WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS

Types of Written Communications Letters to patients Thank you for referral Sympathy card Letter of appreciation Birthday and holiday greeting

Types of Written Communications Collection Most send 30-, 60-, and 90-day notices Then a certified letter with a 10-day warning Then send to collection

Types of Written Communications Newsletters

Stationery Supplies Select a good quality bond paper for the office letterhead A color theme in stationery supplies can set the tone for the office An alternative to purchasing stationery is to create a template in word processing

Factors to Consider in Written Communications Use correct grammar Use appropriate business punctuation Use technical language sparingly when communicating with lay person Eliminate words that say nothing Vary sentence length and sentence structure Put the reader in the sentences Use positive words

Characteristics of an Effective Letter Neatness Organized thoughts and delivery Positive attitude Use helpful and caring phrases Use of the team approach Focus on the patient Say "we" and not "I"

Business letter

Parts of a Business Letter Date line For full pages, about 2 inches below the lowest letterhead line Current trend is toward left side of page Inside address Includes same information as the envelope A matching envelope can be printed with software programs

Full block style [Your Name / Company Name] [Title (Optional)] [Address] [Tel] [E-mail   December 21, 2012. [Recipient’s Name] Dear :

Modified block style letter

Parts of a Business Letter Inside address/envelope Do not put both Dr. and the degree Use two letters for the state in capital letters Use two spaces before the ZIP code Salutation One double space below the inside address Body of letter Message Complimentary close One double space below end of body of letter Directly below the date

Parts of a Business Letter Keyed Signature Four lines below complimentary close Reference Initials Doctor's initials capitalized, then typist's in lower case

Parts of a Business Letter Attention line To indicate that the writer prefers the letter be directed to an individual Subject line Typed and double spaced after the salutation followed by a double space before continuing with the body of the letter May be typed in all capital letters, in capital and lowercase, or be underlined

Parts of a Business Letter Enclosures When the letter mentions that items are enclosed or attached Typed a double space below the reference initials, even with the left margin

Capitalization Common usage The first word of every sentence should be capitalized The first word of a complete direct quotation should be capitalized The first word of a salutation and all nouns used in the salutation should be capitalized The first word in a complimentary close should be capitalized All proper names should be capitalized

Preparing an Effective Letter Collect Information What it is about and to whom it is being sent Examples are letters of referral and inquiry Make An Outline Creates an organization and framework Develop the letter First paragraph sets tone and gets attention Go from general to specific Review and revise the letter Evaluate for clarity by re-reading

Envelope