© 2009 the mcgraw-hill companies, inc. all rights reserved 11-1 telephone techniques powerpoint®...

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© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Telephone TechniquesTelephone TechniquesPowerPoint® presentation to accompany:

Medical AssistingThird Edition

Booth, Whicker, Wyman, Pugh, Thompson

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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.

Learning Outcomes

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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.

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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.

Learning Outcomes (cont.)

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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

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Using the Telephone Effectively The medical assistant may be the first contact

a patient has Ensure that you leave a positive impression Show concern Sound professional and knowledgeable

Proper telephone management Keeps patients informed Ensures patient satisfaction

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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

Poor telephone management results in

• Caring• Attentive• Helpful

• Bad feelings• Misunderstanding• Unfavorable impressions

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Apply Your Knowledge

What two things does proper telephone management do?

ANSWER: Proper telephone management keeps patients informed and ensures patient satisfaction.

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Communication Skills

Using tact and sensitivity

Showing empathy

Giving respect

Being genuine

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Communication Skills (cont.)

Displaying openness and friendliness

Refraining from passing judgment or stereotyping

Being supportive

Asking for clarification and feedback

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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

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The 5 Cs of

Communication

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Apply Your KnowledgeWhat are the 5 Cs of communication and what does each mean?

ANSWER: The 5 Cs of communication are:

• Completeness – the message must contain all needed information

• 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 logical

Certainly!

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Managing Incoming Calls:Guidelines

Answer calls promptly

Be able to take a message

Greet the caller with the medical office name and your name

Identify the caller and demonstrate a willingness to assist him or her If the caller does not give his or her name, ask for it

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Be courteous, calm, and pleasant

Identify the nature of the call

Use the caller’s name when saying goodbye at the end of the call

Comply with HIPAA guidelines for confidentiality of patient information

Managing Incoming Calls:Guidelines (cont.)

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Managing Incoming Calls: Screening Calls

Tips Find out who is calling Ask what the call is in reference to

Helps to determine who can handle the call

Decide whether to put the call through Do not put through callers who refuse to identify

themselves

Determine what to do if the call is personal

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Managing Incoming Calls:Routing Calls

Follow the office policy to determine calls that should be Put through immediately

Returned returned later

Handled by another staff member other than the physician

Generally, three types of calls are received in the office:

1) Administrative Issues

2) Emergency Calls

3) Clinical Issues

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Calls handled by the medical assistant Appointments

Billing inquiries

Insurance questions

Diagnostic reports (lab and x-ray)

General administrative questions

Reports from hospitals and patients

Referral requests

Prescription renewals (if previously approved by the physician)

Patient complaints regarding administrative issues

Managing Incoming Calls:Routing Calls (cont.)

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Calls requiring the doctor’s attention Emergency calls

Calls from other physicians

Patient requests regarding test results

Patient requests to discuss their symptoms

Requests for prescription renewals

Personal calls

Managing Incoming Calls: Routing Calls (cont.)

A routing list specifies who is responsible for handling certain types of calls.

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Apply Your KnowledgeThe medical assistant is just returning from lunch, and the office telephone is ringing. When the medical assistant answers, the caller interrupts her greeting and says, “No, do not put me on hold again, I have been on hold for 10 minutes!” How should the medical assistant respond to this caller?

ANSWER: The medical assistant should remain calm, allow the caller to express his or her concerns, apologize for any inconvenience, and inform the caller that you would like to help. The MA should not attempt to shift the blame by telling the caller that he or she was just returning from lunch and instead should put effort into assisting the caller.

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Calls from Patients Medical Assistant RoleAppointments Make or change appointments

Billing Inquiries Clarify bill or charges Help set up payment arrangements if possible

Diagnostic Reports Document what information is given to the patient

Questions about Medications

Get approval for renewals Answer questions about medications

Types of Incoming Calls

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Types of Incoming Calls (cont.)

Calls from Patients Medical Assistant Role

Reports of Symptoms Listen carefully and document Schedule appointment as needed

Progress Reports Route follow-up calls to the physician Document call in patient record

Requests for Advice Do not give any medical advice

Complaints Remain calm and listen carefully Apologize for any inconveniences Follow through to resolve issue

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• Severe bleeding• Drug reaction• Injuries• Poisoning

• Suicide attempts• Severe burns• Loss of consciousness

Types of Incoming Calls: Must be routed to

the physician immediately

Includes serious or life-threatening conditions such as

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Types of Incoming Calls (cont.)

Never use office phone for personal calls Limit cell phone use to essential calls only

HIPAA and confidentiality apply to telephone calls

Attorneys Follow office guidelines carefully Never release any patient information unless the

physician authorizes you to do so

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Types of Incoming Calls (cont.) Other physicians

Route calls to the physician Do not disclose any patient

information

Salespeople Request that information be

mailed to you about new products Pharmaceutical representatives may be seen by the

physician

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Apply Your KnowledgeA medical assistant working in a large medical/surgical practice answers the telephone. The caller states “Hi, I’m Dr. X., did Dr. C. perform Mrs. A. W.’s surgery yesterday?” How should the medical assistant respond?

ANSWER: The medical assistant should request that Dr. X hold to speak with the physician. You may not disclose any information concerning a patient, including whether or not patient A.W had surgery, even to a physician. In addition, this may not really be Dr. X.

Excellent!

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Using Proper Telephone Etiquette Customer service is critical Use your telephone voice

Speak directly into the receiver Be friendly; convey interest and

respect Use non-technical language, but

never use slang Use a normal tone, but attempt to vary your pitch

Pitch is the high and low level of your speech

Make the caller feel important!

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Using Proper Telephone Etiquette (cont.)

Saying words correctly If the name is difficult to

pronounce, ask the patient how it is pronounced

Pronunciation

Saying words in a clear and understandable manner Eating, chewing gum, and incorrect placement of the

phone interfere with enunciation

Enunciation

Tone

Positive Respectful

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Telephone Etiquette: Making a Good Impression

Exhibiting courtesy

• Project an attitude of helpfulness• Always refer to the caller by name• Thank the caller before hanging up

Giving undivided attention

• Give the caller the same level of attention as if he or she were right in front of you

• Listen attentively to get accurate information

Putting a call on hold

• Always allow the caller to state the purpose of the call prior to placing the caller on hold

• If the wait will be lengthy, offer to call back instead of placing the caller on hold

• Return to the caller at 2-minute intervals

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Handling difficult situations If the call is not an emergency, and you are in the middle of

an urgent situation, offer to return the call

Remembering patient names Using the caller’s name during a conversation makes the

caller feel important

Checking for understanding Ask questions to ensure that the caller understands what you

have discussed and that you understood the caller.


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Communicating feelings Try to communicate an understanding of the caller’s

feelings (empathy) Callers tend to have a better perception of the office if

empathy is communicated

Ending the conversation Summarize important points Thank the caller for calling (use the caller’s name) Allow the caller to hang up first


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What should you do when you have to place a caller on hold?

ANSWER: When a caller has to be placed on hold, first ask the purpose of the call. Then tell the caller why you need to place him or her on hold and how long the wait will be. Check with the caller at frequent (2-minute) intervals. Offer to call back if the wait will be lengthy.

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Taking Messages Documenting calls

Protects the physician against legal action

Document in the patient record Clinical issues Referrals

Messages must be accurate and legible

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Always keep a pen and paper near the telephone so you are prepared to record the message.

Taking Messages (cont.)

TO:____________________________________________Date_________________ Time______________

MessageFROM:_________________________________________Telephone ( )__________________extension________Message Details:

Your name or initials

Contents of a Telephone Message Pad

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Taking Messages: Telephone Logs Manual

Spiral-bound, perforated message book

Top copy or original is given to the message recipient and a copy is kept in the book

Electronic Message is keyed in as it is received Copy can be saved, printed out, or

e-mailed

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Taking Messages: Tips Keep pen/pencil on hand

Take notes as information is given

Verify spelling

Verify callback number

Do not make a commitment on behalf of someone else

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Taking Messages (cont.) Ensuring correct information

Get the correct spelling of the caller’s name

If you have to pull the patient record, ask for date of birth

Repeat key points for verification

Maintaining patient confidentiality Do not repeat any confidential information over the telephone Maintain confidentiality with written messages

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Answer True or False to the following:

___ Documenting calls can protect against legal actions.

___ Confidentiality is just as important when making telephone calls as in written communication.

___ You should ask for the patient’s SSN if you have to pull his/her record.

___ You should repeat key points to verify information.

T

T

F

T

ANSWER:

Date of birth

Right!

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Telephone Answering Systems Single telephone or complex

multiline systems

Common equipment and services used in the medical office Automated voice mail Answering machine Answering service

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Telephone Answering Systems (cont.) Retrieving messages from answering

service

Set a regular schedule and call at scheduled times

Identify yourself and the practice name

Write down all pertinent information on telephone log

Repeat the information to verify

Route messages per office policy

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ANSWER: To retrieve messages from an answering service you should

1. Set a regular schedule and call at scheduled times2. Identify yourself and the practice name3. Write down all pertinent information on telephone log4. Repeat the information to verify5. Route messages per office policy

What steps should you take to retrieve messages from an answering service?

CORRECT!

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Placing Outgoing Calls Locating telephone numbers

Patient record Office file of commonly used

numbers Telephone directory,

directory assistance, or the Internet A fee is charged for directory

assistance

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Placing Outgoing Calls (cont.)

Applying your telephone skills Plan before you call Double-check the phone number Allow time for the person to answer Identify yourself Ask if the time is convenient Be ready to speak when the person answers Be sure the person has paper and pencil if you are giving

information

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Placing Outgoing Calls (cont.)

Arranging conference calls Calls between several

people at different locations

Remember the different time zones

Suggest several time slots as options

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Apply Your KnowledgeThe medical assistant has been informed that the office physician and the consulting physician must speak with the daughter of an unresponsive patient recently diagnosed with a terminal condition. The daughter resides out of town. What would you do in this situation?

ANSWER: This situation requires that three parties be able to communicate at the same time to each other. Setting up a conference call would be most plausible.

rPERFECT!

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Telephone TriageTelephone triage is used as a process of deciding what action to take

Learning the Triage Process

Telephone staff are given guidelines to handle common conditions

Telephone staff must determine whether caller requires additional care

Telephone staff cannot diagnose or treat

Specific information must be obtained, such as name, age, symptoms, and anxiety

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Categorizing the Problem

Level of Severity

Manage by telephone 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 worsenDocument critical elements of the conversation

Telephone Triage (cont.)

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Telephone Triage (cont.)

Taking Action

Clinical triage – based 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.

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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!

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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

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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!

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In Summary

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When people talk, listen

completely. Most people never listen.

~ Ernest Hemmingway

© 2009 the mcgraw-hill companies, inc. all rights reserved 11-1 telephone techniques powerpoint®...

Documents

mcgrawhill companies

incoming telephone calls

introduction telephone

cs of communication

feedback slide

thompson slide

genuine slide

personal slide