CHAPTER 11 Telephone Techniques © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-2 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 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-3 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 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-4 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 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-5 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 © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-6 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 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-7 Communication Skills • Using tact and sensitivity • Showing empathy • Giving respect • Being genuine © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-8 Communication Skills (cont.) • Displaying openness and friendliness • Refraining from passing judgment or stereotyping • Being supportive • Asking for clarification and feedback © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-9 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 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-10 Communication Skills (cont.) The Cs of Communication © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-45 Telephone Triage Telephone triage is used as a process of deciding what action to take Learning the Triage Process  Telephone staff cannot diagnose or treat  Specific information must be obtained, such as name, age, symptoms, and anxiety  Telephone staff are given guidelines to handle common conditions  Telephone staff must determine whether caller requires additional care © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-46 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 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-47 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 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-48 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 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-49 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 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-50 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 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-51 Telephone Slamming and Cramming • Slamming – Unauthorized changes • Cramming – Unauthorized charges • Report to carrier immediately • State and federal crime © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-52 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 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-53 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 Impressiv e! © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-54 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 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-55 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 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-56 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 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-57 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 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-58 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 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11-59 End of Chapter 11 When people talk, listen completely Most people never listen ~ Ernest Hemmingway © 2011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed [...]... reserv ed 11- 17 Routing Calls (cont.) • 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 © 2 011 T he McGraw... 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! © 2 011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11- 13 Guidelines for Managing Incoming Calls • Answer calls promptly • Be able to take a message • Greet the caller with the medical. .. is personal © 2 011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11- 16 Routing Calls Generally, three types of calls are received in the office: 1) Administrative Issues 3) Clinical Issues 2) Emergency Calls • Follow the office policy to determine calls that should be – Put through immediately – Returned later – Handled by another staff member other than the physician © 2 011 T he McGraw... s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11- 18 Routing Calls (cont.) • 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 A routing list specifies who is responsible for handling certain types of calls © 2 011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie... the wait will be Check with the caller at frequent (2-minute) intervals Offer to call back if the wait will be lengthy © 2 011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11- 32 Taking Messages • Documenting calls – Protects the physician against legal action – Document in the patient record • Clinical issues • Referrals – Messages must be accurate and legible © 2 011 T he McGraw -Hill Com... 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 © 2 011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11- 24 Types of Incoming Calls (cont.) • Other physicians – Route calls to the physician – Do not... intervals © 2 011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11- 29 Making a Good Impression (cont.) • 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... caller understands what you have discussed and that you understood the caller © 2 011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11- 30 Making a Good Impression (cont.) • 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... call • Comply with HIPAA guidelines for confidentiality of patient information © 2 011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11- 15 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... 11- 34 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 © 2 011 T he McGraw -Hill Com panie s, Inc A ll rights reserv ed 11- 35 Taking Messages: Tips • Keep pen/pencil on hand • Take notes as information