OFFICE MANAGEMENT

Chapter 5

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LEARNING OUTCOMES: WHEN YOU FINISH THIS CHAPTER YOU WILL BE ABLE TO

5.1 Design a medical office waiting area that exhibits the priority of patient comfort.

5.2 Identify three stress triggers in your own life and define at least one method of reducing the associated negative stress.

5.3 Differentiate among three common leadership/ management styles.

5.4 Explain why an administrative medical assistant needs to know how to collect and assimilate research data.

5.5 Classify items into major categories of needed information when making traveling arrangements.

5.6 Justify why a policies and procedures manual should be developed and used in a medical office.

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agendaauthoritarian/autocratic

delegative/laissez-faire

ergonomics

itinerarymanagement qualifications

meeting minutes

outside services file

participative/democratic

patient education materialspatient informationbrochure

perfectionism

policies and proceduresmanual

reprints

stresstravel agent

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KEY TERMS

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KEY TERMS (CONTINUED)agenda -- an outline of the meeting, that specifies the

location, time, and major topics to be covered

authoritarian/autocratic -- leader provides clear and definitive expectations to his or her team members

delegative/laissez-faire -- leader employs a “hands-off” policy and tends to allow other office team members to make their own decisions

ergonomics -- attempts to match the individual’s physiological factors to the equipment and furniture needed to complete tasks while reducing the risk of injury and hazards without decreasing output

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KEY TERMS (CONTINUED)itinerary -- daily schedule of events, including flight times

listed in the local departing and arrival destinations’ times, flight numbers, hotel and car arrangements, and all pertinent addresses and phone numbers

management qualifications -- the skills, abilities, and responsibilities of the medical assistant in the role of office manager

meeting minutes -- official record of the proceedings of a meeting

outside services file -- contain the names, addresses, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers of those to whom the physician may refer patients for services

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KEY TERMS (CONTINUED)

participative/democratic -- offers advice but is also a participant in the team dynamics and seeks input from other team members

patient education materials – provide secondary materials for patient care

patient information brochure-- provides the patient with vital information

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KEY TERMS (CONTINUED)perfectionism -- is setting unrealistic expectations and

goals and being dissatisfied with anything less

policies and procedures manual-- employee handbook, is the reference that provides all employees with information about the work environment

reprints -- Once the article is published, the author may receive a certain number of free copies of the article

stress -- often referred to as the body’s emotional and/or physiological reactions to external motivators

travel agent -- it is the agent’s job to make all transportation, car rental, and lodging arrangements requested by the traveler

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5.1 DESIGN A MEDICAL OFFICE WAITING AREA THAT EXHIBITS THEPRIORITY OF PATIENT COMFORT

Patient Waiting Area size colors reading materials healthy/sick areas/children

Reception Area confidentiality

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Certain strategies will help reduce the negative effects of stress:

Analyzing how we use time and applying Time Management techniques managing our anger and reactions to conflict

Getting organized and setting priorities Staying physically and mentally healthy Taking time to relax

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5-95.2 IDENTIFY THREE STRESS TRIGGERS IN YOUR OWN LIFE AND DEFINE AT LEAST ONE METHOD OF REDUCING THE ASSOCIATED NEGATIVE STRESS.

5.3 DIFFERENTIATE AMONG THREE COMMON LEADERSHIP/MANAGEMENTSTYLESOffice management responsibilities involve the following managerial skills and abilities:Being a team playerIncreasing productivityPlanning strategicallyUsing problem-solving skillsUsing available resources

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5.4 EXPLAIN WHY AN ADMINISTRATIVE MEDICAL ASSISTANT NEEDS TO KNOW HOW TO COLLECT AND ASSIMILATE RESEARCH DATA

Physicians often research medical cases and data to gather treatment protocol for a condition or disease, to keep up-to-date on medical trends, and to prepare articles for professional medical journals.

The Administrative Medical Assistant should be able to:

Use the Library Review Medical Journals

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5.5 CLASSIFY ITEMS INTO MAJOR CATEGORIES OF NEEDED INFORMATION WHEN MAKING TRAVELING ARRANGEMENTS.When making travel arrangements for yourself or for

others, maintain a reference folder with the following preferences:

Method of travel

Air travel

Ground travel

Lodging

Membership discounts

Past itineraries

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5.6 JUSTIFY WHY A POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL SHOULD BE DEVELOPED AND USED IN A MEDICAL OFFICE.

The manual serves as a reminder of tasks to be done (referred to as policies) and how to complete the tasks (procedures).

The manual helps keep the office running smoothly. It is a great help in training new employees, substitutes, and successors.

Format Contents:

Office personnel directory

Job descriptions

Procedures

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