Allied Health Assisting Unit 5 Chapter 10: Written Communication

Objectives List 7 types of correspondence used in the medical office and identify when each is used Name instances when form letters and templates may be indicated Explain the purpose of information sheets List the pros and cons of using email List three precautions to take to avoid acquiring a virus through email Explain how HIPAA affects correspondence Recognize elements of fundamental writing skills, including spelling, parts of speech, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, and treatment of numbers

Objectives Name and describe the 12 components of a business letter Identify three letter styles Explain how to sort, open, and annotate incoming mail List six classifications of mail Explain the purpose of the following: certificate of mailing, certified mail, restricted delivery, return receipt

Correspondence in the Medical Office Communication: the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information by speech, signals, writing, or behavior Written communication often called correspondence Notes, interoffice communications (IOC’s), email, information in the patients chart, form letters, information sheets, business letters, professional letters, personal letters In a physicians office written communication is used to: Inform the staff officially of a policy or decision Inform patients of a policy or decision Contact professional colleagues Correspond with professional associations

Correspondence in the Medical Office Respond to or request medical consultation Engage in business communications with medical suppliers, financial consultants, attorneys, and insurance companies Send a message regarding a patient (by written message, HER, patient portal, or email) Send personal messages Interoffice Communication Memo style communication Specific to one concern email

Correspondence in the Medical Office Informal Notes Times of thanks, congratulations, or similar expressions Usually on first name basis Personal Letters Provider may ask for assistance with personal communication Provider just has to provide signature Professional Letters Professional associations Licensing boards Other physicians Provider provides signature May not be very detailed

Correspondence in the Medical Office Form Letters and Templates Pre-written letters Return-to-work or school approvals Annual diagnostic reminders Delinquent account reminders Noncompliant notifications Office visit verifications Information to referred patients Master kept on server or in file Only patient specific information changed Word processing software has multiple built in templates

Correspondence in the Medical Office Information Sheets Specific written instructions Reinforce what you have explained Patient education material Email Allows for almost instant exchange of information Various types of documents Security measures

Correspondence in the Medical Office Email cont… Pros Email is a powerful tool, enabling us to communicate at times without picking up the phone, or worse, getting on a plane. It provides round-the-clock convenience and service, reducing costs and increasing productivity Any more?? Cons Email communications are far more likely to be misinterpreted than if you were to have those same communications face to face

Correspondence in the Medical Office Email cont… Established email etiquette Emoticons should not be used in the professional setting  Abbreviations such as FYI, FAQ, and BTW should be used sparingly if not at all in the professional setting Avoid text-message style writing! OMG!! Don’t overuse cc ALWAYS review your emails before hitting the sned buton!! Ownership and Intellectual Property Whose email is it? Property of the company who PAYS for the email system

Correspondence in the Medical Office Email cont… Privacy Emails can be sent or forwarded without permission Legal Considerations Emails can be recovered (even deleted ones, just ask the IRS) and used for evidence in court Freedom of Speech Carefully consider what you say in an email You might have the right to say what is on your mind, but there can be repercussions from your actions

Correspondence in the Medical Office Email and Computer Viruses Computer viruses a very real threat Before opening an email, look at the subject and who sent it Never open an executable or script file unless you are expecting to receive such a file (.exe or .vbs) Use antivirus software to scan emails before opening them Usually through email server or mail application Not 100% effective

Communication and HIPAA Regulations Communications that include personal information about patients require special handling Personal Health Information (PHI) Signed releases of information Patient personal use Life insurance questionnaire Disability insurance questionnaire

Communication and HIPAA Regulations Signed release NOT required Requesting consultation from a specialist Providing results to the referring physician Providing information to a hospital or nursing care facility Information to insurance company for payment Patient provided with privacy policy Protect electronic patient information (EHR) Need to know basis

Writing Guidelines Spelling Must be correct Use spell check Context Spelling Help If you cannot seem to spell certain words correctly try making an alphabetical list to use as a quick reference Make a mental picture of the word correctly spelled Pronounce the word CORRECTLY several times Write the word several times breaking it up into syllables Learn to use general medical dictionaries when in doubt

Writing Guidelines Parts of Speech Must be aware of the 8 parts of speech and how they are used Noun Pronoun Verb Adjective Adverb Preposition Conjunction Interjection

Writing Guidelines Sentence Structure Simple sentence Only one complete thought Ex. “Physicians examine patients.” Compound sentence Two or more independent clauses Ex. “The physician dictates letters, and the medical assistant transcribes them.” Notice the comma Complex sentences One independent clause and one or more dependent clauses Ex. “The doctor, who is off on Thursdays, sees allergy patients in the morning.”

Writing Guidelines Sentence Structure Cont… Punctuations Compound-complex Two or more independent clauses plus one or more dependent clauses Ex. “Medical assistants should seek continuing education because of the evolution of new technology and new procedures in the medical field.” Avoid run-on sentences Tailor sentence structure to your audience and subject matter Punctuations JUST DO IT!! Makes reading easier

Writing Guidelines Capitalization Names of persons Names of places First word in sentence Names of holidays Principle words in titles Products or titles that may be trademarked Certain medical procedures (Names of the doctor who invented them) Brand name medications only

Writing Guidelines Numbers Proofreading Use must be consistent Write out if less than 10 Proofreading Always proofread Seek assistance Watch for problem areas Words ending in “s” Combinations of punctuation Capital letters Apostrophes, hyphens, and dashes Two-letter words Double letters in words

Preparing Business Letters Several distinct components The letterhead Date/time Inside address Salutation Reference Body Complimentary closing Sender’s signature Reference initials Enclosures Copies

Preparing Business Letters Letter Styles Full block Modified block Modified block with indents Stationery Makes a statement about your office 16, 20, or 24 pound paper Larger the number the heavier the paper

Preparing Business Letters Composing the Letter Determine what information must be included Determine the style of the letter and set margins Select the typeface and font size 10 or 12 point Compose a rough draft Use I and we as infrequently as possible Use variation in word choice Use a thesaurus is vocabulary is lacking Proofread rough draft Compose final copy Sign or give to the sender to sign

Preparing Business Letters Composing the Letter Cont… Considerations for formatting The date typed indicates when the information was dictated The month is spelled out in full Inside address should be copied exactly from the correspondence being answered Courtesy titled used (Mr., Mrs., Dr., etc.) If gender is unknown use Mr. Do not use Dr. before physicians name if MD follows name If a street address and box number are given, use the box number

Preparing Business Letters Composing the Letter Cont… Considerations for formatting The words North, South, East, and West preceding street names and Road, Street, Avenue, and Boulevard are not abbreviated The words Apartment and Suite are typed on the same line as the address and are separated by a comma The name of the city is spelled out and is separated from the state by a comma The state name can be spelled out or abbreviated Know your state abbreviations A proper salutation is “Dear” followed by the title and last name When writing to a business use “Dear Sir” or “Dear Madam”

Preparing Business Letters Composing the Letter Cont… Considerations for formatting To use a reference line type “RE:” and then the persons name and DOB Always double space between paragraphs If a second page is necessary stop first page at the end of a paragraph Bottom margin must be at least one inch Last word on a page cannot be divided Capitalize only the first word of a complimentary closing; follow it with a comma Formality of the letter dictates complimentary closing Senders name is typed four spaces below the closing

Preparing Business Letters Composing the Letter Cont… Considerations for formatting The typist’s initials in lower case are placed two spaced below the senders name When items are enclosed with the letter, enter Enclosure or Encl one or two lines below the reference initials If copies of the letter are sent to others ender CC and other receivers name one or two spaces below the last notation A PS is entered two spaced below the last notation

Preparing Business Letters Consultation Letters Requests consultation from a specialist The reason for the appointment The date and time of the appointment Statement saying that if the patient has any questions to please feel free to call your office. Be sure to include phone number If prior insurance authorization is required it should be stated The observation that the office visit will require a follow-up letter from the specialist to the referring provider, identifying the findings, diagnosis, and recommended course of treatment

Handling Incoming Mail Follow Office Policy Sorting Mail Mail marked personal should be placed on the provider or office managers desk Special delivery mail or special messenger mail should be opened immediately Sort rest of mail into categories Magazines, professional journals, and newspapers, should be separated from drug samples and advertisements

Handling Incoming Mail Opening Mail Use a letter opener Stack all envelopes the same way Be sure to remove all contents from the envelope Before you discard envelope, make sure contents has address and other identifying information Date-stamp correspondence Be aware of suspicious letters or packages

Handling Incoming Mail Opening Mail Cont… USPS suggests these things make a letter suspicious It is unexpected from someone you do not know It is addressed to someone no longer at your address It is handwritten and has no return address or bears one that you cannot confirm as legitimate It is lopsided or lumpy in appearance It is sealed with an excessive amount of tape It is marked with restrictive endorsements It has excessive postage It is wrapped with string Sound is coming from package

Handling Incoming Mail Opening Mail Cont… What do I do with suspicious material? Don’t shake, bump, or sniff it Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water Notify local law enforcement

Handling Incoming Mail Processing Incoming Mail Follow Office Policy and Procedure Endorse checks immediately Have witness count cash immediately and have them sign receipt Annotate incoming mail Identify important points to be noticed my provider Update provider daily on notices of meetings Drug samples need to be logged on an inventory sheet

Handling Incoming Mail Mail Received During Vacations You might be asked to read ALL mail Provider may want you to call with important items HIPAA, HIPAA, HIPAA, HIPAA Have mail held if office will be closed for a significant period of time Must go to post office for this

Preparing Mailings USPS uses most advanced technologies for reading and sorting mail Sorts nearly half the worlds mail volume Sorts mail at around 39,000 pieces per hour Machines read 93 percent of all hand addressed mail You must address the envelopes properly to ensure accurate and efficient delivery Addressing the Envelope Address read by computer Use a standard type font For domestic mail city, state, and ZIP or ZIP + 4 must appear in that order ZIP may be placed on line directly below the address aligned with the LEFT edge of the address block

Preparing Mailings Addressing the Envelope Cont… Mail to foreign countries should include the country name printed in CAPITAL letters with no abbreviations, as the only information on the bottom line Ex: Mrs. Helen Saunders 1010 Clear Street Ottawa ON K1AOB1 CANADA

Preparing Mailings Preparing the Envelope Stamp or Meter Mail After mail has been signed place in proper size envelope No smaller than 3.5 in X 5 in will be accepted Larger than 6.125 in X 11.5 in will be accepted, but, must be processed by hand and require additional postage Stamp or Meter Mail Post office can furnish your with rates In office meters Mail Classifications Many informative booklets available from USPS and website

Preparing Mailings Mail Classifications Cont… Express Mail Fastest service, guarantees overnight delivery Priority Mail Preferential handling and expedited delivery up to 70lbs First-class Mail Letters, postcards, greeting cards etc. Usually overnight locally and two day rest of country Periodicals Newspapers, and magazines Standard mail A Retailers, catalogers, advertisers, less than 1 lb. Standard mail B Parcels up to 70lbs

Preparing Mailings Special Mailing Services Certificate of Mailing Shows piece was mailed Purchased at time of mailing No proof of delivery Certified Mail Proof of mailing and delivery Recipient must sign for mail Collect on Delivery (COD) Payment collected upon delivery Recipient must have to order mail

Preparing Mailings Special Mailing Services Cont… Insurance For up to $5000 Registered Mail Most secure Tight security Up to $25,000 of protection Restricted Mail Only delivered to specified person Return Receipt Sender’s proof of delivery