Question

A patient calls to schedule an annual exam and is only available on one day. On that day, there is only a 15 minute opening and the exam will take 30 minutes. What should the medical assistant do?

A. Explain to the patient that nothing is available that day and ask what other days she might be available.
B. Schedule the patient in the 15 minute time slot since that is the only day she is available.
C. Ask the physician if you can put the patient in the 15 minute opening.
D. None of the above.

Answer 1

A medical assistant should explain to the patient that the requested day only has a 15-minute slot when the exam requires 30 minutes and offer alternative dates for the appointment.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a patient calls to schedule an annual exam and is only available on a specific day, but there is only a 15-minute opening when the exam requires 30 minutes, the medical assistant should explain to the patient that nothing is available that day and ask what other days she might be available. This is because it would be impractical to schedule the patient into a 15-minute slot for a 30-minute exam, and it would likely compromise the quality of care.

Furthermore, as a medical assistant, it is important to maintain a professional schedule that allows enough time for each patient's needs. Overbooking or rushing appointments can not only inconvenience other patients but also potentially lead to healthcare mistakes. Therefore, the correct action would be to offer alternative dates or times for the patient to consider.