Chapter 11 - Telephone techniques. After reading this chapter, you will be able to demonstrate proper telephone etiquette by using common courtesy, proper pronunciation, tone, and enunciation while speaking. You will learn how to effectively handle difficult telephone situations or complaints and how to properly document messages taken.
CHAPTER 11 Telephone Techniques © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 112 Learning Outcomes 11.1 Explain the importance of communication skills 11.2 Explain how to manage incoming telephone calls 11.3 Describe how the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) applies to telephone communications 11.4 Describe the procedure for calling a new prescription or prescription renewal into a pharmacy © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 113 Learning Outcomes (cont.) 11.5 Compare the types of calls the medical assistant handles with those the physician or other staff members handle 11.6 Describe how to handle various types of incoming calls from patients and from others 11.7 Discuss the importance of proper telephone etiquette 11.8 Describe the procedures for taking telephone messages © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 114 Learning Outcomes (cont.) 11.9 Explain how to retrieve calls from an answering service 11.10 Describe the procedures for placing outgoing calls 11.11 Explain the function of telephone triage in the medical office 11.12 Explain the uses of a facsimile machine in a medical office © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 115 Introduction • Telephone calls must be professionally and effectively handled • Telephone etiquette – Common courtesy – Proper pronunciation, tone, and enunciation • How to handle difficult situations and complaints How to document messages â 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 116 Using the Telephone Effectively (cont.) Good telephone techniques leave the patient with a positive impression of • You • The physician • The practice Good telephone management shows that the staff is • Caring • Attentive • Helpful Poor telephone management results in • Bad feelings • Misunderstanding • Unfavorable impressions © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 117 Communication Skills • Using tact and sensitivity • Showing empathy Giving respect Being genuine â 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 118 Communication Skills (cont.) • Displaying openness and friendliness • Refraining from passing judgment or stereotyping • Being supportive • Asking for clarification and feedback © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 119 Communication Skills (cont.) • Paraphrasing to ensure understanding • Being receptive to the patient’s needs • Knowing when to speak and when to listen • Being willing to consider other viewpoints © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1110 Communication Skills (cont.) The Cs of Communication © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1145 Telephone Triage Telephone triage is used as a process of deciding what action to take Telephone staff are given guidelines to Learning the Triage Process handle common conditions Telephone staff cannot diagnose or treat Telephone staff must determine whether Specific information must caller requires be obtained, such as additional care name, age, symptoms, and anxiety © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1146 Telephone Triage (cont.) • Automated telephone triage Remind patients of upcoming appointments Conduct patient surveys Give patients test results Managing referrals Assist with preventive care © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1147 Telephone Triage (cont.) Level of Severity Manage by telephone Categorizing the Problem Manage in office Send patient to emergency care facility Advise the caller that the recommendations are based on the symptoms and are not a diagnosis Have the caller repeat instructions you give Instruct the patient to call back if symptoms worsen Document critical elements of the conversation © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1148 Telephone Triage (cont.) Clinical triage – based Taking Action on office guidelines Determine extent of problem (Is this an emergency?) Decide on appropriate action Telephone situations must be handled correctly to protect the health and safety of the patient © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1149 Apply Your Knowledge What is telephone triage and what does it entail? ANSWER: Telephone triage is a process used to decide what action to take when a patient calls the office with a clinical problem Telephone staff use office guidelines to determine a course of action based on the of the level of severity of the problem Great! © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1150 Telecommunications and Faxes • Automated telephone system – Recorded voice identifies department or services – Numbered choices • Facsimile (fax) machines – HIPAA guidelines must be followed for patient confidentiality – Fax machine should be located in secure location © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1151 Telephone Slamming and Cramming • Slamming – Unauthorized changes • Cramming – Unauthorized charges • Report to carrier immediately • State and federal crime © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1152 Pagers and Cell Phones • Pager – Personal telecommunications device for short messages – Types • Only receive messages • Send and receive email and numeric messages • Cell phone – Mobile voice or data communication • Remember to maintain patient confidentiality © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1153 Apply Your Knowledge As you escort Mr James to the exam room, you notice that a repairman is looking at a document on the fax machine What should you do? ANSWER: You should ask Mr James to wait where he is and excuse yourself to deal with the repairman Tactfully tell the repairman that he should not be reading the information on the fax machine You should also suggest to the office manager that the fax machine be moved to a less accessible location Impressive! © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1154 In Summary 11.1 Effective communication skills are important because they employ a positive image and assist with satisfying the expectations of the patient 11.2 Answer incoming telephone calls promptly Be courteous and pleasant at all times on the telephone 11.3 In compliance with HIPAA, information communicated by telephone should be confidential and private so that information cannot be overheard © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1155 In Summary (cont.) 11.4 When calling in prescription renewals, pull the patients charts Make sure you are in a private location in the office before releasing information to the pharmacy Document the conversation 11.5 Calls handled by the medical assistant and other staff members may vary The medical assistant handles less complex telephone calls than does the physician or nurse Calls should always be routed to the appropriate staff member © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1156 In Summary (cont.) 11.6 Always refer to your policy and procedure manual regarding how to handle incoming calls appropriately Remember to always be courteous 11.7 Customer service is critical when using the phone, and provides your office with a tone of professionalism 11.8 When taking telephone messages, always have a pen and pencil near the phone Proper documentation protects the physician © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1157 In Summary (cont.) 11.9 Retrieve messages from an answering service at a set scheduled time, identify yourself, write down pertinent information, and repeat information—confirming that you understand 11.10 When placing outgoing calls, check the time zone, obtain information from the physician that needs to be provided, and arrange for consultations if needed © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1158 In Summary (cont.) 11.11 Telephone triage is used as a process of deciding what actions need to be taken by the physician or other staff members after the telephone call 11.12 Fax machines may be used for various electronic transmissions such as lab reports, insurance reports, and other approvals Make sure that the fax machine is in a secure and private area © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1159 End of Chapter 11 When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen ~ Ernest Hemmingway © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved ... Calls handled by the medical assistant – Appointments – Billing inquiries – Insurance questions – Diagnostic reports (lab and x-ray) – General administrative questions – Reports from hospitals and. .. Clarity – it should be legible and free from ambiguity • Conciseness – it should be brief and direct • Courtesy – it should be respectful and considerate • Cohesiveness – it should be organized and. .. calls the medical assistant handles with those the physician or other staff members handle 11. 6 Describe how to handle various types of incoming calls from patients and from others 11. 7 Discuss