PAR Patient Registration & Information Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient presents at registration but cannot remember their Social Security Number. What is the best action?
- Refuse registration until SSN is provided
- Register the patient using other identifiers and note SSN as unknown (Correct answer)
- Ask a family member to provide the SSN
- Delay care until the SSN is verified
Correct answer: Register the patient using other identifiers and note SSN as unknown
Patients can be registered using other demographic identifiers; SSN is not mandatory to initiate care.
Question 2: Which of the following is an example of a hard copy of a patient's medical record?
- An EHR entry viewed on screen
- A scanned document stored in the cloud
- A printed discharge summary handed to the patient (Correct answer)
- A digital photograph taken with a tablet
Correct answer: A printed discharge summary handed to the patient
A printed discharge summary is a physical, hard-copy document of the patient's medical record.
Question 3: During registration, you discover the patient's name is spelled differently on their insurance card vs. their photo ID. What should you do?
- Use the insurance card spelling because billing depends on it
- Use the photo ID spelling and notify the insurance company of the discrepancy (Correct answer)
- Refuse service until the patient provides matching documents
- Ignore the discrepancy and register with either spelling
Correct answer: Use the photo ID spelling and notify the insurance company of the discrepancy
The government-issued photo ID is the most authoritative source for legal name spelling, and any discrepancy should be flagged to insurance.
Question 4: What does the term 'pre-registration' refer to in patient access?
- Registering a patient after discharge
- Collecting patient demographic and insurance information before the service date (Correct answer)
- Verifying insurance eligibility on the day of service
- Entering clinical notes before the physician sees the patient
Correct answer: Collecting patient demographic and insurance information before the service date
Pre-registration involves gathering demographic and insurance data in advance to streamline the check-in process on the day of service.
Question 5: A patient insists their middle name be included in their registration record. What should the PAR do?
- Decline, as middle names are not required in registration systems
- Add the middle name as requested to ensure accurate patient identification (Correct answer)
- Add only the middle initial to save database space
- Escalate the request to a supervisor
Correct answer: Add the middle name as requested to ensure accurate patient identification
Accurate and complete demographic data, including middle names when provided, improves patient identification and reduces duplicate records.
Question 6: Which regulatory requirement mandates that patients be informed of their privacy rights at the time of registration?
- EMTALA
- HIPAA Privacy Rule (Correct answer)
- The Fair Credit Reporting Act
- The Affordable Care Act
Correct answer: HIPAA Privacy Rule
The HIPAA Privacy Rule requires healthcare providers to provide patients with a Notice of Privacy Practices at first service.
Question 7: A patient with a language barrier arrives for registration. What is the most appropriate first step?
- Ask a bilingual family member to interpret
- Proceed with registration using gestures
- Contact a qualified medical interpreter service (Correct answer)
- Defer registration until a staff member who speaks the language is available
Correct answer: Contact a qualified medical interpreter service
Federal law and best practice require the use of qualified medical interpreters to ensure accurate communication and informed consent.
PAR Patient Registration & Information Management 2
A patient presents at registration but cannot remember their Social Security Number.
What is the best action?