 Hero Images/Hero Images/GettyImages Show
Telephone calls are a vital means of communication for a medical office. For this reason, many physicians have their phones answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by using a phone answering service outside of office hours. Efficient and effective phone call procedures will serve the needs of the patients and staff in a professional manner. Handling Incoming Calls
Lisa F. Young/iStock/Getty Images Know what information is needed from patients. When answering the phone, focus your attention on the caller. Speak clearly and slowly. Record notes as you converse. Have the caller state his name. Address the caller by name during the conversation. Many calls will be patients needing to make appointments, but some will require medical advice from a nurse or doctor. If a callback is needed, record the person’s name and phone number. Ask him to spell his name. If his records will be accessed in order to respond to his request, ask for identifying information such as date of birth. This insures that the correct records will be consulted as the patient name and birth date must both match. Make clear, brief notes as to the nature of the call. Note the time, date and your initials. Give the patient an indication as to when he can expect a return call. Smile as you speak. Smiling effects how you sound. Before completing the call, ask if you have addressed all of the caller’s questions. Handling Requests for Prescription Refills
Fuse/Fuse/Getty Images When a patient requests a prescription refill, you will need the following information: patient name and phone number, name of medication, length of time patient has been taking it, symptoms, pharmacy name and pharmacy phone number. Inform the patient if you will be calling back to confirm that the refill has been ordered. Handling Patient Requests to Speak With Doctor
Minerva Studio/iStock/Getty Images Your doctor will determine what constitutes an emergency requiring his immediate presence on the phone. Generally, doctors do not answer phone calls except from other physicians and members of their family. All other calls except emergency calls are returned at their convenience during the course of the day or at the end of the day. Assure the patient that the doctor will call back, and provide an approximate time of the day if that is possible. Other Office Phone Essentials
DBDStudio/iStock/Getty Images Do not drink, eat or chew gum while answering the phone. Answer the phone by the third ring. Do not use slang or unprofessional words and phrases. Always ask before putting a caller on hold. Check back with the caller within 30 seconds. If necessary, ask if you can call the patient back in a few minutes. Avoid putting several calls on hold at once. Always remember you are in a professional setting. A large pediatric practice routinely answered the phone by stating its business name and saying,“Please hold,” before the caller could utter a word. This unprofessional manner was provoking. It ceased when one of the doctors in the practice phoned in and received the same treatment as the patients’ parents. He immediately revised their phone answering protocol. Medical assistants are unlicensed individuals who perform non-invasive routine technical support services under the supervision of a licensed physician and surgeon, podiatrist, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or nurse midwife in a medical office or clinic setting without the need of receiving a certification. The supervisor must be on the premises in order for the medical assistant to perform non-invasive technical support services. A medical assistant gains experience by training in one of two ways:
"Qualified" Medical AssistantsQualified medical assistants, who are sometimes used for the purpose of initial training or teaching, must meet specific qualifications and pass an examination given by a certifying organization in order to obtain certification as a qualified medical assistant. Per Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations section 1366.3 (c)(1)(2)(3), a “qualified medical assistant” is a medical assistant who:
A list of "Frequently Asked Questions" addressing the appropriate training, supervision, and scope of practice issues, is available to assist members of the public and profession to understand the role of the medical assistant within the health care system. A copy of the Business and Professions Code, the Health and Safety Code, and the California Code of Regulations, relating to the scope of practice of medical assistants in the State of California, may be obtained below. Board Approved Medical Assistant Certifying Organizations
Is Your Medical Assistant Practicing Beyond their Scope of Training?The Medical Board receives numerous inquiries concerning the use of medical assistants in a physician's office. (By law, a medical assistant may not be employed for inpatient care in a licensed general acute care hospital.) Medical assistants are unlicensed, and may only perform basic administrative, clerical and technical supportive services as permitted by law. An unlicensed person may not diagnose or treat or perform any task that is invasive or requires assessment. The responsibility for the appropriate use of unlicensed persons in health care delivery rests with the physician. The classification of medical assistant is defined under the provisions of the Medical Practice Act (Business and Professions Code sections 2069-2071) as a person who may be unlicensed who performs basic administrative, clerical, and technical supportive services under the supervision of a licensed physician, podiatrist, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or nurse midwife. Under the law, "technical supportive services" are simple, routine medical tasks and procedures that may be safely performed by a medical assistant who has limited training and who functions under the supervision of a licensed physician, podiatrist, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or nurse midwife. "Supervision" is defined to require the licensed physician, podiatrist, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or nurse midwife to be physically present in the treatment facility during the performance of those procedures. Prior to performing technical supportive services, a medical assistant shall receive training by either (1) a licensed physician and surgeon, podiatrist, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or nurse midwife or (2) an instructor in an approved school program to assure the medical assistant's competence in performing a service at the appropriate standard of care. A medical assistant who has completed the minimum training prescribed by regulation may administer medication by intradermal, subcutaneous, or intramuscular injections, perform skin tests, and other technical supportive services upon the specific authorization and supervision of a licensed physician and surgeon, podiatrist, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or nurse midwife. "Specific authorization" means a specific written order prepared by the supervising physician, podiatrist, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or nurse midwife authorizing the procedures to be performed on a patient, which shall be placed in the patient's medical record; or a standing order prepared by the supervising physician, podiatrist, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or nurse midwife authorizing the procedures to be performed, the duration of which shall be consistent with accepted medical practice. A notation of the standing order shall be placed in the patient's medical record. Other technical supportive services which a medical assistant may perform have been established by regulation and include: applying and removing bandages and dressings, removing sutures, performing ear lavage, preparing patients for examinations, and shaving and disinfecting treatment sites. A medical assistant may also hand patients properly-labeled and pre-packaged prescriptions drugs (excluding controlled substances) that have been ordered by a licensed physician, podiatrist, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or nurse midwife. The properly-labeled and pre-packaged prescription drug must have the patient’s name affixed to the package, and the physician, podiatrist, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or nurse midwife must verify it is the correct medication and dosage for that specific patient and provide the appropriate patient consultation regarding use of the drug prior to the medical assistant handing medication to a patient. The regulations governing medical assistants can be found in Title 16, California Code of Regulations, sections 1366-1366.4. Medical assistants who have completed the minimum training prescribed by regulation may draw blood. Medical assistants are not allowed to perform such invasive procedures as:
Medical assistants may not interpret the results of skin tests, although they may measure and describe the test reaction and make a record in the patient's chart. In summary, medical assistants are not licensed, and it is not legal to use them to replace highly trained, licensed professionals. The medical assistant is present to assist and perform basic supportive services in the physician's office. Those duties must be appropriate with the medical assistant's required training. When you receive or place a phone call Your message should be logical and free from ambiguity?Chapter 13. Which of the following is the best way for the medical assistant to handle a true emergency?Which of the following is the best way for the medical assistant to handle a true emergency situation? Refer the patient to a hospital emergency facility.
In which type of scheduling system are patients told that their appointments are on the hour and each is seen in the order in which they arrive?With the wave system, several patients are scheduled the first 30 minutes of each hour. They are seen in the order that they arrive at the office. The second half of each hour is left open. This technique works well in large facilities with several departments giving medical care.
What is a benefit of using a call forwarding feature quizlet?What is a benefit of using a call-forwarding feature? Using the call-forwarding feature in the medical office allows patients to reach a person at another phone line, so important calls are not missed while the medical assistant (MA) is busy with a patient or on another line.
|
When patients call their physician for a name of a medical specialist they should be?
zusammenhängende Posts
Urheberrechte © © 2024 ketiadaan Inc.
