Transcript If your tone is

Telephone
communication
Allied health III
unit 3
First impressions
You are the “Director of First Impressions”
The professional attitude conveyed to the
caller is critical to the success of the
business
first impressions
On average, it takes about 10 seconds for
a caller to pick up on your attitude from
listening to the tone of your voice
Developing excellent telephone customer
service (tone & words) is one of the most
valuable business skills you can cultivate
first impressions
The phone call is often the first contact a
patient has with the office
You will want to convey empathy to your
caller
You must anticipate the needs of the
patient & the provider
what your voice says
about you
If your tone is...
Monotone
what your voice says
about you
If your tone is...
Monotone
It translates as...
“I’m bored & have absolutely no interest in what you’re
talking about”
What your voice says
about you
If your tone is...
Slow speed & low
pitch
It translates as...
“I’m depressed & want to be left alone”
what your voice says
about you
If your tone is...
Slow speed & low
pitch
It translates as...
“I’m depressed & want to be left alone”
What your voice says
about you
If your tone is...
A high-pitched &
emphatic voice
what your voice says
about you
If your tone is...
A high-pitched &
emphatic voice
It translates as...
“I’m enthusiastic about this subject”
what your voice says
about you
If your tone is...
An abrupt speed &
loud tone
what your voice says
about you
If your tone is...
An abrupt speed &
loud tone
It translates as...
“I’m angry & not open to input”
what your voice says
about you
If your tone is...
High pitched
combined with
drawn-out speed
what your voice says
about you
If your tone is...
High pitched
combined with
drawn-out speed
It translates as...
“I don’t believe what I’m hearing”
answering the phone
Answering the call as soon as possible
promotes a positive atmosphere &
communicates to patients that their call is
important to the practice
Always answer by at least the 3rd ring
Nearly all medical practices will have
multiple lines & many offices will have an
automated system that directs the caller &
then places the call in a queue.
answering the phone
While on hold, the automated system will
often provide information such as the
provider’s profiles, prescription refill
policies, office hours, emergency contact
information & hold times.
answering the phone
Here is an example:
“Good morning, Delaney Medical Center,
this is Jennifer speaking, how may I help
you?”
This prompts the caller to give their
name & the reason for their call.
answering the phone
Make sure you get all the information you
need & repeat back the information to the
caller to make sure you have recorded the
caller’s request accurately.
answering the phone
Let the caller know when he or she may
expect a response
Make sure your time frame is reasonable &
one you can keep
If you do not have a response within the
original time frame that you quoted, call
the patient back & let him or her know that
you are still waiting & will call back as soon
as you have the information
answering the phone
Always try to allow the patient to hang up
first.
If you hang up first, you might miss
something that the patient wanted to add.
Say: “Goodbye, Mrs. Lyons” Wait for them
to respond & hear the click.
Handling multiple lines
Sometimes, the phone rings off the hook..
It is very important to have a plan so that
you know how to prioritize incoming calls
handling multiple lines
1st- properly place the first caller on hold
2nd- find out who is on the second line
3rd- determine whether the second call is
an emergency (or a hospital or doctor
calling)
4th- put the second caller through if it is an
emergency or on hold if it is not
Finally- finish the first call
to properly place
someone
on
hold
Excuse yourself & ask the patient to whom
you are speaking whether you may place
them on hold
Answer the second call, determine
whether it is an emergency, then ask if the
caller can hold
If it is another provider or a hospital calling,
put them through immediately & do not
place them on hold
to properly place
someone on hold
Then, return to the first call & thank him or
her for holding
Resolve the first call & return to the first
telephone screening
An established phone screening manual
should be kept near each phone for
reference
If you do not know how to handle a patient
or if the questions have not been
addressed in the manual, referring the
problem to one who is more experienced is
necessary & appropriate
Never guess in response to a patient’s
question & do not treat any question lightly
Telephone screening
Document, in detail, all the information
obtained from the patient & relay or attach
the message for the doctor to review
Anticipate what the doctor will need, such
as relevant patient information &
symptoms, lab results, consult results,
date of last appointment, next appointment
(if scheduled), blood pressure, &
temperature & mark the message urgent if
determined to be so or advised to by the
patient
routing calls
Knowing where to send a call when it
comes in will save time, avoid frustration,
& score service points
non-emergency calls
If the person on the phone needs additional information,
or the call is going to take a while, excuse yourself from
the phone call by saying, “May I put you on hold for a
moment?”
Be sure to confirm the patient’s phone number before
hanging up
Find out a good time to call back, including later times in
case the provider wants to talk with the patient
When a caller is on hold, be mindful of the length of time
on hold
transferring calls
If you need to transfer a patient’s call to
another department or office, first give the
caller the phone number, extension, & the
person’s name to whom you are
transferring him or her in case there is a
disconnection
Signal (or page) the person for whom the
patient is calling, explain who is waiting to
speak to him or her, & give a brief
summary of the issue
transferring calls
Pull the chart for the provider if the patient
is calling for information & have the
pertinent data readily available(labs, test
results, consults, chart notes)
If using a public address system, be very
careful with confidentiality, stating only the
person’s name & that he or she has a call
on a particular line
interpreter services
Offices should have policies in place
regarding the provision of language
services & should not rely on patients’
friends, family, or other ad hoc interpreters.
It is your responsibility to become familiar
with your office policies regarding
interpreter services, how to access
language services, & how to work with an
interpreter
documenting calls
It is critical to record the date, time, name,
date of birth, M/F, phone number(s) &
detailed & accurate message along with
your name & initials. All calls should be
documented in the same manner
Urgent messages should be marker
“urgent” & given to the doctor immediately
documenting calls
Pull the chart & have all information
relevant to the call attached to the
message (lab reports, test results,
consults, prescription requests)
If electronic messaging with EMR, attach
the relevant information to the message to
expedite care
documenting calls
All messaged must be signed off (both
paper & electronic) to confirm final action
has been taken. Usually, the last person to
contact the patient shall sign off & file or
save the chart & notify patient of the action
documenting calls
Confidentiality:
Data regarding patients may not be
given out over the phone to anyone,
unless the patient has given written
permission with a signature for the
release of specific information
This authorization is often given with a
CCP
confidentiality
When returning patient messages,
confidentiality in accordance with
regulations established by HIPAA is of
primary concern.
Data regarding patients may not be given
out over the phone to anyone unless the
patient has given written permission for the
release of specific information with a
signature
confidentiality
Authorization to give medical information
to a person other than the patient is often
given with a “Confidential Communication
Preference (CCP)”
recording messages
Internal EMR messaging, lab reports, &
prescription refills can be available to
doctors 24/7, although replies to patients
are not be expected outside normal
business hours
Answering machines are useful for short
periods such as during lunch time;
however, answering services are more
likely used outside office hours
recording messages
The answering service can relay messages to
the office by email, fax, or phone or contact the
doctor by cell phone or pager if the call is
determined to be an emergency or the doctor is
on call
Messages from the answering service need to
be returned in the order of importance within an
appropriate & reasonable time period.
Remember to check the fax machine & patient
portal for other patient related messages
guidelines
Answer the phone as promptly as possible,
with a smile
Keep a pad & pen next to the phone at all
times
Verify the caller’s name & correct spelling.
If an adult calls about a child, make sure
you have the correct last name & date of
birth. Do not assume the child’s last name
is the same as the caller’s
Guidelines
Determine the reason for the call
Handle as many phone calls as you can
without disturbing the provider. Provide
message & documentation, including
attaching the backup & chart when needed
by the provider for review
guidelines
Whenever possible, if you cannot handle
the call alone, take a message for the
provider. The provider will tell you what to
do or call the patient back as time allows
Make a memorandum for the provider of
every call. Use printed telephone
memorandum pads that show the date,
time of call, name of caller, telephone
number, date of birth, & sex & send the
message to the provider
Guidelines
Always know where to reach the provider.
If the message is urgent & the provider is
not int he office, page or call at once &
relay the message
If the provider cannot be reached, have the
message by your phone. When your
employer calls to check in, you may relay
the message
guidelines
Learn from the provider how much medical
information you are authorized to give over
the phone.
Patients often call the office because they
have forgotten the provider’s instructions
about treatments or medications.
If this information is clearly stated in the
chart, or in a preapproved triage manual, it
might be acceptable to repeat it for the
patient
guidelines
When answering a second line, determine
whether it is an emergency or another
provider before placing the caller on hold &
returning to finish the first call
Always allow the caller to say goodbye &
to hang up first
common types of
phone calls
Patients who are calling for appointments,
prescriptions or the results of tests
Referrals
Emergency calls
Other providers, hospitals or laboratories
Personal calls & general business calls
appointments
When scheduling appointments, be sure to
positively identify the patient & confirm the
last appointment date
Be sure to use at least 2 identifiers of the
patient, including date of birth as well as
last & first names.
appointments
If you work for a “closed practice” (one that
is no longer accepting new patients), it is
important to confirm that you are booking
only current patients
appointments
Assess the type of appointment needed
(comprehensive physical exam, follow-up,
immunization, new patient)
Each type of appointment can carry a
different billing code, requires a different
amount of time for the visit & have different
eligibility for insurance reimbursement.
appointments
Example: a typical CPE will not be
reimbursed by insurance if the
appointment is less than 1 calendar year
from the previous CPE appointment.
appointment
Appointment schedule templates usually
have a time slots held for patients that
require same-day or urgent visits.
Book these appointments first from your
calls of the day.
Use your screening methods to determine
which patients need to be seen in the
same-day & urgent time slots
appointments
You will also want to book from any open
appointment slots in order during the day
Example: if you have 3 morning & 2
afternoon appointments open at the
beginning of the day, fill your morning
appointments first
appointments
When a patient calls for an appointment,
give them a choice of 2 appointment times.
Usually, one the options will be acceptable
to the patient.
This prevents the patient from requesting
multiple dates & times
appointments
Always read back the scheduled time to
the patient after it has been recorded in the
appointment book or scheduling system for
confirmation.
Often, medical offices place reminder calls
to patients 24-48 hours before their
appointment
prescription refills
Verify the office rules for prescription refills
& follow them without exception
The general rule is that a medical assistant
does not give out information or call in a
prescription without the express direction
of the provider
Write a message of the request for
prescriptions in legible handwriting with
detailed accuracy or document in the EMR
prescription refills
For a patient request of a prescription refill,
document the name & phone number of
the pharmacy as well as the name of the
medication, strength & prescription number
& when the prescription was last filled
Record the phone number where the
patient can be reached in case the
provider needs to talk with them before
prescribing the medication or if the
provider determines the patient might need
an examination first
prescription refills
Many prescriptions are currently sent to
the office by electronic messaging, known
as easyscripts or surescripts (often
referred to as e-scripts) directly from the
pharmacy
Patients might request prescription refills
through patient portals
test results
Always observe office policy for releasing
results
Most providers will want to speak with the
patient if the test results are abnormal,
although some allow the medical assistant
to give normal results over the phone
Attach the result of the test, lab or consult
report for the provider to review along with
the message for the provider to call back.
test results
Review the patient’s CCP prior to calling
with any results. Confirm which number to
call & authorization to leave messages or
speak with other parties
Generally, it is best not to leave a
message with abnormal results
You should leave a message for the
patient to return your call, without
revealing a sense of urgency in your
voice
follow-up calls
Providers often advise patients to call the
next day to report their progress
The medical assistant should determine
whether to take the call & relay the
message to the doctor ( always attach the
patient’s report to the chart) or whether the
provider wishes to speak directly to the
patient.
follow up calls
Make sure you have the patient’s current
home & cell phone, pager or work
number(s) before the patient leaves your
office so you will be able to call if
necessary
Verify that the patient’s chart has a current
phone number of a relative or friend that
can be called if the patient cannot be
contacted
Remember, though that you need that
contact to be authorized per the CCP
professional calls
When another provider calls to speak to
your employer, politely ask the caller for
his or her name & inform the provider.
Professional etiquette dictates that the
provider does not keep a colleague waiting
unless the provider is involved with an
emergency or surgical procedur
professional calls
Be sure to ask whether the call is
regarding a patient & whether you should
pull the chart
It is wise to obtain the name & phone
number if the caller in case the call is
disconnected
professional calls
Calls received regarding X-ray or
laboratory results need to be recorded with
precise accuracy
Always record the name of the person giving the report & phone
number in case your doctor wants to call back for further information
Read back everything you have written down to be sure it is correct
& complete before allowing the caller to leave the line
Attach the message along with the patient’s chart for review by the
doctor
business, personal, &
legal calls
Office policy will dictate protocol for
business, personal & legal calls
Calls from attorneys requesting information
about a patient must be handled with great
caution
calls from attorneys
Attorneys know that patients must give
written permission to divulge information to
anyone regarding their health, yet lawyers
call still
calls from attorneys
Pull the patient chart & look for
authorization listing the name of the
attorney & the signature of the patient
If you find the authorization, you may
answer questions about the patient. Some
providers may still want you to check with
them before releasing information
calls from attorneys
You must confirm information written on
the patient’s CCP. If you do not find
authorization listing the name of the
attorney, you must tell the caller an
authorization signed by the patient is
required prior to releasing information
calls from attorneys
It is advisable to return a call from an
attorney, even if you have authorization so
you can ensure to whom you are speaking
Most doctors prefer to be advised of
requests from attorneys
calls from attorneys
A quality department review might be
required prior to release of patient
information
Only information that has been authorized
by the patient in writing, with the patient’s
signature, may be given to another party
calls from attorneys
Record the call & information released by
telephone or copied for attorneys or other
parties from patient charts. Patients have
the right to know who has accessed their
medical information, & their charts should
reflect each & every release of information
Common practice is to refer business or
legal calls to the office manager. Check
with the doctor or employer regarding the
policy
long-distance calls
You may be in need of calling a patient
whose phone number is long distance.
Be sure to check the area code for time
zone to determine the appropriate time to
call, avoid calling before or after business
hours or during lunch breaks
Be sure to know the code needed to dial
for your long distance service in addition to
the number of the person that you are
calling
difficult callers
Any person on the “front lines” of customer
service will have to deal with difficult
customers.
When a caller’s demands are
unreasonable &/or difficult to provide, your
first reaction could be annoyance.
When this happens, you should try to hold
off negative judgements & do your best to
accommodate the patient’s requests
difficult callers
Patients might insult you or curse at you...
If this happens, give the caller the benefit
of the doubt, & say “I really want to help
you, but I’m having trouble with the kind
of language you are using. Can you
please refrain from using that kind of
language?”
Give the caller a second chance &
another warning if the language
continues
difficult callers
If the caller continues to curse at you, you
are within your rights to let the patient
know that you are “no longer the person
who can help” & inform your supervisor of
the problem.
difficult callers
If a caller makes any threats, document
the identity of the caller, the nature of the
threat, advise them that you are no longer
the person who can help, & inform your
supervisor. Be sure to end the call in a
professional manner.
telephone services
Phone Menus
Conference Calls
Teleconferencing
phone menus
Most business phone systems have a
menu for the caller to be connected to the
proper person or department.
A recorded message will direct the caller to
push a number corresponding to their
intended recipient... (Press 1 for Ms.
Lyons..)
The caller should be instructed at the
beginning of the message to “hang up &
call 911” if the nature of their call is an
emergency
conference calls
The phone can be used to simultaneously
conduct conversations with several people
in various locations.
Conference calling saves time, travel &
money
If your provider’s phone system is not
equipped for multiple connections, calls
can be arranged with your local phone
service provider
teleconferencing
A means of exchanging information much
like a conference call, except everyone
can see & hear each other at the same
time.
The phone company for the meeting
originator will contact all other sites &
network the phones.
Can include several people in many
locations & ideas can be presented,
concerns expressed & new techniques
shown
community resources
It’s a good idea to keep an up-to-date
index of your most frequently called
numbers by the phone.