Chapter 4 - Preparing the exam and treatment areas. In this chapter you will learn about the common layouts of examination rooms; keeping the rooms clean and stocked with instruments, disposable, and consumable supplies; maintaining the comfort of the room; and making the room safe for patients and coworkers. You will also be introduced to the requirements for accessibility established by the Americans With Disabilities Act.
CHAPTER Preparing the Exam and Treatment Areas © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 42 Learning Outcomes 4.1 Explain the medical assistant’s role in preparing the examination room 4.2 Describe the layout and features of a typical examination room 4.3 Describe steps to prevent the spread of infection in the examination room 4.4 Explain how and when to disinfect examination room surfaces © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 43 Learning Outcomes (cont.) 4.5 Describe the importance of such factors as temperature, lighting, and ventilation in the examination room 4.6 Identify instruments and supplies used in a general physical examination, and tell how to arrange and prepare them 4.7 Explain how to eliminate hazards to physical safety in the examination room © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 44 Introduction • Preparation of the exam room and treatment area – Common layouts – Cleanliness and supplies – Comfort of room – Safety • Accessibility based on the Americans with Disabilities Act © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved The Medical Assistant’s Role in Preparing the Examination Room 45 • Maintain neatness and cleanliness of the room • Ensure that all supplies and equipment needed are present for the physician’s use • Make certain that potential safety hazards are eliminated © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved The Medical Assistant’s Role in Preparing the Examination Room (cont.) 4ư6 Main concerns are â 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 47 Apply Your Knowledge What are three tasks the medical assistant should to prepare the examination room? ANSWER: The medical assistant should Maintain neatness and cleanliness of the room Ensure that all supplies and equipment needed are present for the physician’s use Make certain that potential safety hazards are eliminated © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 48 The Examination Room • The area where the physician: – Observes the patient – Listens to patient symptoms – Performs a general physical examination to confirm health or diagnose a medical problem © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 49 The Examination Room (cont.) • Number and size of rooms – Depends on the number of physicians in the medical practice – Average size room is × 12 ft – Rooms should be large enough for patient, physician, and medical assistant, yet small enough to have supplies within reach © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 410 Exam Room Furnishings • Should be arranged for: – Efficiency – Patient comfort – Physician convenience • Items commonly found in examination rooms One or more chairs A rolling stool Weight scale Biohazard container Wastebasket with lid Puncture-proof containers Wall brackets High-intensity lamp © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 430 Consumable Supplies • Supplies that are used up – Fixative – chemical spray used for preserving a specimen – Isopropyl alcohol – Lubricant – a water-soluble gel • Be sure patients not have access to – Prescription blanks – Drugs – Needles © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 431 Medical Instruments and Supplies (cont.) • Storing supplies in cabinets and drawers – Label so items can be easily located • Restocking supplies – Reorder when the first half of a box, tube, or bottle has been used – Routinely straighten and clean © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 432 Apply Your Knowledge A medical assistant is preparing the treatment room for a local ENT specialist Which of the following instruments might be used in this office to assess patient ear, nose, and throat functioning? ANSWER: stethoscope *penlight penlight *nasal nasal speculum speculum *laryngeal mirror laryngeal mirror reflex hammer *ophthalmoscope ophthalmoscope otoscope *otoscope tape measure sphygmomanometer *tuning tuningfork fork anoscope Good Choices! © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 433 Physical Safety in the Exam Room • Floor – Wipe up spills immediately – Pick up dropped items – Be sure carpets and rugs are intact • Cabinets and drawers – Keep closed • Prevents injury • Supplies not exposed to patients © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 434 Physical Safety in the Exam Room (cont.) • Furniture – No rough edges or sharp corners – Pull from service and check with supervisor • Cords and cables – Taped or fastened down – Replace if worn © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 435 Special Safety Precautions • Children – Keep medication and dangerous items out of reach – Toys should be washable and safe • Patients with disabilities – Fall precautions – Safe flooring and handrails – Be sure toys not have any sharp surfaces © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 436 Fire Safety Fire Prevention • Store and dispose of hazardous substances correctly • Post “No Smoking” signs in office areas • Check electrical cords, plugs, and outlets Have functional smoke detectors â 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 437 Fire Safety (cont.) • In case of fire – Using safety equipment • Fire extinguisher – “PASS” system – Have a safe evacuation route • Locate fire alarms, fire doors, and fire escapes • Stage fire drills © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 438 Apply Your Knowledge The medical assistant has received the recently ordered office cleaning supplies When unpacking the cleaning solutions for storage, he finds two new disinfectant solutions that he is unfamiliar with How should the medical assistant handle this? ANSWER: Impressive! A Store the solutions with the other cleaning solutions in the usual cabinet B Lock the new solution up in a separate cabinet C Read the label carefully and check the MSDS information before storing the liquids © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 439 In Summary 4.1 It is the medical assistant’s responsibility to ensure that the examination room is neat, clean, and appropriately stocked 4.2 A typical examination room is about by 12 feet, large enough to accommodate the physician, the patient, and one assistant Instruments and equipment in the room should be easily accessible © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 440 In Summary (cont.) 4.3 Steps involved in preventing the spread of infection in the examination room include covering the examination table with a paper cover and changing the cover between each patient It is also important to disinfect all surfaces that come in contact with blood or body fluids after each patient, and at the beginning and end of the day © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 441 In Summary (cont.) 4.4 Examination room surfaces should be disinfected after an examination or treatment during which surfaces have become visibly contaminated, immediately following accidental blood or body fluid spills or splatter, and at the end of the medical assistant’s work shift 4.5 It is important that patients feel comfortable in the examination room A room that is comfortably warm, well lit, and properly ventilated will help the patient feel comfortable during the examination © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 442 In Summary (cont.) 4.6 A variety of instruments and supplies are used in a general physical examination To ensure that the examination room always has the necessary instruments and supplies, the medical assistant should order and stock all supplies needed for examinations and treatment procedures, keep the instruments sanitized, disinfected, or sterilized and in working order, and place all instruments and supplies where the doctor can easily reach them © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 443 In Summary (cont.) 4.7 To eliminate hazards to physical safety in the examination room, the medical assistant should be alert for any physical hazards in the area, including spills, dropped objects, open cabinet doors, damaged furniture, or improperly secured cords and cables © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 444 End of Chapter Safety is something that happens between your ears, not something you hold in your hands ~ Jeff Cooper © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved ... with each patient – Before and after using gloves – Before and after eating – After coughing or blowing your nose – Before handling clean or sterile equipment – Before leaving for the day © 2011... Temperature, Lighting, and Ventilation (cont.) 4 21 • Good lighting needed – Accurate diagnoses – Perform medical procedures – Read orders and instructions – Prevent accidents © 2011 The McGraw-Hill... Companies, Inc All rights reserved 4 4 Introduction • Preparation of the exam room and treatment area – Common layouts – Cleanliness and supplies – Comfort of room – Safety • Accessibility based