CHAPTER Managing Correspondence and Mail © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-2 Learning Outcomes 7.1 List the supplies necessary for creating and mailing professional-looking correspondence 7.2 Identify the types of correspondence used in medical office communications 7.3 Describe the parts of a letter and the different letter and punctuation styles 7.4 Compose a business letter © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-3 Learning Outcomes (cont.) 7.5 Explain the tasks involved in editing and proofreading 7.6 Describe the process of handling incoming and outgoing mail 7.7 Compare and contrast the services provided by the U.S Postal Service and other delivery services © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-4 Introduction • Written materials demonstrate ability to – Communicate – Conduct business • Professional image is conveyed in written correspondence • Written documents = legal records © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-5 Correspondence and Professionalism Learning to Create Receive Send correspondence properly ensures positive, effective communication between your office and others © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-6 Choosing Correspondence Supplies Letterhead paper Envelopes Supplies Supplies Labels Statements Invoices © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-7 Choosing Correspondence Supplies Letterhead – Formal business stationary – Doctor’s or office’s name, address, phone number printed at the top – Correspondence with (cont.) Medical Practice, Inc 111 One Dr Any, St 11111 111-111-1111 • Patients • Colleagues • Vendors © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-8 Choosing Correspondence Supplies (cont.) Letterhead – Cotton fiber bond Medical Practice, Inc 111 One Dr Any, St 11111 111-111-1111 • More expensive than other types of paper (sulfite bond) • Watermark – Sizes • Standard or letter size – 8½ x 11 inches • Legal size – 8½ x 14 inches © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-9 Choosing Correspondence Supplies (cont.) Envelopes – Should match letterhead – Types of envelopes • • • • Correspondence or business – No 10 Invoices or statements – No to No 10 Payment-return envelopes Tan Kraft or clasp envelopes – large, bulky documents • Padded envelopes – send items that may be damaged during mail handling • Data mailers © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-10 Choosing Correspondence Supplies (cont.) Labels – Printed, computerized address labels can save a large amount of time Invoices and statements – – – – – Preprinted invoices Preprinted statements Computer-generated invoices and statements Superbills Data mailers © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-48 USPS – Regular Mail Service (cont.) • Priority Mail • Express Mail – Useful for heavier items requiring faster delivery – The quickest service – USPS offers a flat rate for any items that can fit into the priority envelope – Rates vary with weight – USPS guarantees delivery within 2–3 days – Delivery service available every day – Items automatically insured against loss or damage – Special flat rate also available © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-49 USPS – Special Postal Services • Online postage • Special delivery Deliveries made before regular mail delivery Limited hours and distance limits availability • Certified mail Offers a guarantee that the item has been received Requires signature of recipient © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-50 USPS – Special Postal Services (cont.) • Return receipt requested Offers proof of who received the item and when they received it • Registered mail Used to send valuable, important items Evidence provided of mailing and delivery to sender First-class and priority mail can be registered • Delivery confirmation © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-51 USPS – Special Postal Services (cont.) • International mail – USPS offers surface and airmail services to most foreign countries – International mail classes are similar to domestic mail classes • Tracing mail – Service used if a piece of certified or registered mail does not reach its destination on time – The original receipt must be presented to locate the item © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-52 Other Delivery Services Delivery Service Description United Parcel Service (UPS) • Provides overnight letter and express services • Packages insured Express Delivery Services • Federal Express • DHL Messengers or Carriers • Local area same-day delivery © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-53 Apply Your Knowledge Which type of mail would you use to send each of the following: ANSWER: Confidential laboratory results C or D Signed and dated contract materials C or D Patient invoice and billing statements A First class mail B Priority Mail C Certified mail D Registered mail A 111 One Drive Any, ST 11111 Right! © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-54 Processing Incoming Mail Distribute Annotate Record Open Sort © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-55 Processing Incoming Mail (cont.) • Sort and Open – Mail is often sorted according to its priority • • • • • • Urgent, registered mail, etc Personal or confidential mail First class, airmail, and Priority Mail Packages Magazines and newspapers Advertisements and catalogues – Do not open personal mail without permission © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-56 Processing Incoming Mail (cont.) • Record – daily mail log – Mail received – Follow-up correspondence • Annotate – Outline key points – Write reminders, comments, or suggestions • Distribute – Deliver items to mail recipients © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-57 Processing Incoming Mail (cont.) Handling Drug and Product Samples DO DO NOT Place only nonprescription products in patient areas according to office policy Sort and store other prescription items in locked cabinet Destroy outdated samples properly Give patients samples without the physician approval Fail to document in patient record when samples are given per the physician’s request Discard medication samples in trash cans or flush down sink or toilet © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-58 Apply Your Knowledge What are the steps for processing incoming mail? ANSWER: The steps for processing incoming mail are • Sorting • Opening • Recording • Annotating • Distributing CORRECT! © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-59 In Summary 7.1 Choose the right supplies for professional looking office correspondence – Letterhead – Envelopes, labels – Invoices 7.2 Medical assistants may be responsible for preparing – Routine correspondence – Letters of referrals – Scheduling letters – Reports to insurance companies – Instructions for exams and lab reports © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-60 In Summary (cont.) • Parts – – – – – – – – Dateline Subject line Attention line Body of letter Complimentary closing Signature block Identification line Notations • Letter styles – Full-block – Modified-block – Modified block with indented paragraphs – Simplified • Punctuation styles – Open – Mixed 7.3 Business letters © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-61 In Summary (cont.) 7.4 Medical assistants should proofread and edit correspondence they create 7.5 Keep reference tools available when editing and proofreading 7.6 The processing incoming and outgoing mail includes properly sorting, opening, recording, annotating, and distributing the mail 7.7 The United States Postal Service offers a variety of services for letters and packages and can now compete with other mail and package delivery services © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7-62 End of Chapter If a fellow wants to be a nobody in the business world, let him neglect sending the mailman to somebody on his behalf —Abraham Lincoln © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed [...]... errors – – – – – Factual accuracy Logical flow Conciseness Clarity Tone – Grammatical – Spelling – Formatting • Have another person proofread if possible NEVER skip editing and proofreading steps! © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7- 31 Editing and Proofreading (cont.) Tools for Editing and Proofreading Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR) Thesaurus Dictionary English grammar and. .. information • Types – – – – – – Referrals Scheduling Patient reports Patient education Insurance/billing information Cover or form letters © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7- 13 Parts of a Business Letter • Letterhead • Dateline – Month, day, and year – Begins 3 lines below letterhead on line 15 • Inside address – Includes information needed for correct delivery – Two to four... ed 7- 35 Proofreading • Proofread and put aside • Have coworker proofread document • Three types of errors – Formatting – Data – Mechanical © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7- 36 Proofreading (cont.) • Formatting errors – Positioning parts of a letter – Indenting, line length, line spacing – Avoid by following office style • Data errors – Mistyping monetary figures – Avoid... in the attention line – The salutation – The complimentary closing – The signature block – The enclosure and copy notations © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7- 20 Punctuation Styles (cont.) • Mixed Punctuation includes the following: – Colon after Attention in the attention line – Colon after the salutation – Comma after the complimentary closing – Colon or period after... usage manual Medical dictionary Word processing spell checker © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7- 32 Editing • Editing ensures that documents are – Accurate – Clear – Complete – Free of grammatical errors – Logically organized – Written in appropriate style © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7- 33 Editing (cont.) • Language usage – Learn basic... grammar rules – Ask: “Is this the best way to convey what I want to say?” • Style – Appropriate to reader © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7- 34 Editing (cont.) • Content - logical flow of thought – State purpose – Discuss one topic at a time – Change paragraphs when changing topics – List events in chronological order – Stick to subject – Select words carefully – Proofread... Effective Writing (cont.) • Be polite and courteous • Check – Spelling – Accuracy of dates and monetary figures – Grammar • Avoid leaving “widows and orphans” (dangling words and phrases) © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7- 28 Interoffice Memorandum (Memo) • Word processing software has templates • Facilitate informal written communication within an office © 2011 T he McGraw... subject (optional) – Second line below salutation • Body – Begins two lines below salutation or subject line – Single-spaced within a paragraph – Double-spaced between paragraphs © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7- 16 Parts of a Business Letter (cont.) • Complimentary closing – Placed two lines below body – “Sincerely” is commonly used • Signature block – Places writer’s... on first line and business title on second line – Three to four lines below complimentary closing © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7- 17 Parts of a Business Letter (cont.) • Identification line – Letter writer’s initials and the typist’s initials (KB/SF or KB:SF) – Two lines below the signature block • Notations – May be abbreviated as Encl, Enc, or Encs – Copy notation... rights reserv ed 7- 26 Effective Writing • Identify your reading audience – Tone of letter (formal or relaxed) • Know the purpose of the letter • Be clear and concise – Don’t use unnecessary words – Message should be easily understood • Use active voice when possible – Passive voice is best when relaying negative news © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 7- 27 Effective Writing