Nervousness
C. Happiness
D. Confidence
9. When direct eye contact is maintained, a level of __________ is established.
A. Caring
B. Trust
C. Understanding
D. Responsibility
10. The public zone used for most public speaking events should be ________ feet or more
from your audience.
A. 8
B. 10
C. 12
D. 6
11. A social zone is used for communication within __________ feet of our audience.
A. 3 to 6
B. 6 to12
C. 4 to 12
D. 5 to 10
12. This type of letter places the dateline at 2 inches.
A. Block-style
B. Modified Block
13. How many types of punctuation are used in business letters?
A. One
B. Two
C. Three
D. Four
14. This type of punctuation requires placing a colon after the salutation and a comma after
the complementary closing.
A. Standard punctuation
B. Open punctuation
15. This type of letter is used when a physician transfers part or all of a patient's care to
another physician.
A. Follow-up letter
B. Referral letter
C. Letter of information
D. Letter of acknowledgment
16. When composing the body of an e-mail, the standard protocol is to address how many
topics?
A. As many as necessary
B. Three
C. Two
D. One
17. What should always be done prior to hitting SEND on an e-mail?
A. Copying
B. Saving
C. Proofreading
D. Printing
18. The main channel of communication between the patient and the physician is:
A. Face-to-face
B. The telephone
C. E-mail
D. Regular mail
19. What should always be done prior to placing a caller on hold?
A. Ask permission
B. Take a message
C. Pull the chart
D. Obtain their telephone number
20. If you must keep a caller on hold for more than _____ seconds, go back on the line and
ask the caller if they wish to continue holding.
A. 15
B. 30
C. 45
D. 60
21. There are many ways to answer the phone, but the preferred method is to answer with:
A. "Hello"
B. "Good morning"
C. "Dr. _____'s officethis is _____."
D. "Please hold the line"
22. Which of the following calls should not be handled by taking a message?
A. Call from another physician
B. Prescription refills needed
C. Non-stat lab or x-ray results
D. A personal friend of the physician
23. After taking a message regarding a patient's care, the assistant should:
A. Advise the physician
B. Advise the medical assistant
C. Enter into the computer
D. Pull the patient's chart
24. All chart entries must be:
A. Signed and filed
B. Dated
C. Signed and dated
D. Printed and dated
25. When using electronic mail, the potential for unintentional disclosure of PHI is:
A. Low
B. Moderate
C. High
D. Impossible
26. Almost all patients make their first contact with the physician's office in this way?
A. By phone
B. By letter
C. By e-mail
D. In person
27. Hold the mouthpiece of the phone about _____ from your mouth to avoid distortion or
faintness of voice:
A. 3 inches
B. ½ inch
C. 2 inches
D. 1 inch
28. Before appointments can be made, the administrative medical assistant must know the
_____ of the physician's office.
A. Address
B. Basic schedule
C. Average schedule
D. Basic information
29. A primary consideration in scheduling is allotting time for:
A. Breaks
B. Lunches
C. Meetings
D. Hospital Rounds
30. The abbreviation CC stands for:
A. Current Complaint
B. Clinical compliance
C. Chief complaint
D. Clinical course
31. In this type of scheduling, patients are seen in the order in which they arrive:
A. Open-fixed office hours
B. Wave schedule
C. Double booking
D. Modified wave
32. Another name for wave scheduling is:
A. Group scheduling
B. Open/fixed office hours
C. Modified wave
D. Cluster scheduling
33. What is the difference between stat and "today" appointments?
A. The time of the appointment
B. The severity of the condition
C. The length of the appointment
D. The age of the patient
34. This type of scheduling gives patients the flexibility of open office hours while allowing
the assistant more control over the flow of patients.
A. Double booking
B. Modified wave
C. Wave scheduling
D. Open/Fixed
35. How often are established patients asked to verify their necessary data?
A. Every 3 months
B. Every 6 months
C. Once per year
D. Twice per year
36. Many offices post a sign asking that patients notify the front desk if they are still waiting
_____ past their appointment.
A. 45 minutes
B. 30 minutes
C. 20 minutes
D. 15 minutes
37. Leaving a _____ interval free in the late morning and again at the end of the day will help
you straighten out a delayed schedule.
A. 15-20 minute
B. 25-30 minute
C. 30-45 minute
D. 60 minute
38. Mail should be stored according to its:
A. Size
B. Addressee
C. Date
D. Importance
39. If confidential mail is opened in error, the administrative medical assistant should reseal
the correspondence and:
A. Mark with your initials
B. Mark with the date and the word "mistake"
C. Mark with the date and initials
D. Mark "opened by mistake" and initial
40. Which type of correspondence relates to the management of the office and may concern
insurance companies, lawyers, supply houses and bills to patients?
A. Business
B. Personal
C. Professional
D. Clinical
41. Which type of correspondence concerns patients, clinical matters and research?
A. Business
B. Personal
C. Professional
D. Clinical
42. Which type of correspondence pertains to the physician's personal rather than professional
life, such as notes to friends or letters about the physician's personal business interests?
A. Business
B. Personal
C. Professional
D. Clinical
43. Which type of mail offers overnight delivery to most destinations?
A. Priority mail
B. Parcel post
C. Express mail
D. First class mail
44. Which type of mail includes all correspondence, whether hand written or typed, all bills
and all materials sealed against postal inspection and weighing 13 ounces or less?
A. Priority mail
B. Parcel post
C. Express mail
D. First class mail
45. Which type of mail is used for mailing items such as books, catalogs, other printed matter,
or merchandise not weighing more than 70 pounds and no more than 130" in length or girth?
A. Priority mail
B. Parcel post
C. Express mail
D. First class mail
46. Which type of mail provides the greatest security for valuables?
A. Registered mail
B. Insured mail
C. Certified mail
D. First class mail
47. Which type of mail offers two-to-three day service to most domestic destinations?
A. First class mail
B. Express mail
C. Parcel post
D. Priority mail
48. A copy notation in a letter is placed:
A. Immediately after the date.
B. One enter stroke below the complimentary closing.
C. Below the reference initials and any enclosure notation.
D. One enter stroke below the inside address.
49. When processing incoming mail, the office assistant should do all the following except?
A. Date stamp the correspondence.
B. attach needed patient data to correspondence.
C. refrain from opening the physician's mail marked "Confidential."
D. place received checks in different locations.
50. During the monthly office meeting, the method of scheduling appointments was
discussed. The patients frequently had wait times in excess of two hours and were very upset
by the time the physician saw them. The practice is a large community clinic that uses wave
scheduling. Choose which of the following scheduling methods may be a better alternative for
the clinic.
A. Scheduled appointments in the morning for call-in patients and open hours in the
afternoon.
B. Wave scheduling with double and triple booking of patients at the top of each hour.
C. There is not better scheduling method.
D. See a fewer amount of patients each day.
51. While triaging a patient over the phone, the AMA learned the patient had "a really deep
cut on the inside of the upper thigh and there was blood everywhere." The patient stated he
was not able to stop the bleeding. The patient should be advised to:
A. Come to the office, since the wound may become infected.
B. Call 911 or go immediately to the emergency department because the patient may have cut
into an artery.
C. Elevate the leg above his heart and see if the bleeding decreases.
D. Schedule an appointment for the following morning.
52. When Dr. Kendall's administrative medical assistant stepped toward a patient to explain
the hospital preadmission procedure, the patient abruptly took a step backwards. Which of the
following is the most likely reason for the patient's movement during the communication
process?
A. The administrative medical assistant had bad breath.
B. The patient's cell phone was ringing.
C. The patient needed to sit down.
D. The administrative medical assistant had intruded into the patient's personal space.
53. Patrice felt she was being treated rudely by the medical office receptionist. When Patrice
arrived for her appointment, the receptionist greeted Patrice, quickly shut the glass window,
and began pointing her finger toward Patrice. The receptionist was discussing a newly
discovered crack in the wall with the office manager. Patrice felt unwelcome because:
A. The receptionist's verbal message did not match her nonverbal message.
B. The receptionist's verbal and nonverbal messages were the same.
C. The crack on the wall was offensive to Patrice.
D. The receptionist did not offer Patrice coffee or water.
54. This type of scheduling is a popular feature because of its ease of searching and timesaving convenience:
A. manual scheduling
B. computer scheduling
C. wave-scheduling
D. open scheduling
Fill in the Blank Questions
55. After taking a message regarding a patient's care, the assistant should obtain the
__________.
________________________________________
56. A __________ may be used to send or receive information about the patient immediately.
________________________________________
57. All chart notations must be signed and __________.
________________________________________
58. Currently, __________ is not the preferred method of communicating medical
information.
________________________________________
59. The __________ for cancellations and rescheduled appointments should be posted in
areas accessible to patients such as the waiting area or examination room.
________________________________________
Multiple Choice Questions
ANWSERS
1. (p. 72) At the beginning of the communication cycle, who organizes the message?
A. Patient
B. Physician
C. Sender
D. Receiver
At the beginning of the communication cycle, the sender organizes the message.
2. (p. 72) What is the chosen method for transmitting a message?
A. Channel
B. Format
C. Message
D. Line
The chosen method for transmitting a message is called the channel.
3. (p. 72) Giving words and gestures to ideas is known as:
A. Illustrating
B. Improvising
C. Coding
D. Encoding
Giving words and gestures to ideas is known as encoding.
4. (p. 73) A slightly tilted head or a perplexed look may indicate that the receiver is:
A. Nervous
B. Confused
C. Shy
D. Aggravated
A slightly tilted head or a perplexed look may indicate that the receiver is confused.
5. (p. 74) A barrier to effective communication is:
A. Inactive listening
B. Active listening
A barrier to effective communication is inactive listening.
6. (p. 74) All of these items contribute to our unspoken message, except:
A. Hairstyle
B. Eye contact
C. Appearance
D. Facial Expression
Eye contact, appearance, and facial expression all contribute to our unspoken message.
7. (p. 74) One of the most visible and expressive parts of the body is:
A. Face
B. Hands
The face is one of the most visible and expressive parts of the body.
8. (p. 74) This is expressed nonverbally by making and keeping eye contact with an audience.
A. Apprehension
B. Nervousness
C. Happiness
D. Confidence
Confidence is expressed nonverbally by making and keeping eye contact with an audience.
9. (p. 74) When direct eye contact is maintained, a level of __________ is established.
A. Caring
B. Trust
C. Understanding
D. Responsibility
When direct eye contact is maintained, a level of trust is established.
10. (p. 75) The public zone used for most public speaking events should be ________ feet or
more from your audience.
A. 8
B. 10
C. 12
D. 6
The public zone used for most public speaking events should be 12 feet or more from your
audience.
11. (p. 75) A social zone is used for communication within __________ feet of our audience.
A. 3 to 6
B. 6 to12
C. 4 to 12
D. 5 to 10
A social zone is used for communication within 4 to 12 feet of our audience.
12. (p. 76) This type of letter places the dateline at 2 inches.
A. Block-style
B. Modified Block
A block-style letter places the dateline at 2 inches.
13. (p. 78) How many types of punctuation are used in business letters?
A. One
B. Two
C. Three
D. Four
Three types of punctuation are used in business letters.
14. (p. 78) This type of punctuation requires placing a colon after the salutation and a comma
after the complementary closing.
A. Standard punctuation
B. Open punctuation
Standard punctuation requires placing a colon after the salutation and a comma after the
complementary closing.
15. (p. 79) This type of letter is used when a physician transfers part or all of a patient's care to
another physician.
A. Follow-up letter
B. Referral letter
C. Letter of information
D. Letter of acknowledgment
A referral letter is used when a physician transfers part or all of a patient's care to another
physician.
16. (p. 82) When composing the body of an e-mail, the standard protocol is to address how
many topics?
A. As many as necessary
B. Three
C. Two
D. One
When composing the body of an e-mail, the standard protocol is to address one topic.
17. (p. 83) What should always be done prior to hitting SEND on an e-mail?
A. Copying
B. Saving
C. Proofreading
D. Printing
Proofreading should always be done prior to hitting SEND on an e-mail.
18. (p. 89) The main channel of communication between the patient and the physician is:
A. Face-to-face
B. The telephone
C. E-mail
D. Regular mail
The main channel of communication between the patient and the physician is the telephone.
19. (p. 90) What should always be done prior to placing a caller on hold?
A. Ask permission
B. Take a message
C. Pull the chart
D. Obtain their telephone number
Always ask the caller's permission prior to placing a caller on hold.
20. (p. 90) If you must keep a caller on hold for more than _____ seconds, go back on the line
and ask the caller if they wish to continue holding.
A. 15
B. 30
C. 45
D. 60
If you must keep a caller on hold for more than 30 seconds, go back on the line and ask the
caller if they wish to continue holding.
21. (p. 90) There are many ways to answer the phone, but the preferred method is to answer
with:
A. "Hello"
B. "Good morning"
C. "Dr. _____'s officethis is _____."
D. "Please hold the line"
The preferred method to answer the phone is "Dr. _____'s officethis is _____."
22. (p. 93) Which of the following calls should not be handled by taking a message?
A. Call from another physician
B. Prescription refills needed
C. Non-stat lab or x-ray results
D. A personal friend of the physician
A call from another physician should not be handled by taking a message.
23. (p. 94) After taking a message regarding a patient's care, the assistant should:
A. Advise the physician
B. Advise the medical assistant
C. Enter into the computer
D. Pull the patient's chart
After taking a message regarding a patient's care, the assistant should pull the patient's chart.
24. (p. 101) All chart entries must be:
A. Signed and filed
B. Dated
C. Signed and dated
D. Printed and dated
All chart entries must be signed and dated.
25. (p. 89) When using electronic mail, the potential for unintentional disclosure of PHI is:
A. Low
B. Moderate
C. High
D. Impossible
When using electronic mail, the potential for unintentional disclosure of PHI is high.
26. (p. 89) Almost all patients make their first contact with the physician's office in this way?
A. By phone
B. By letter
C. By e-mail
D. In person
Almost all patients make their first contact with the physician's office by phone.
27. (p. 90) Hold the mouthpiece of the phone about _____ from your mouth to avoid distortion
or faintness of voice:
A. 3 inches
B. ½ inch
C. 2 inches
D. 1 inch
Hold the mouthpiece of the phone about 1 inch from your mouth to avoid distortion or
faintness of voice.
28. (p. 102) Before appointments can be made, the administrative medical assistant must know
the _____ of the physician's office.
A. Address
B. Basic schedule
C. Average schedule
D. Basic information
Before appointments can be made, the administrative medical assistant must know the basic
schedule of the physician's office.
29. (p. 103) A primary consideration in scheduling is allotting time for:
A. Breaks
B. Lunches
C. Meetings
D. Hospital Rounds
A primary consideration in scheduling is allotting time for hospital rounds.
30. (p. 103) The abbreviation CC stands for:
A. Current Complaint
B. Clinical compliance
C. Chief complaint
D. Clinical course
The abbreviation CC stands for chief complaint.
31. (p. 103) In this type of scheduling, patients are seen in the order in which they arrive:
A. Open-fixed office hours
B. Wave schedule
C. Double booking
D. Modified wave
In open-fixed scheduling, patients are seen in the order in which they arrive.
32. (p. 103) Another name for wave scheduling is:
A. Group scheduling
B. Open/fixed office hours
C. Modified wave
D. Cluster scheduling
Another name for wave scheduling is cluster scheduling.
33. (p. 104) What is the difference between stat and "today" appointments?
A. The time of the appointment
B. The severity of the condition
C. The length of the appointment
D. The age of the patient
The difference between a stat appointment and a "today" appointment is the severity of the
condition.
34. (p. 103) This type of scheduling gives patients the flexibility of open office hours while
allowing the assistant more control over the flow of patients.
A. Double booking
B. Modified wave
C. Wave scheduling
D. Open/Fixed
Wave scheduling gives patients the flexibility of open office hours while allowing the
assistant more control over the flow of patients.
35. (p. 107) How often are established patients asked to verify their necessary data?
A. Every 3 months
B. Every 6 months
C. Once per year
D. Twice per year
Established patients are asked to verify their necessary data once per year.
36. (p. 110) Many offices post a sign asking that patients notify the front desk if they are still
waiting _____ past their appointment.
A. 45 minutes
B. 30 minutes
C. 20 minutes
D. 15 minutes
Many offices post a sign asking that patients notify the front desk if they are still waiting 20
minutes past their appointment.
37. (p. 111) Leaving a _____ interval free in the late morning and again at the end of the day
will help you straighten out a delayed schedule.
A. 15-20 minute
B. 25-30 minute
C. 30-45 minute
D. 60 minute
Leaving a 15-20 minute interval free in the late morning and again at the end of the day will
help you straighten out a delayed schedule.
38. (p. 112) Mail should be stored according to its:
A. Size
B. Addressee
C. Date
D. Importance
Mail should be stored according to its importance.
39. (p. 112) If confidential mail is opened in error, the administrative medical assistant should
reseal the correspondence and:
A. Mark with your initials
B. Mark with the date and the word "mistake"
C. Mark with the date and initials
D. Mark "opened by mistake" and initial
If confidential mail is opened in error, the administrative medical assistant should reseal the
correspondence and mark "opened by mistake" and initial it.
40. (p. 113) Which type of correspondence relates to the management of the office and may
concern insurance companies, lawyers, supply houses and bills to patients?
A. Business
B. Personal
C. Professional
D. Clinical
Business correspondence relates to the management of the office and may concern insurance
companies, lawyers, supply houses and bills to patients.
41. (p. 113) Which type of correspondence concerns patients, clinical matters and research?
A. Business
B. Personal
C. Professional
D. Clinical
Professional correspondence concerns patients, clinical matters and research.
42. (p. 114) Which type of correspondence pertains to the physician's personal rather than
professional life, such as notes to friends or letters about the physician's personal business
interests?
A. Business
B. Personal
C. Professional
D. Clinical
Personal correspondence pertains to the physician's personal rather than professional life, such
as notes to friends or letters about the physician's personal business interests.
43. (p. 114) Which type of mail offers overnight delivery to most destinations?
A. Priority mail
B. Parcel post
C. Express mail
D. First class mail
Express mail offers overnight delivery to most destinations.
44. (p. 114) Which type of mail includes all correspondence, whether hand written or typed, all
bills and all materials sealed against postal inspection and weighing 13 ounces or less?
A. Priority mail
B. Parcel post
C. Express mail
D. First class mail
First class mail includes all correspondence, whether hand written or typed, all bills and all
materials sealed against postal inspection and weighing 13 ounces or less.
45. (p. 114) Which type of mail is used for mailing items such as books, catalogs, other printed
matter, or merchandise not weighing more than 70 pounds and no more than 130" in length or
girth?
A. Priority mail
B. Parcel post
C. Express mail
D. First class mail
Parcel post is used for mailing items such as books, catalogs, other printed matter, or
merchandise not weighing more than 70 pounds and no more than 130" in length or girth.
46. (p. 114) Which type of mail provides the greatest security for valuables?
A. Registered mail
B. Insured mail
C. Certified mail
D. First class mail
Registered mail provides the greatest security for valuables.
47. (p. 114) Which type of mail offers two-to-three day service to most domestic destinations?
A. First class mail
B. Express mail
C. Parcel post
D. Priority mail
Priority mail offers two-to-three day service to most domestic destinations.
48. (p. 77) A copy notation in a letter is placed:
A. Immediately after the date.
B. One enter stroke below the complimentary closing.
C. Below the reference initials and any enclosure notation.
D. One enter stroke below the inside address.
A copy notation in a letter is placed below the reference initials and any enclosure notation.
49. (p. 112 - 113) When processing incoming mail, the office assistant should do all the following
except?
A. Date stamp the correspondence.
B. attach needed patient data to correspondence.
C. refrain from opening the physician's mail marked "Confidential."
D. place received checks in different locations.
When processing incoming mail, the office assistant should do all the following except place
received checks in different locations.
50. (p. 103) During the monthly office meeting, the method of scheduling appointments was
discussed. The patients frequently had wait times in excess of two hours and were very upset
by the time the physician saw them. The practice is a large community clinic that uses wave
scheduling. Choose which of the following scheduling methods may be a better alternative for
the clinic.
A. Scheduled appointments in the morning for call-in patients and open hours in the
afternoon.
B. Wave scheduling with double and triple booking of patients at the top of each hour.
C. There is not better scheduling method.
D. See a fewer amount of patients each day.
Scheduled appointments in the morning for call-in patients and open hours in the afternoon
would be a better alternative for the clinic.
51. (p. 93) While triaging a patient over the phone, the AMA learned the patient had "a really
deep cut on the inside of the upper thigh and there was blood everywhere." The patient stated
he was not able to stop the bleeding. The patient should be advised to:
A. Come to the office, since the wound may become infected.
B. Call 911 or go immediately to the emergency department because the patient may have cut
into an artery.
C. Elevate the leg above his heart and see if the bleeding decreases.
D. Schedule an appointment for the following morning.
The patient should be advised to call 911 or go immediately to the emergency department
because the patient may have cut into an artery.
52. (p. 72) When Dr. Kendall's administrative medical assistant stepped toward a patient to
explain the hospital preadmission procedure, the patient abruptly took a step backwards.
Which of the following is the most likely reason for the patient's movement during the
communication process?
A. The administrative medical assistant had bad breath.
B. The patient's cell phone was ringing.
C. The patient needed to sit down.
D. The administrative medical assistant had intruded into the patient's personal space.
The patient's movement during the communication process was a result of the administrative
medical assistant intruding into the patient's personal space.
53. (p. 74) Patrice felt she was being treated rudely by the medical office receptionist. When
Patrice arrived for her appointment, the receptionist greeted Patrice, quickly shut the glass
window, and began pointing her finger toward Patrice. The receptionist was discussing a
newly discovered crack in the wall with the office manager. Patrice felt unwelcome because:
A. The receptionist's verbal message did not match her nonverbal message.
B. The receptionist's verbal and nonverbal messages were the same.
C. The crack on the wall was offensive to Patrice.
D. The receptionist did not offer Patrice coffee or water.
Patrice felt unwelcome because the receptionist's verbal and nonverbal message were the
same.
54. (p. 104) This type of scheduling is a popular feature because of its ease of searching and
time-saving convenience:
A. manual scheduling
B. computer scheduling
C. wave-scheduling
D. open scheduling
Computer scheduling is a popular feature because of its ease of searching and time-saving
convenience.
Fill in the Blank Questions
55. (p. 94) After taking a message regarding a patient's care, the assistant should obtain the
__________.
Patient's chart
56. (p. 100) A __________ may be used to send or receive information about the patient
immediately.
Fax machine
57. (p. 101) All chart notations must be signed and __________.
Dated
58. (p. 102) Currently, __________ is not the preferred method of communicating medical
information.
E-mail
59. (p. 110) The __________ for cancellations and rescheduled appointments should be posted
in areas accessible to patients such as the waiting area or examination room.
Office policy