PAR Patient Registration & Information Management 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What information is typically captured in an 'encounter form' during patient registration?
- Clinical diagnosis and treatment plan
- Patient demographics, insurance details, and visit type (Correct answer)
- Lab results and imaging reports
- Physician credentials and DEA number
Correct answer: Patient demographics, insurance details, and visit type
An encounter form documents key administrative information such as patient demographics, payer details, and the type of visit for billing and record purposes.
Question 2: When a patient is admitted as an inpatient, which registration type is used?
- Outpatient registration
- Emergency registration
- Inpatient admission (Correct answer)
- Observation registration
Correct answer: Inpatient admission
Inpatient admission registration is used when a physician formally orders a patient to be admitted to the hospital for overnight or extended care.
Question 3: A PAR receives a call from a patient's employer asking for confirmation that the patient is currently hospitalized. What is the correct response under HIPAA?
- Confirm or deny based on what the patient's chart says
- Provide only the patient's room number
- Decline to confirm or deny without patient authorization (Correct answer)
- Provide general status since the employer is paying for insurance
Correct answer: Decline to confirm or deny without patient authorization
HIPAA prohibits disclosing PHI to unauthorized parties, including employers, without a valid patient authorization.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes the Master Patient Index (MPI)?
- A list of all active insurance contracts
- A database that uniquely identifies every patient registered in a healthcare system (Correct answer)
- A record of all diagnostic codes used in billing
- A directory of physician specialties
Correct answer: A database that uniquely identifies every patient registered in a healthcare system
The MPI is a core database that assigns and maintains a unique identifier for each patient to prevent duplicate records and ensure accurate identity matching.
Question 5: What action should a PAR take when they suspect a patient may be using someone else's insurance?
- Process the claim as presented to avoid confrontation
- Ignore it if the information provided seems close enough
- Document concerns and notify a supervisor or compliance officer (Correct answer)
- Cancel the registration immediately
Correct answer: Document concerns and notify a supervisor or compliance officer
Insurance fraud is a serious compliance issue; the PAR should document the concern and escalate to appropriate personnel rather than taking unilateral action.
Question 6: Which of the following identifies the correct order for verifying patient identity during registration?
- Ask for name only, then confirm with a badge photo
- Ask for at least two patient identifiers such as name and date of birth (Correct answer)
- Confirm identity using room number and bed assignment
- Use the patient's email address and phone number as primary identifiers
Correct answer: Ask for at least two patient identifiers such as name and date of birth
The Joint Commission requires at least two patient identifiers (such as full name and date of birth) to be used to accurately identify patients.
Question 7: An established patient's address has changed since their last visit. When should this information be updated in the system?
- Only when the patient submits a written change request
- At the next annual registration renewal
- At the current visit, after verifying the new address with the patient (Correct answer)
- Address updates are handled solely by the billing department
Correct answer: At the current visit, after verifying the new address with the patient
Demographics should be verified and updated at every encounter to ensure accurate records and successful communication with the patient.
PAR Patient Registration & Information Management 3
What information is typically captured in an 'encounter form' during patient registration?