Patient Registration & Information Management Flashcards

Which document type grants a designated person the legal authority to make healthcare decisions for an incapacitated patient?

Answer: Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare

A Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare designates a healthcare proxy who can make medical decisions if the patient becomes unable to do so.

What does 'coordination of benefits' mean in the context of patient registration?

Answer: The process of determining which insurance plan pays first when a patient has multiple coverages

Coordination of benefits (COB) establishes the order in which multiple insurance plans pay claims to prevent duplicate payment.

A PAR notices that a patient has been registered twice under two different MRNs. What should be done?

Answer: Flag the duplicate records for an HIM or MPI analyst to merge according to facility policy

Duplicate MRN resolution requires an HIM or MPI specialist to safely merge records following facility policy to protect data integrity.

What is the primary purpose of collecting an emergency contact during patient registration?

Answer: To have someone to notify and potentially make decisions if the patient becomes incapacitated

An emergency contact is designated so the facility can notify a trusted person and, if needed, obtain surrogate decision-making if the patient cannot communicate.

Which of the following scenarios requires the PAR to collect a new signed consent for treatment?

Answer: A new patient presenting for their first outpatient visit

New patients must sign a general consent for treatment before receiving services; established consents may not cover new visits depending on facility policy.

Under EMTALA, what obligation does a hospital emergency department have when a patient presents requesting care?

Answer: Perform a medical screening examination regardless of ability to pay

EMTALA requires hospital EDs to provide a medical screening examination to anyone who presents, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.

A patient's insurance card lists a group number and a member ID. Which of these is typically used as the primary identifier when verifying eligibility?

Answer: The member ID, sometimes combined with the group number

The member ID is the primary identifier for individual eligibility verification, while the group number identifies the employer plan under which the member is covered.