Explaining Benefits Could Avoid Negative Interactions As a healthcare provider, it is important to help your patients understand their health insurance coverage and benefits. A smile cannot be seen over the telephone, but it can be felt. Word-Processing Equipment This includes whether or not the patient is a patient of the practice. The Indistinct Caller. In many cases, your assistant's quality of voice over the telephone may calm or reassure a nervous patient. First, the policy should explicitly state that it's not meant to limit employees' right to talk about wages, hours or working conditions; rather, it is aimed at gossip about non-work-related . Such a reference removes guesswork and helps greatly in orienting new employees. OFFICE HOURS VS APPOINTMENT SYSTEM In both physical appearance and mental attitude, be sure that your office has a reception room and not a waiting room. Most all doctors respect this, realizing that control and authority go hand in hand. and has a cough. Psychiatric referrals/consultants Patients may be embarrassed by coming into contact with each other several times after clinical procedures have begun. She should then tell the patient the total charges and open the receipt book in front of the patient. A caller should never receive an indecipherable response like "DrJohnson'soffice; MissAndrewsspeaking. From a clinical viewpoint, you will be interested in cancellations and changed appointments as such changes may affect your prognosis. Patients scheduled ahead for a longer interval than a month have their folders placed in the appropriate monthly division. Second, office policies must be adhered to whenever possible. Good plans are detailed programs that limit confusion of what should be done, where, at what time, and by whom. Time must be allotted to achievement planning and actions. This will prevent numerous errors that would require many telephone calls and apologies to change scheduled appointments. If you wish to arrange a special consultation prior to your appointment, he can see you either next Monday at 10 o'clock in the morning or Wednesday at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. When tactfully suggested by an assistant, patients enjoy reading chiropractic literature. Although professional printing houses have a large selection of case history forms to choose from, many doctors wish to design their own to meet their particular needs. Salespeople are not only an excellent source of information, they are also carriers of good will or ill will. If a patient is scheduled for an extensive examination, for example, noting this allows for proper time estimation as well as alerting the staff to necessary preparations. schedule a patient procedure There are two phases in the initial consultative process. Either the pertinent material is placed in the tickler file or a cross-reference sheet is placed in the tickler and the material is left in its normal file. MECHANICS AND STYLE If you are out of the office, your assistant should be tactful and factual. and so forth. If you are scheduled to be out of the office for several days because of a meeting or a vacation, your assistant should be informed of what mail she is authorized to respond to and what mail she should hold for your return. SCHEDULING SYSTEMS Filing within this folder should be made alphabetically rather than by date. Caller: Do I have to be x-rayed? This takes considerable discipline in time management (critical paths) if the long-range objectives are given a specific deadline. Policies communicate the connection between the organization's vision and values and its day-to-day operations. The volume of patients scheduled for any one day or the openings present are solely the business of your appointment assistant, you, and other pertinent staff. 12. b. Jason has many admirable qualities, including leadership skill, good judgment, and patience. Offering such information informs the caller that you keep abreast with the times. Is there good balance between gross earnings and net income? types of records: (1) patients' clinical records; NECESSARY CHANGES You must inform the patient of all anticipated practices and procedures and receive the patient's consent prior to any necessary examination or therapy. Your concern over cancellations and changed appointments reaffirms in the patient's mind the importance of office policy and the staff's interest and concern for the welfare of the patient. Placing Calls on Hold Second, confusion results when patients have the same first, middle, and last name. However, there may be some other correspondence that you wish your assistant to acknowledge receipt with a note that you will reply as soon as possible on your return. If the appointment is made when the patient is in the office, the reservation is recorded in the appointment book, an appointment card is presented to the patient, and/or a note is made in a small tickler file to mail a reminder about 5-7 days prior to the appointment (Fig. Financial account records When a patient did not have the courtesy to call to change or cancel an appointment, a letter can be sent to the patient who does not have a telephone. Case History Records. Coordinated efforts produce an atmosphere in which the doctor's concern for every patient can be expressed to its maximum. 3.20). Thomas H. Lee, MD, chief medical officer for healthcare management consulting firm Press Ganney, noted that "the most important predictor of patient loyalty is a patient's confidence in their provider It also helps to speak at a slower rate. We are not referring here to the emergency case, but rather the call for an immediate appointment because of impending travel or personal convenience. There are cards, double cards, sheets, and multiple-page forms. Good policy is in the best interests of all patients. Some offices divide the correspondence file into two sections: incoming correspondence and copies of outgoing correspondence. It also helps to speak at a slower rate. Mail received during your absence that requires immediate attention should be banded, marked "Urgent," and placed upon your desk. A personal report should be designed to first calm unnecessary fears of the patient, inform the patient of what is and is not involved in the disorder present according to your best judgment, and explain the significance of the patient's symptoms. They minimize the amount of cash that must be carried and offer a record of purchases. An "Insurance" file can be subdivided to differentiate between "Office Policies" and your "Personal Policies. Programs not approved in one state may be approved in another state in which a license is held. This important file should contain a copy of the request until the request can be fulfilled. The goal for both you and your assistant should be a smooth flow of patients with as little loss of time and effort as possible. Some books allow one page for each day, while others show Monday through Saturday on two opposing pages, 3 days to a page (Fig. URGENCY PROBLEMS Whatever the time and effort to get them right, its worth it. requires companies that make drugs, medical devices, and biological medicines to report payments and items of value given to physicians and teaching hospitals. In times of personal sickness or a vacation, records carry on in your absence. Definite office policies and carefully planned procedures are the prerequisites for running a smooth and efficient practice. On the first offense, the late patient only needs to be reminded that he is late and that the doctor will see him as soon as possible. This consists of an accurate picture of your present status. Other regulators around the world also stress the importance of policies in the workplace. Material may be filed here for which there is no separate name folder. PRESENT COURSE Even when cleanliness standards are high, negative impressions can result when leaves and papers accumulate in exterior shrubs or when wall hangings and lamp shades become crooked. Filing with the clinical records is the common practice in solo practices. Explain the importance of discussing general office policies to patients. Typical Records Insufficient stock may interfere with proper patient services. In addition, policies should address patient . After the patient completes the form, an assistant should review it to be sure that all appropriate blanks have been filled and that the writing is legible. Other common causes include poor clinical management, overly aggressive behavior by doctor or personnel, a poor recall system, or severely adverse local economic conditions. If the office has a lending library, all books leaving the office should be noted. It is good policy to always use the name of the patient in the opening statement. The assistant might say, "Mr. Jones, you realize that a time reservation has been personally set aside for you. METHODOLOGY * Ensure security Proper telephone technique is expressed in voice quality, volume, pitch, pronunciation, rhythm, emphasis, and rapidity of speech. A punctuality policy cannot be enforced one way only. Learning to plan effectively is not difficult, but it is time consuming. Additional topics include basic office supplies, purchasing, inventory management, small business regulations, and basic tax planning. EMERGENCY SITUATIONS (1) Loose papers take less space than those which have bulky fasteners, clips, or staples. Some doctors prefer to prepare a handwritten draft from which an assistant types. For example, your assistant can answer the ring with, "Dr. Johnson's office. Your assistant should not feel that her function is to "screen" calls, as such an attitude appears to isolate you from the caller. In many cases, patients may be putting off medical bills because they have high-deductible health plans (HDHPs). That is, policies and procedures bring anomalous events into sharper relief. PROFIT MARGIN Although the patient is left to his own volition, you should plant the seeds of what should be done. Following are some examples of typical questions that can be resolved by an alert assistant: Assistant: How may I help you? Caller: Do I have to be x-rayed? Association Memberships You can not gain consent to catheterize without these three test results. she will need to be in the hospital approx. Subdividing enhances organization and rapid retrieval. Planning and time management are learned behavior patterns. In addition to the consultation and history being required to assist you in determining the type of examination necessary to isolate the cause(s) of the patient's complaints, they are necessary to counsel toward healthy behavior. Most patients who have not been in the office for several weeks or months usually do not mind such a suggestion. Patients of this nature will nod their head up and down during a detailed presentation. It is most difficult and hypocritical to criticize patients for being late for their appointments if the doctor is consistently behind schedule. 3.5). Practice Planning On one hand, you are faced with a person in need and it is your professional obligation to help. When your assistant opens the mail and notices that a letter refers to an enclosure that is not enclosed, she should make a notation to that effect on the letter before you receive it. Practice Objectives and Philosophy If no change in the schedule occurs so that the assistant can satisfy the patient's original request, she can telephone the patient and say, "Sorry Mr. Brown, but there has been no change in the doctor's schedule, so I'm verifying your second choice at 1 pm on Wednesday. However, the fact that you haven't responded indicates that further treatment is necessary to get you well. Most offices plan that the notification is received by the patient about 3-4 days prior to the appointment. It is constant. However, most doctors feel that a printed card is too impersonal and prefer that an individually typed letter be forwarded. CAUSATIVE FACTORS Each call should be answered promptly by an assistant. A holding file is also a constant reminder of things to be done. What is included in each book and each section depends upon your preferences. Memos given to patients are often best made in duplicate so that a dated copy can be placed in the patient's file. Bookkeeping requirements you offer her an appointment for later that day, but she insists that it must be now. Although your assistant should always give the impression that you are always readily available, she should not ask you to take the call immediately unless she feels it is absolutely necessary. If the enclosures are larger than the letter, your assistant can either put the unfolded letter and enclosure in a large envelope, or an alternative is to affix the letter envelope with first-class postage to the face of a arge evelope with either first- or third-class postage. Interest and warmth freely offered to each patient are excellent practice builders. What are two tasks that need to be done to get ready for the day? Trays, shelves, filing cabinets, and inside drawers also require periodic cleaning. It's good policy to let the caller hang up first, else there is a risk of spoiling a pleasant conversation with a loud bang if the phone is not replaced gently. Extensive examination and therapy should be scheduled at a later time. * Established patient To save your time, you may wish an assistant to directly process payments received, appointment requests and changes, routine insurance forms, and customary bills to be paid. Medicare receipt slips If in doubt, she should place the caller on hold and brief you on the problem. In addition, such factors as your public relations program, patient indoctrination system, scope of clinical services, accounting system, and collection system should be appraised. Ability to solve problems and decide quickly. * Warm, welcoming tone A wide assortment of topics is available for patient and prospective patient education, directed to both adults and children. If it is necessary for a patient to be seen three times a week for a few weeks, the patient can be scheduled on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Assistants should be taught that patients in severe pain should always take precedence over scheduled patients. (4) when the patient complaints or signs of dissatisfaction become frequent. How will you apply the Patients bill of rights when you schedule the procedure? Office administration helps in fitting all the office exercises. Time is often borrowed from other patients such as prophylactic cases or unworthy patients. Personal calls of staff should be limited to emergencies and made as brief as possible. Contingency plans should be at hand to meet uncertain effects. The information usually requested concerns the patient's name, address, mailing address if different from the patient's residence, telephone numbers (ie, residential and business), date of birth, chief complaint, marital status, number and ages of children, occupation, employer, referral source, and health and accident insurance company data. Establish a rapport. It also underscores why you should document substantiation for the need of the services rendered. Your assistant should schedule patient visits intelligently so that too much time is not allowed between appointments. It is usually an assistant's responsibility to obtain messages from the service, passing on pertinent messages to you, and responding to routine calls personally. Single patient is booked for a specific amount of time. Worker's Compensation (local office) A number of methods can be employed to keep telephone costs to a minimum. When a caller must be placed on hold while your assistant gathers some information, the assistant should always request permission to do so and state approximately how long it will take. Although there are exceptions to all generalizations, we shall briefly discuss four general types of new patients to a practice so you will be in a better position to instruct your assistants how to handle the type of appointment necessary. The telephone company is not above error; thus, your monthly toll statement should be reviewed carefully prior to payment. Progress records should indicate the patient's name, the date and place of the visit, the examination procedures conducted, the therapy administered (type, strength, distance, pressure, duration, special instructions, etc), how the patient responded, the type of service the patient is to receive on the next visit contingent upon examination findings and patient progress, necessary dietary instructions, exercises, home therapies, occupational and recreational restrictions, and changes to previous instructions. The habitually late patient is a much more serious problem. Most sterile materials have a shelf life of only 3--4 months. Assistant: How long have you had this problem? She should tactfully find out if the subject is important enough to be called to your immediate attention. CONSULTATION APPOINTMENTS They cannot truthfully say you took advantage of them in any way. When it is found that a new patient was referred by an established patient of your practice, it is good policy to send the referring patient a note or letter of thanks. To impress an appointment on the mind of the caller, your assistant might say: "Fine, Mrs. Andrews. Upon receiving the patient's "informed consent," the examination proceeds or another appointment is scheduled for the examination. If the recommended case program cannot be followed, the patient is wasting money and you are wasting time that could be better applied to cooperative patients. * Only when necessary the provider will be seeing patients in the afternoon, and the re are a couple of same-day appointments available on your schedule. Your assistant should give a reasonable explanation as to why the appointment must be changed. Your assistant should not feel that her function is to "screen" calls, as such an attitude appears to isolate you from the caller. This allows flexibility needed for patient care, makes fullest use of examining and treatment rooms, avoids delays for the doctor while patients are being prepared for examination or treatment, and helps handle the problem of the tardy patient (Fig. Active, inactive, and former patient files are usually placed in an alphabetical file where the folders are placed behind alphabetical tab dividers. Follow-up Calls Recall file cards What is the most commonly used priority rule for setting queue discipline, likely because it is seen as most fair? Standardized practices across the hospital keep patients safe. Improperly prepared checks returned from your bank can cause confusion in your bookkeeping system. As in any human contact, the choice of words, voice tone, gestures, posture, and grooming are important parts of the approach. 3.29). THE GREETING PROBLEMS WITH TRANSIENTS Notes about services rendered, patient's condition, charges made or payments received are entered on the right-hand page directly across from the patient's name. the family has been without insurance due to a loss of jobs, and it is unclear when johnny was last seen by a medical provider. Other calls that should be referred to you are calls from other physicians, calls about emergencies, calls about home treatment, calls from concerned relatives, and calls from your family. They may assist members and certificate holders in engaging in self-guided ethical decision making. Although your assistant should always give the impression that you are always readily available, she should not ask you to take the call immediately unless she feels it is absolutely necessary. If a mystery caller demands to speak directly with you, your assistant should ask for the caller's name and number so the call may be returned. Helterskelter efforts are made to make the practice more successful, but what is successful is never accurately defined. This will avoid stress and inefficient services. If your scheduling assistant is to control smooth patient flow, she must be able to see at a glance why the patient is scheduled. Procedures tells employees how to deal with a situation and when. This type cabinet also comes in two-drawer and three-drawer models and in a variety of colors. Patient handling and control are two major factors in determining the success or failure of any practice. 2. maintain eye contact when talking. * Prepare for bank deposits Although clinical skills and quality services are the foundation in developing a successful practice, the psychologic impressions made upon patients in their association with the office are almost equally as important. Let's say you perform a service that is not covered by the patient's insurance. A more sophisticated form of alphabetical indexing uses five units. 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Changes may affect your prognosis when the phone is answered for later day... Personal calls of staff should be taught that patients in severe pain should always take precedence scheduled... Film storage requires a clean dry area where extremes of temperature are unlikely former patient are... Be enforced one way only receiving the patient the total charges and open the receipt book front... Document substantiation for the need of the practice more successful, but not too much wall space this realizing... But not too much wall space than those which have bulky fasteners, clips, staples. Ethical decision making patients who have not been in the workplace into with...
