NHA Module 16 Communication and Customer Service

internal communication

sharing information within a business or organization

What happens once the message is transited to the receiver:

she begins to decode the sent message

What is an example of an open ended question:

"What brings you into the office today"

example of a close-ended question:

"does it hurt when you take a breath"

How do you ensure effective communication:

-AVOID figurative language -don't say: He passed away -say: He died

patient portal

-MA can communicate with patients through this-offer around the clock access to personal health info-some allow patients to request prescription refills, make scheduling requests, communicate with providers and make payments.

projection and displacement

-Protect the ego by placing the blame on something or someone and displaying verbal or physical actions aimed at releasing anger

Conducting crucial conversation steps

-consider safety first- pt needs to feel comfortable and secure-demonstrate empathy, not sympathy-stick with the facts-watch words and actions-use active listening

What are a few methods to increase trust and communication:

-display professionalism -use skilled interview techniques -provide empathy -practice collaboration -embrace technology

Once the phone call is complete with a patient what should an MA do

-document the call and what was discussed in the patient's health record as part of their permanent file

What are effective way to engage with the patients and their families:

-include the patient in the process -practice active listening -communicate effectively

Regression

-involves patient reverting to previous action or time in her life when she felt more secure. -use baby language

Denial

-most common -individual refuses to accept what is being communicated-refuse to believe diagnosis and demands second opinion

What is a patient satisfaction survey:

-produce data about patients' perspectives of care-survey results are used to create new incentives for health care facilities, improve quality of care, enhance accountability by increasing transparency

A medical assistant is engaging in conversation with the patient who is recently terminated from the practice. The patient has come to the office and is demanding!. Which of the following actions should the medical assistant take?

Acknowledge the patients concern

When communicating on the telephone with the patient, which of the following actions by a medical assistant demonstrates the use of appropriate technique for outgoing calls?

Allowing the patient to be the one to end the call

Cause and effect analysis

Analyze why something happens and describe the consequences of a string of events.

A medical assistant is caring for a patient who is frustrated and states, my doctor doesn't have any idea how to treat my condition. Which of the following responses by the medical assistant is an example of therapeutic communication?

Are you saying that you don't think your provider knows how to help you?

A medical assistant is checking in on a patient who does not speak the same language as a medical assistant. Which of the following actions should the medical assistant take?

Ask a bilingual staff member to assist with communication

Use skilled interviewing techniques

Ask patients a variety of open and closed ended questions to encourage them to explain more about their health and daily behaviors. "can you tell me more about yourself" or "can you explain what you were doing when you started to feel that pain?" can help to open communication by allowing the patient to explain their point of view.

Provide Empathy

Avoid jumping to conclusions or passing judgement by being empathetic and providing encouragement.

In which of the following locations should the inside address appear in a business letter?

Between the dateline and the salutation

To be successful members of a team which of the following actions should a medical assistant take?

Demonstrate willingness to perform extra duties

Display Professionalism

Details such as physical appearance, eye contact, and displaying an understanding and knowledge of the situation enhances confidence of patient with the provided care.

During the admission process, a patient explains manifestations of a cheif complaint to a medical assistant. Which of the following actions should the medical assistant take?

Document the patient's concerns in the medical record

A patient calls into the office to report that I medication is not working. Which of the following responses should the medical assistant make?

I will notify the provider about your situation

demonstrate empathy, not sympathy

In any conversation, consider what others might be experiencing, but displays of sympathy are nonproductive

Stick with the facts:

It is easy to divert away form the primary conversation and begin to develop personal opinions. In both of these situations, stick to the facts and remain objective to ensure comprehension of the material being presented

What are complains often expressed by patients:

Long wait times on the telephone or in the office, inconvenient office hours, and feeling rushed when seeing the provider

What is an example of denial:

Mary is told she has cancer, but refuses to believe the diagnosis and demands a second opinion

Intutive communicator

Prefers to look at the big picture. While this can be an efficient style, it sometimes can result in more questions than answers if too broad of an approach is used.

what should be included on the incident report

Only factual information such as objective symptoms. If a quote or subjective information is shared, be sure to identify the source. Provide sufficient detail and include additional documentation if needed

Practice collaboration

Patients are more likely to positively respond to recommendations and questions in collaborative settings. When the patient is part of the health care team, communication is more effective and overall care improves.

functional communicator

Prefers an organized approach to work with timelines and detailed plans. Uses step by step method to solve problems and communicate information. This can be an effective style of communication if the patient does not become overwhelmed with too many details.

Embrace technology

Provides health care professionals many ways to communicate with patients. However, take care not to overwhelm the patient. Instead of flooding the patient with messages from multiple platforms, select no more than three communication channels and use them well. If patient is only comfortable with one method, it is best to just provide communication via the preferred method.

Which of the following elements is essential for successful team work?

Related short term and long term goals

external communication

Sharing information between a business or organization and an outside entity

A medical assistant is checking in a patient who has hearing loss. Which of the following actions should the medical assistant take?

Stand within the patients field of vision

A medical assistant is speaking with a patient. Which of the following might occur as a barrier to communication?

Stereotyping

In medical assistant is preparing business correspondence. Which of the following is a characteristic of the modified block letter style?

The complementary closing is centered on the page

Closing

The complimentary closing and signature.

Body

The content and information to be communicated.

Consider safety first:

The patient needs to feel comfortable and secure to trust the health care team and engage openly in conversation

therapeutic communication

The purposeful use of verbal and nonverbal actions and interactions to build and maintain helping relationships with patients and families

Opening

The recipients address and salutation.

personal communicator

Uses emotional language and connections. Cares about what people think and feel in response to the information given. Often good listeners and have the ability to resolve conflict fairly easily.

Watch words and actions:

Using sarcasm and humor, or displaying negative body language, is not appropriate during crucial conversations. approach conversations with purpose and appropriate dialogue to maximize the level of communication

A patient is in a waiting Room approach is a medical assistant and states I've been waiting 30 minutes to see my doctor can't you do something? Which of the following responses by the medical assistant is an example of active listening?

You sound frustrated about having to wait so long

body langugage

a method of communication that uses body movements, expressions, or positional changes to express a person's feelings

What do close-ended questions provide

a set of answers from which the respondent must choose (yes or no)

What is the communication cycle:

sender develops the message-message encoded into transmittable format-message transmitted via route of delivery (oral, written, symbolic, nonverbal)-receiver decodes the message-receiver converts message into understanding-feedback

What are examples of nonverbal communication:

body posture, facial expressions, stance, eye movements

What helps achieve patient compliance:

clear and accurate communication between patients and providers

always use a ____ that discloses confidential information

cover sheet

What does cross arms represent:

defensive

what is the most common defense mechanism used

denial

What are the types of defense mechanisms

denial, regression, projection and displacement, repression, and sublimation

What is calm body language

directly faced, open stance, relaxed arms

empathy

displaying conveyance of an objective awareness and understanding of the feelings, emotions, and behavior of patients, including trying to envision what it must be like to be in their situation

What promotes teamwork:

diversity, communication, leadership, and team building excersises

what do fax machines allow

documents to be securely transmitted with end to end encryption

What is the final step of communication process

feedback

What process starts with an idea or message by a sender and ends with a response from a receiver

feedback

nonverbal communication

gestures and actions that leave interpretation up to the receiver

What can blur the lines of the professional relationship and have a negative effect on communication:

giving or receiving gifts between a patient and heath care professional

What are the standards elements of business letters

heading, opening, body, closing

What is anxious body language:

indirectly faced, hunched stance, covering neck, crossed arms

What is a an email?

inexpensive, efficient, and can be used internally and externally to convey info

feedback

information given in response to an action to reinforce or improve the behavior

Heading

letterhead and dateline. (month fully spelled out, day and year).

What is the most fundamental component of communication:

listening

The medical assistant is providing discharge instructions for a patient who has visually impaired. Which of the following actions should the medical assistant take?

notify the patient when entering the room

What do you notify the supervisor on

office policies and procedures

who should complete the incident report form

only staff INVOLVED in the incident

The MA acts as a bridge to ensure communication btw who

patients and providers

Analytical communicator

prefers to work with real numbers, facts, and data, and places very little emphasis on feelings or emotions

customer service

providing quality attention and assistance to a customer of a product or a service

What do open ended questions provide:

quality and quantize information and are often used at the beginning of the interview to determine the visit

closed-ended questions

questions that have a limited number of possible responses

open-ended questions

questions that lead to further explanation

leading questions

questions that tend to lead the respondent into the desired answer

A medical assistant is approached by a patient who is angry and yelling which of the following actions should the medical assistant take?

remain calm

positive reinforcement

rewarding of desirable behavior

What is an essential component in an effective heath care environment:

teamwork

communication

the process of exchanging messages between a sender and a receiver

professionalism

the skills, behavior, and appropriate judgment that represents the best qualities of a person in a specific profession

Verbal communication

the use of spoken words to convey info

Why do we avoid leading questions:

they risk the possibility of coercing the patient into a desired response

Why do we avoid sharing personal stories or experiences with patients?

this behavior can be misunderstood as advice or treatment recommendations

repression

unhealthy mechanism used to protect the individual from remembering devastating events. -it is unknown to them

telecommunication

using of technology to exchange information

Active listening

using techniques that allow the receiver to fully understand the message being communicated

Sublimation

when an individual uses a socially acceptable and constructive substitute for an unacceptable action related to an impulse.

Don't deal with a client but?

work with them