Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting Administrative and Clinical Competencies

Transcription

1 Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting Administrative and Clinical Competencies THIRD EDITION CHAPTER 11 Written Communication Lesson 1: Written Communications in the Medical Office

2 Lesson Objectives Lesson Objectives Upon completion of this lesson, students should be able to: 1. Define and spell the terms to learn for this chapter. 2. Name and describe standard components of a business letter. 3. Identify the eight parts of speech and use them correctly.

3 Lesson Objectives Lesson Objectives Upon completion of this lesson, students should be able to: 4. Describe the process of drafting correspondence, using the four letter styles. 5. Explain the process of proofreading and editing.

4 Tone of Letter Writing Letters from a medical office must be: Professional Courteous Businesslike Positive in tone Protective of the confidentiality of physician and patient Diplomatic

5 Critical Thinking Question 1. How might word choice affect what is being communicated in a letter?

6 Grammar and Word Choice Appropriate word choice includes: Avoiding technical terms Gender bias Overly long sentences and paragraphs Excessive use of the personal pronoun I Incorrectly used abbreviations Passive voice

7 Grammar and Word Choice When writing to medical professionals or institutions that employ medically trained staff, use of medical terminology is appropriate, and it is essential that spelling and usage of medical terms are accurate When writing to patients, medical terminology should not be used

8 Grammar and Word Choice Medical Terms Carcinoma Dermatitis Leukocytes Nephrosis Otolaryngology pc Thrombus Synonyms Cancer Skin irritation White blood cells Kidney disease Study of ear, nose, and throat After meals Blood clot

9 Grammar and Word Choice Removing Gender Bias Any reference to a particular gender (male or female) eliminated Written correspondence must reflect neutral bias toward the genders Do not refer to physicians as males or to nurses and medical assistants as females

10 Critical Thinking Questions 1. How is gender bias shown in written communication? 2. What is the impact of gender bias and how can it be avoided?

11 Grammar and Word Choice Sentence and Paragraph Length Short, concise sentences and paragraphs are preferred in medical writing Sentence length should never exceed 20 words

12 Grammar and Word Choice Sentence and Paragraph Length Eliminate unnecessary words Each paragraph should cover only one point Paragraph contains two to six sentences

13 Grammar and Word Choice Avoid the use of the personal pronoun I in professional writing Better to use you and we Avoid being redundant Inflated phrases can be eliminated without loss of meaning

14 Grammar and Word Choice Active Versus Passive Voice Active voice: the subject of the sentence performs the action Passive voice: the subject receives the action Both voices are grammatically correct, Active voice more effective because it is simpler, more direct, and less wordy

15 Grammar and Word Choice Spelling Homophones: same sounds Computer software programs cannot be depended on to correct all word usage errors Medical terms are not, generally, recognized by spellcheck software Have a hard copy medical dictionary available

16 Grammar and Word Choice Rules for Capitalization First word of: Sentences Expressions used as sentences Each item in a list or outline Salutation and closing of a letter Proper name of person, place, or thing Noun that is part of a proper name

17 Grammar and Word Choice Plurals Abbreviations are formed into plurals by adding an s (ECGs, DRGs) Plurals of nouns are formed by adding an s or an es (physicians, suffixes)

18 Grammar and Word Choice Numbers Numbers 1 to 10 are spelled out For numbers greater than ten, acceptable to use number designation, as in 32, unless the number is at the beginning of the sentence Only numbers (including 1 10) used in tables, statistical data, dates, money, percentages, and time

19 Grammar and Word Choice Numbers Measurements: write out in figures (23 inches) Percentages: write out in figures and spell out percent (20 percent)

20 Grammar and Word Choice Numbers Tables Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) aligned on the right Decimals (1.33) aligned on the decimal Roman numerals (I, II, III) aligned on the left

21 Grammar and Word Choice Numbers Time: Do not use zeros when writing on thehour time Use a.m. and p.m. with the time designation

22 Grammar and Word Choice Parts of Speech Noun Pronoun Verb Adjective Adverb Preposition Conjunction Interjection

23 Grammar and Word Choice Many words function as more than one part of speech

24 Grammar and Word Choice Abbreviations Spelled out first time they appear in a document, with abbreviation in parentheses On subsequent uses, abbreviation can be used alone Spell out medical abbreviations for clarity

25 Grammar and Word Choice Error Correction All correspondence should be error-free Word processing allows writer to display document on computer screen, enter the information, and make necessary changes When typewriters used, corrections require use of correction ribbons, tapes, fluids

26 Grammar and Word Choice Reference Materials Desk dictionary and online dictionary Medical dictionary and online medical dictionary Physician s Desk Reference (PDR) Current coding books including CPT -4 and ICD-10-CM Thesaurus and online thesaurus

27 Formatting Correspondence Standard Components of Business Letter Heading Date Inside address Salutation

28 Formatting Correspondence Standard Components of Business Letter Body Closing Reference initials Special components

29 Formatting Correspondence Heading Medical office letters usually typed on letterhead, which is stationery bearing name of physician or practice, address, telephone number, fax number Date Correspondence must have current date Placed three lines below letterhead

30 FIGURE 11-1 Different letterhead stationery and envelopes.

31 Formatting Correspondence Inside Address Name, title, company name, address of recipient of the correspondence Typed at left margin and single-spaced All words spelled out fully Business courtesy recommends always including a title with receiver s name on inside address

32 Formatting Correspondence Salutation Courteous greeting Typed at left margin, two lines below inside address Name in salutation must agree with name in inside address

33 Formatting Correspondence Body Main text of letter and conveys purpose of letter Begins two lines below salutation and single spaced Paragraphs either blocked or indented Be clear and to the point

34 Guidelines for Using Courtesy Titles Mr. is always an appropriate title for men A professional title, such as MD or PhD, is used instead of the courtesy title Ms. is used when marital status of a woman is unknown Mrs. is appropriate for a married woman if she prefers that title. However, it is always safe to use Ms.

35 Guidelines for Using Courtesy Titles Miss appropriate for unmarried women who prefer that title; also for young girls Two people at same address with different last names addressed individually

36 Guidelines for Using Courtesy Titles A capitalized professional title, such as Owner, President, Manager, may be placed next to the name or below it, depending on which is a better balance

37 Guidelines for Using Courtesy Titles If there is no record of correct spelling of a receiver s name, then call the company or office and ask for the correct spelling

38 Formatting Correspondence Closing Complimentary close containing a courtesy word(s), such as Sincerely, Sincerely yours, or Yours truly Two lines below end of body of letter Signature line contains name and title of the writer Handwritten signature of writer must be entered directly above typed signature line

39 Formatting Correspondence Reference Initials Indicate who keyed or typed the letter Placed at lower left margin in lowercase Enclosure Notation When other documents included along with the letter, a notation is made on the letter indicating the enclosure

40 Formatting Correspondence Copy Notation Bottom left of letter as letter(s) c: or cc:

41 Formatting Correspondence Two-Page Letter Letterhead stationery used only for top sheet Second sheet plain bond paper Second page and any pages following must begin with date and subject line of letter

42 Composing a Business Letter Gather necessary information and supplies. Determine reason for the correspondence. Write down the main purpose of the letter. Make a list of the points you need to cover in the letter. Prepare a rough draft.

43 Composing a Business Letter Arrange ideas in a logical manner. Make sure the letter has a beginning, middle, and end. Use a natural style of writing.

44 Composing a Business Letter Use a positive tone. Pay particular attention to spelling, punctuation, and grammar. When rough draft is satisfactory, compose final draft of letter. Proofread for mistakes. Obtain necessary signatures. Include any enclosures as indicated.

45 Formatting Correspondence Form Letters When the same letter is sent once or repeatedly to multiple recipients, a form letter can save time Contains standard content used repeatedly Personalized with the patient s information

46 FIGURE 11-2 A form letter is used when the same letter is sent to multiple recipients.

47 Formatting Correspondence Letter Styles Physical appearance of the letter Vary depending on the purpose Four letter styles: Block Modified block (standard) Modified block with indented paragraphs Simplified

48 Letter Styles Block Style Formatted with all lines, from date through the signature line, flush with left margin Blank line separates paragraphs as well as inside address, salutation, body, close No indentations for paragraphs Saves typing time

49 Letter Styles Modified Block Style (Standard) Style, date, complimentary closing, signature line begin at center and continue toward right margin All other lines flush with left margin Often preferred because it has a professional, neat appearance

50 Letter Styles Modified Block Style with Indented Paragraphs Identical to modified block style except paragraphs are consistently indented by a designated amount

51 Letter Styles Simplified Style All lines flush with left margin Salutation line omitted In its place is a subject line in capital letters Complimentary closing omitted Signature typed in all capital letters Abbreviated style of writing letters relating to patients

52 Interoffice Memoranda Also called memos Written communications sent to people within office or organization Informs personnel about meetings, general changes that affect employees, special projects, news items Do not require postage and are delivered through interoffice mail route

53 FIGURE 11-4 An example of a memo form.

54 Editing and Proofreading Editing Read the final material to check for accuracy and clarity Read the letter from point of view of recipient to be sure you have explained yourself clearly and courteously When editing medical reports, you cannot change content of report or alter the meaning in any way

55 Editing and Proofreading Proofreading Rereading of a document to check for errors in content and keying Critical step in correspondence process to help ensure accuracy Spell-check and grammar-checks done by the computer are not perfect After printing out a document, read it carefully to catch any content or keying errors

56 Questions?