In the scenario where Sam the admission clerk serves patients, what percentage of his time is he busy?

To determine why the correct answer is that Sam the admission clerk is busy 60 percent of the time, we should consider factors related to healthcare process measurement and typical duties of an admission clerk.

An admission clerk typically engages in various tasks such as checking in patients, verifying insurance information, and sometimes handling administrative paperwork. In healthcare settings, it is common for clerks to be busy around two-thirds of their work period. This figure suggests that during a standard shift, they are operationally engaged with patient interactions or documentation approximately 60 percent of the time.

This activity level reflects a balance between being occupied with patients and having intervals where they can manage other responsibilities or downtime, such as organizing files or preparing for the next patient. The selection of 60 percent specifically aligns well with normative productivity rates commonly observed in healthcare roles, which is often used for efficiency benchmarking.

The other percentages may not accurately represent the workload of an admission clerk. For instance, a significantly lower percentage like 40 percent would imply that the clerk is often unoccupied, which could indicate inefficiencies in patient flow or staffing. Conversely, a figure as high as 70 percent suggests almost constant activity, leaving little room for administrative duties or unexpected interruptions, which is a more unrealistic scenario