A medical office receives many calls during the course of a single day. Each deserves the medical assistant’s complete and competent attention, no matter how busy the office. The following section can assist the medical assistant with managing and following up on common incoming calls. Show
Screening Incoming CallsMost physicians expect the medical assistant to screen all telephone calls. The physician and office manager provide guidance on the type of calls to be routed to the physician and those that he or she will return at a later time. The medical assistant should become familiar with their preferences and also use good judgment, much of which comes with experience, in deciding whether to put through a call to the physician. If it is office policy, put calls from other physicians through at once. If the physician is busy and cannot possibly come to the telephone, explain this briefly and politely, then say that the physician will return the call as soon as possible. Many callers ask, “Is the doctor in?” or “May I speak to the doctor?” Avoid answering with a simple “Yes” or “No” or by responding with the question, “Who is calling, please?” If the physician is not in, say so before asking the identity of the caller. Otherwise, the impression may be created that the physician is just not willing to talk with this person. If the physician is away from the office, the rule of offering assistance still holds. The medical assistant may say, “No, I am sorry, Dr. Frank is not in. May I take a message?” or “No, I am sorry, but Dr. Frank will be at the hospital most of the morning. May I ask her to return your call after 1 o’clock?” If the physician is in and is available for telephone calls, a typical response would be, “Yes, Dr. Frank is in; may I say who is calling, please?” When physicians prefer to keep telephone calls to a minimum, say, “Yes, Dr. Frank is in the office, but she is not free to come to the phone. May I take a message, please?” By responding in this way, the physician is not committed to taking the call. During the time a physician is examining a patient, he or she will not wish to be interrupted with a routine call. In such cases you might say, “Yes, Dr. Frank is in, but she is with a patient right now. May I help you?” or “Yes, Dr. Frank is in, but she is with a patient right now. Is there anything you would like me to ask her?” Try to guard against being overprotective. A patient should be able to talk with the physician when absolutely necessary, but unless it is an emergency, the patient probably is willing to do so at the physician’s convenience. The medical assistant who answers the telephone acts as a screen, not a roadblock. Although no one wants to sit next to a telephone waiting on a physician to call, this is the reality in most cases. In fact, physicians almost always rely on their staff to give them messages from patients and then follow up on the instructions the physician gives for each patient. Staff members should provide an approximate time frame within which the patient’s call will be returned, but they must always stress that the time is an estimate. Emergencies cannot be predicted, and it may be impossible to abide by that time frame. Always ask for the patient’s cell phone number, if available, then ask him or her to keep the phone handy for the rest of the day. Make every effort to return calls by noon for morning messages and by the time the office closes for afternoon messages. By cross-training all employees to take accurate messages and document calls, any employee can return calls, even if he or she did not take the original message. Find out exactly how calls are to be handled when the physician is out of the office and under what circumstances he or she can be interrupted when on the premises. Cultivate a reputation for being helpful and reliable. A medical assistant can save the physician many interruptions if patients develop confidence in the medical assistant’s ability to help them and have faith in his or her promises to take messages and deliver them properly. (For more tips on handling telephone calls, visit the Evolve site at evolve.elsevier.com/kinn.) 9-4 Critical Thinking Application Ashlynn answers the phone; the caller is a male pharmaceutical representative who has been visiting the clinic for several months. She cheerfully greets him and asks if he is calling to make an appointment. He states that he wants to make an appointment with Ashlynn—for a date. How should she handle this call? What problems could arise if this were a patient and Ashlynn were to accept the date? 1 The first thing you should do when answering the telephone is? IDENTIFY THE MEDICAL OFFICE AND YOURSELF 2 Which of the following types of telephone calls can a medical assistant resolve? CALL TO CHANGE AN APPOINTMENT 3 The appropriate way to deal with a caller who refuses to identify himself is to? SUGGEST THAT HE WRITE A LETTER TO THE PHYSICIAN AND MARK IT "PERSONAL" 4 Telephone calls that require the practitioners personal attention include which of the following? PATIENT REQUESTS TO DISCUSS ABNORMAL TEST RESULTS 5 What document indicates who is responsible for the various types of calls coming into the medical office and how the calls are to be handled? 6 If uncertain about whether to give particular information to a patient on the telephone, a general principle is to? HAVE THE PROVIDER RETURN THE PATIENTS CALL 7 The recommended procedure for handling billing inquiries is to? PULL THE PATIENTS CHART AND BILLING INFORMATION 8 If a patient was overcharged for services, the appropriate procedure is to? ASK THE PATIENT TO WAIT FOR A CORRECT STATEMENT BEFORE SENDING PAYMENT 9 A patient calls with a billing problem stating the fee was too high. When the medical assistant checks the account she finds the proper fee was charged. What would be the best approach to use in this situation? SPEAK TO THE PROVIDER BEFORE RESPONDING TO THE PATIENT 10 If a patient remains dissatisfied after discussing a bill? DOCUMENT ALL COMMENTS AND RELAY THE INFORMATION TO THE PHYSICAIN 11 Mrs. Worth is calling for the result of the CEA test she had. Georgia a new administrative medial assistant, looked up the record and discovered that the result was abnormal. Georgia asks you what she should tell Mrs. Worth. What should you tell Georgia? TELL MRS. WORTH THAT THE PHYSICIAN WILL CALL HER BACK WITH THE RESULTS 12 Under what circumstances will a pharmacist call to check before dispensing refills? IF MORE THAN 1 YEAR HAS PASSED SINCE THE ORIGINAL PRESCRIPTION WAS WRITTEN 13 When is it acceptable for a medical assistant to authorize a pharmacy to refill a prescription? IF THE LICENSED PRACTITIONER HAS AUTHORIZED IN THE PATIENTS CHART THAT REFILLS ARE APPROVED 14 What is the best response to a patient who calls to ask if he or she can use a medication that was prescribed for a previous condition? YOU SHOULD NOT USE THE MEDICATION BECAUSE IT MAY NOT BE HELPFUL 15 The best way to handle a patient who calls the office in real, distressing pain is to? SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT IMMEDIATELY OR TELL THE PATIENT TO GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM 16 Chris answers the telephone, and the caller, a patient named Mr. Patterson, tells Chris that the physician asked him to call the office and let her know how the prescribed medication was working. Mr. Patterson begins to explain in detail how much better he feels and what effect he thinks the med is having. What should Chris do? DOCUMENT THE PATIENTS DESCRIPTION AND RELAY THE INFORMATION TO THE PHYSICIAN 17 When you answer the phone, you know immediately that the caller is angry. Without identifying herself, the caller begins shouting at you that she had been told that the office visit would cost $79, but her bill was for $135. She says the office is discriminating against her by charging her more than the normal amount. How should you handle this call? LISTEN CAREFULLY AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE PATIENTS ANGER 18 Which type of call must be immediately routed to the provider? 19 Which of the following conditions requires immediate medical help? 20 Which of the following symptoms indicates a heart attack? CHEST PAIN, RADIATING TO THE ARM, SHOULDER, AND JAW 21 Vinnie receives a call from Mr. Everson, who says his wife is confused. He says she is pale and is feeling faint and sweaty. Mr. Everson also says his wife has a weak, rapid pulse and her skin is cool and moist. Vinnie should recognize these symptoms as? 22 A drop in body temperature during prolonged exposure to the cold is called? 23 Which of the following office procedures should be followed if the practitioner is not in the office when an emergency phone call comes in? INSTRUCT THE CALLER TO DIAL 911 FOR AN AMBULANCE 24 A guideline to follow when an attorney calls the office is to? RELEASE INFORMATION ONLY WHEN THE PHYSICIAN HAS AUTHORIZED YOU TO DO SO 25 Guidelines for dealing with a salesperson on the phone include? ASKING THE SALESPERSON TO SEND YOU INFORMATION 26 One of the most important telephone skills is saying words correctly, which is called? 27 Speaking clearly and distinctly to help the person you are speaking to understand you is called? 28 The appropriate way to address a patient with a last name that is difficult to pronounce is to? ASK THE PATIENT HOW TO PRONOUNCE HIS/HER NAME 29 A medical assistant should answer all telephone calls using? PROPER TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE 30 When talking to a patient on the phone use? A NORMAL CONVERSATION TONE 31 If you do not recognize the name of the patient calling, the most appropriate response is? HAS IT BEEN SOME TIME SINCE YOU HAVE SEEN THE DOCTOR? 32 The result of answering the phone while carrying out another task is? POSSIBLE ERRORS IN MESSAGE TAKING 33 Before putting a caller on hold? ASK THE CALLER TO STATE THE PURPOSE OF THE CALL 34 If you put a caller on hold and determine it will be a long wait? 35 If you receive another call while talking to a patient, the procedure to follow is to? MAKE SURE THE SECOND CALLER IS NOT AN EMERGENCY CALL BEFORE PUTTING THAT CALL ON HOLD 36 If you cannot give your undivided attention to a caller because of an emergency in the office? EXPLAIN THAT YOU ARE HANDLING AN URGENT MATTER AND OFFER TO CALL BACK 37 A disadvantage of communicating by telephone is that? YOU CANNOT SEE THE CALLERS VISUAL SIGNALS SUCH AS BODY LANGUAGE OR FACIAL EXPRESSIONS 38 When a call with a patient is long or complicated? SUMMARIZE THE DETAILS OF THE CALL TO ENSURE UNDERSTANDING BY BOTH YOU AND THE PATIENT 39 When dealing with a patient who is nervous, upset or angry? SHOW EMPATHY AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CALLERS FEELINGS 40 The appropriate way to maintain patient confidentiality is to? PUT THE MESSAGE IN A FOLDER MARKED "CONFIDENTIAL" AND PLACE THE FOLDER ON THE PHYSICIANS DESK 41 How much time should you allow for a patient to answer when you place a phone call? ONE MINUTE OR ABOUT EIGHT RINGS 42 Which of the following guidelines should you follow when placing an outgoing telephone call? ASK IF IT IS A CONVENIENT TIME AND IF THE PERSON HAS TIME TO TALK 43 Learning the telephone triage process includes? USING THE OFFICES WRITTEN GUIDELINES FOR COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS 44 Which of the following is an example of a common triage question that a medical assistant might answer? HOW DO I MAKE MY CHILD WITH CHICKENPOX MORE COMFORTABLE 45 When dealing with a telephone triage problem, remember? TO ADVISE THE CALLER THAT RECOMMENDATIONS ARE BASED ON SYMPTOMS AND ARE NOT A DIAGNOSIS 46 The appropriate response to a triage patient who is experiencing chest pain is? GO TO THE NEAREST EMERGENCY ROOM IMMEDIATELY, PREFERABLY BY AMBULANCE 47 When handling an incoming telephone call regarding a patient progress report, you should? TAKE A MESSAGE FOR THE PHYSICIAN 48 The appropriate way to handle an incoming call for a practitioner from another practitioner is to? ROUTE THE CALL TO THE PRACTITIONER IMMEDIATLEY IF POSSIBLE 49 Which of the following medical conditions requires immediate medical help? 50 A mother calls and informs you that her son has a deep dog bite. Your response should be? YOUR SON NEEDS IMMEDIATE MEDICAL HELP 51 Before placing an outgoing call to a patient you should? VERIFY THE CORRECT PHONE NUMBER 52 After speaking with a patient on the phone about a clinical issue, a medical assistant must always? DOCUMENT THE CONVERSATION IN THE PATIENTS RECORD 53 When a patient calls the office for the result of a laboratory test that happens to be normal, you should? GIVE THE PATIENT THE RESULTS IF THE PHYSICIAN HAS AUTHORIZED THAT NORMAL RESULTS MAY BE GIVEN OUT. 54 Your FIRST priority when responding to a complaint of an angry patient is to? STAY CALM AND TRY TO PACIFY THE CALLER 55 When you receive or place a phone call, your message should be logical and free from ambiguity which of the following Cs of effective communication does this demonstrate? 56 When you are respectful of a caller, which of the five Cs of communication do you exhibit? 57 A communication that contains all of the necessary information demonstrates which of the following? 58 What can you do to make a message concise? MAKE THE MASSAGE BREIF AND DIRECT 59 A telephone message that is organized and logical demonstrates? 60 Two options that should always be included in the menu for an automated voice response unit are instructions for the caller if the call is an emergency and an option to? DIAL ZERO TO SPEAK TO AN OPERATOR 61 Which of the following is NOT a way to help ensure accurate telephone messages? TELL THE CALLER THE PHYSICIAN WILL CALL HIM/HER BACK Can a medical assistant answer phone calls?Understanding Who Can Answer Calls
An unlicensed professional may answer a call and address nonclinical or non-urgent questions, but they must transfer it to a licensed professional if the patient seeks medical advice or the matter is urgent.
When answering incoming calls what is the first thing the caller should hear?When answering incoming calls, what is the first thing the caller should hear? When answering incoming telephone calls, the medical assistant should identify the facility first, state his or her name, and then follow with an offer of help.
What action should the medical assistant take if a caller requesting to speak to the doctor refuses to give identification?Self-Evaluation Test 1. How do you answer the phone in a medical office or clinic?If you want to adapt it for your own office, feel free to do so:. You only have one chance to make a first impression. ... . Answer all incoming calls before the third ring.. Answer warmly, enthusiastically, and professionally. ... . Identify yourself and our office immediately. ... . Speak softly.. |
What is the first thing the medical assistant should do when answering a telephone call?
zusammenhängende Posts
Urheberrechte © © 2024 defrojeostern Inc.
