Scheduling and Registration Workflows 2 Flashcards
6 cards from real CHAA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Scheduling and Registration Workflows 2 flashcards as text
Which scheduling method assigns patients to specific appointment time slots rather than having them arrive at any point during a block of time?
Answer: Individual (stream) scheduling
Individual (stream) scheduling assigns each patient a unique, dedicated time slot, spreading appointments evenly to minimize wait times and allow staff to plan workloads — in contrast to wave or cluster methods where multiple patients may arrive at the same time.
During the registration workflow, which step involves confirming that a patient's insurance plan has authorized a planned procedure before the service is rendered?
Answer: Prior authorization
Prior authorization (also called pre-authorization or pre-certification) is the insurer's formal approval that a specific service is medically necessary and covered — it must be obtained before the procedure to avoid claim denials, and is a distinct step from simply verifying active eligibility.
A patient calls to schedule an appointment but your first available slot is six weeks away. The patient agrees to be notified if a sooner opening becomes available. What is the correct term for the list used to track this patient?
Answer: Cancellation or waitlist
A cancellation or waitlist (often called a waitlist) captures patients willing to accept an earlier appointment if a scheduled slot opens due to a cancellation or no-show — proactively managing this list improves capacity utilization and patient satisfaction.
When completing inpatient registration, the access associate collects the patient's signature on a document that grants the facility permission to perform treatments and procedures. This document is called a:
Answer: General consent for treatment
A general consent for treatment is the foundational legal document signed at registration that authorizes the facility and its providers to render care — it is distinct from financial consent forms, HIPAA acknowledgments, or procedure-specific informed consents obtained by clinicians.
Which registration data element is used to link all encounters for the same patient across the health system and is sometimes called the 'enterprise number'?
Answer: Medical record number (MRN)
The medical record number (MRN) is the permanent, lifetime identifier assigned to a patient within a health system, tying all past and future encounters together in the Master Patient Index — the encounter (visit) number is temporary and unique only to a single visit.
An access associate discovers during registration that a patient's insurance card lists a different group number than what is on file from a previous visit. What is the most appropriate immediate action?
Answer: Update the insurance information in the system and notify the billing department
Insurance information should always reflect the most current and accurate data; the associate should update the record with the new group number and alert billing so that claims are submitted correctly — using outdated information risks claim denial, while delaying the patient's care is inappropriate if the discrepancy is a routine plan change.