Certified Revenue Cycle Representative (CRCR) Practice Exam

Which patients are considered scheduled?

1. Observation Patients

2. Emergency Department Patients

3. Recurring/Series Patients

4. Hospice Care

The correct answer is: Recurring/Series Patients

Scheduled patients typically refer to individuals who have appointments arranged in advance for specific services or treatment. This generally includes patients who require ongoing or recurring treatment, such as those undergoing series of procedures or therapies. Recurring/Series patients fit this definition because they are often scheduled for multiple visits over a period of time, ensuring their care is coordinated and continuous. In contrast, observation patients often do not have a pre-set schedule as their admissions depend on acute needs and monitoring in a hospital setting. Emergency department patients are typically treated on an as-needed basis, meaning they do not have prior appointments and instead arrive based on urgent health issues. Hospice care patients are generally in a more passive category, focusing on managing end-of-life care, and while they may have regular visits from healthcare professionals, these may not be pre-scheduled in the same structured manner as recurring treatments. Thus, the distinction of scheduled patients is best represented by recurring/series patients who clearly fit into a planned appointment system.