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Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting
Administrative and Clinical Competencies
CHAPTER
THIRD EDITION
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Written Communication Lesson 1: Written Communications in the Medical Office
11
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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.
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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.
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Critical Thinking Question
1. How might word choice affect what is being communicated in a letter?
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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?
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Grammar and Word Choice
• Sentence and Paragraph Length
Eliminate unnecessary words
Each paragraph should cover only one point
Paragraph contains two to six sentences
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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)
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Grammar and Word Choice
• Numbers
Measurements: write out in figures (23 inches)
Percentages: write out in figures and spell out percent (20 percent)
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Grammar and Word Choice
• Numbers
Time:
• Do not use zeros when writing on the-hour time
• Use a.m. and p.m. with the time designation
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Grammar and Word Choice
• Parts of Speech
Noun
Pronoun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Preposition
Conjunction
Interjection
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Grammar and Word Choice
• Many words function as more than one part of speech
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Formatting Correspondence
• Standard Components of Business Letter
Heading
Date
Inside address
Salutation
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Formatting Correspondence
• Standard Components of Business Letter
Body
Closing
Reference initials
Special components
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
FIGURE 11-1 Different letterhead stationery and envelopes.
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Formatting Correspondence
• Salutation
Courteous greeting
Typed at left margin, two lines below inside address
Name in salutation must agree with name in inside address
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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.
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Formatting Correspondence
• Copy Notation
Bottom left of letter as letter(s) “c:” or “cc:”
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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.
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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.
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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.
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
FIGURE 11-2 A form letter is used when the same letter is sent to multiple recipients.
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Letter Styles
• Modified Block Style with Indented Paragraphs
Identical to modified block style except paragraphs are consistently indented by a designated amount
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
FIGURE 11-4 An example of a memo form.
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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
Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 3/e Beaman | Routh | Papazian-Boyce | Sesser | Mills | Maly
Copyright © 2015, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Questions?