CCMA Patient Care Coordination & Education Practice Questions
Patient Care Coordination & Education makes up 4 of every 50 questions on a Tigertest CCMA practice test. Here are 10 of the 16 questions on it, each with the answer and the reason.
Updated by the Tigertest team. Weighted to the NHA CCMA test plan (3.0). Scope of practice varies by state.
1. A provider orders an MRI for a patient whose insurance plan requires prior authorization. Before scheduling the scan, the medical assistant should:
- A.Have the patient sign a payment waiver instead of approval
- B.Get insurer approval with supporting clinical notes
- C.Schedule the scan now and submit the claim after it is done
- D.Ask the patient to call the imaging center about coverage
Answer: B. Prior authorization must be obtained from the payer before the service, using the order and clinical notes to show medical necessity. Performing the scan first and billing later risks a denied claim the patient may have to pay.
2. An HMO patient needs a cardiology consultation. When preparing the referral, the medical assistant should include:
- A.The medical assistant's opinion of the diagnosis
- B.Only the patient's name and home phone number
- C.The complete chart from birth to the present visit
- D.Reason, pertinent records, and insurance details
Answer: D. A referral needs the reason for the consult, relevant records, and insurance and authorization information so the specialist and payer can act. Sending the whole chart violates the minimum necessary standard, and the MA does not offer diagnostic opinions.
3. A patient is discharged from the hospital after a heart failure exacerbation. Which action by the medical assistant best supports this care transition?
- A.Book a follow-up visit within 7 to 14 days
- B.Tell the patient to stop the new hospital medications
- C.Reschedule the routine annual physical for next year
- D.Wait for the patient to call if symptoms return
Answer: A. Prompt post-discharge follow-up, typically within 7 to 14 days, lowers readmissions and allows medication reconciliation. Telling a patient to stop medications is outside the MA's scope and could be dangerous.
4. A provider's care plan for a patient with type 2 diabetes sets goals for diet, glucose checks, and exercise. The medical assistant's role is to:
- A.Adjust insulin doses based on the patient's glucose log
- B.Decide which specialist referrals the patient will need
- C.Reinforce the plan and report the patient's concerns
- D.Change the goals when the patient finds them too difficult
Answer: C. The MA supports the provider's care plan through reinforcement and reports barriers back to the provider. Changing goals, adjusting doses, or deciding on referrals are provider decisions outside the MA's scope.
5. A homebound older adult needs dressing changes after surgery and cannot drive. The provider orders skilled nursing care at home. The medical assistant should coordinate:
- A.A weekly caregiver support group
- B.A hospice admission
- C.A home health agency referral
- D.An adult day care enrollment
Answer: C. Home health agencies send skilled nurses and therapists to homebound patients who need intermittent care. Hospice is for patients with a terminal prognosis focusing on comfort, which does not fit a postoperative patient.
6. A patient on chemotherapy keeps missing appointments because she has no ride and feels isolated. The medical assistant can best help by:
- A.Share transportation and support group resources
- B.Telling her to reschedule when she finds a ride
- C.Removing her from the schedule until she is ready
- D.Asking the provider to cancel her treatment plan
Answer: A. Patient navigation means connecting patients with community resources such as transportation services and support groups that address barriers to care. Simply rescheduling or removing her does nothing about the barrier and risks gaps in treatment.
7. After explaining how to use a peak flow meter, the medical assistant asks the patient to demonstrate it and explain each step. This technique is called:
- A.Closed-ended questioning
- B.Active listening
- C.Reflection
- D.Teach-back
Answer: D. Teach-back has the patient explain or show the information in their own words so the MA can confirm understanding and correct gaps. Reflection and active listening are therapeutic communication skills but do not verify learning.
8. Written education materials for the general patient population should ideally be written at which reading level?
- A.Twelfth grade
- B.Fifth to sixth grade
- C.College level
- D.Eighth to ninth grade
Answer: B. Many adults have limited health literacy, so materials in plain language at a 5th to 6th grade level are recommended. A high school or eighth grade level, although common in printed materials, is too difficult for many patients.
9. A patient just diagnosed with diabetes is crying and says she cannot take anything in right now. Regarding her diabetes teaching, the medical assistant should:
- A.Hand her several pamphlets and end the visit quickly
- B.Acknowledge her feelings and teach when she is ready
- C.Teach a family member instead of the patient herself
- D.Complete all of the diabetes teaching before she leaves today
Answer: B. Learning depends on readiness; a patient overwhelmed by emotion retains little, so the MA acknowledges the feelings and arranges teaching soon after. Pushing through all the teaching now wastes the session and misses the patient's needs.
10. A patient tells the medical assistant he learns best by doing things with his hands. To teach insulin pen use, the medical assistant should:
- A.Give him a detailed written handout to read
- B.Play an audio recording of the pen steps
- C.Describe each of the steps aloud only once
- D.Have him practice with a demonstration pen
Answer: D. A kinesthetic learner learns best through hands-on practice, which also lets the MA observe his technique. Written or audio instruction fits visual or auditory learners, not this patient's stated style.
Practice all 16 patient care coordination & education questions, and the rest of the 200-question bank, in the free CCMA training sets. Questions you miss come back until you have mastered them.
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