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Telephone Procedures in Healthcare: Effective Communication and Professional Practices

This chapter reviews the essential telephone procedures for healthcare professionals to ensure effective communication, provide excellent customer service, and maintain patient privacy. Topics include telephone equipment, services, policies, triage, responding to typical calls, and documentation.

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Telephone Procedures in Healthcare: Effective Communication and Professional Practices

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  1. Chapter 6 Telephone Procedures

  2. Objectives • Review the learning and performance objectives for this chapter • By the end of this chapter, demonstrate the procedures in the textbook and the job skills in the workbook

  3. Heart of theHealth Care Professional • Service • The telephone becomes a lifeline to a patient calling in distress.

  4. Communication by Telephone • Public relations • Good listening habits • Ability to interact verbally • Cheerful, calm, courteous • Friendly, efficient

  5. Telephone Equipment • Touch-Tone Telephone • 12-Button • Wireless headset • Cellular • Not Secure • Pager • When a ringing phone is inappropriate

  6. Telephone Services • Speed dialing • Redialing • Call forwarding • Call waiting • Caller ID • Speakerphone • Remember patient privacy

  7. Telephone Services • Automated attendant • Route calls to appropriate personnel • Option to talk to live person

  8. Telephone Services • Voice mail • Voice mail guidelines • Leaving a voice mail message • Confidentiality • Review procedure 6-1

  9. Telephone Services • Answering service • Used when office is closed • Taking messages • Review procedure 6-2 • Answering machine • Less personal • Programmable

  10. Telephone Policies and Procedures • Telephone guidelines • Answer incoming calls • Review Procedure 6-3 • Place outgoing calls • Review Procedure 6-4

  11. Telephone Policies and Procedures • Telephone screening and triage • Gather information • Prioritize • See Tables 6-1 and 6-2

  12. Telephone Policies and Procedures • View the following video scenario, and discuss the things the medical assistant does wrong • Scene - The Wrong Way to Screen a Call

  13. Telephone Policies and Procedures • Now, view this video scenario, which shows proper screening techniques • Scene - Telephone Screening and Triage

  14. Telephone Policies and Procedures • Policies in patient information booklet • Office hours • Emergency numbers

  15. Telephone Policies and Procedures • Policies in office procedure manual • Urgent and emergent telephone calls • Establish protocols • Identify and manage emergency calls • Procedure 6-5

  16. Telephone Policies and Procedures • Responses to typical telephone calls • See Examples 6-3 Through 6-14 • Caller who fails to identify him/herself • Referral inquiries • Insurance queries • Prescription calls • Caller who will not terminate conversation

  17. Telephone Policies and Procedures • Responses to typical telephone calls • Angry caller concerned about a bill or delinquent account • Review Procedure 6-6 • Inquiries from outsiders about patients • When the physician is not in the office • When another physician calls

  18. Telephone Policies and Procedures • Responses to typical telephone calls • When the physician is busy • Verifying a statement made by the caller • Obscene or crank calls • Complaints • Personal calls

  19. TelephonePolicies and Procedures • Waiting on line • Ask permission to put on hold • See Example 6-15 • Callbacks • Designate a time to call back • Patients appreciate knowing what time to expect a call back

  20. Receiving Telephone Calls and Messages • Telephone message slips • Get correct information • Date and time • Caller’s name and callback number • Medical record number and/or date of birth • Reason for call • Action taken

  21. Receiving Telephone Calls and Messages • Document all incoming calls • Record in the medical record

  22. Receiving Telephone Calls and Messages

  23. Receiving Telephone Calls and Messages • Telephone logs • Permanent, chronological • Record of all calls • Medicolegal importance

  24. Special Telephone Calls • Long distance • Toll calls • Conference calls • International communications

  25. Telephone Reference Aids • Telephone reference aid • List of frequently called numbers • Callback list • Patients physician calls on a regular basis: • Surgery • New medication • Personal crisis

  26. Stop and Think • Respond to a personal call from a friend • Review the scenario • How would you respond to the friend? • Compose a personal response

  27. Stop and Think • Evaluate telephone equipment • Review the Scenario • What information would you gather for the office manager prior to purchasing new telephone equipment? • Determine questions that need answering in order to gather data

  28. Stop and Think • Compose outgoing voice mail message • Review the scenario • Write a script for the message and be prepared to read it

  29. Stop and Think • Construct questions for telephone triage • Review the scenario • Determine questions to ask so the physician can evaluate problem and provide advice to the patient

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