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Chapter 1 Communication Skills for Medical Assistants 21
The Parts of a Business Letter
A typical business letter has 11 parts. Figure 1-8 is a
sample of a letter identied with these various parts of a
professional business letter.
The 11 parts include:
1. Letterhead—contains the name of the physician or
practice, the address, and the telephone number. It
also might contain the ofce fax number and e-mail
address. It’s often in color, and it can be made part
of the template itself.
2. Date—placed two to four spaces below the letterhead. Don’t use abbreviations.
3. Inside Address—the name and address of the person who will be receiving the letter. Place the inside
address four spaces below the date, unless a window
envelope is being used. If that’s the case, you may
need to use different spacing to make the address
Benjamin Matthews, M.D.
999 Oak Road, Suite 313
Middletown, Connecticut 06457
February 2, 2016
Dr. Adam Meza
Medical Director
Family Practice Associates
134 N. Tater Drive
West Hartford, Connecticut 06157
Re: Ms. Beatrice Suess
Dear Doctor Meza:
Thank you for asking me to evaluate Ms. Suess. I agree with your
diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Her prodromal symptoms include
vague articular pain and stiffness, weight loss and general malaise.
Ms. Suess states that the joint discomfort is most prominent in the
mornings, gradually improving throughout the day.
My physical examination shows a 40-year-old female patient in good
health. Heart sounds normal, no murmurs or gallops noted. Lung
sounds clear. Enlarged lymph nodes were noted. Abdomen soft, bowel
sounds present, and the spleen was not enlarged. Extremities showed
subcutaneous nodules and flexion contractures on both hands.
Laboratory findings were indicative of rheumatoid arthritis. See attached
laboratory data. I do not feel x-rays are warranted at this time.
My recommendations are to continue Ms. Suess on salicylate therapy,
rest and physical therapy. I suggest that you have Ms. Suess attend
physical therapy at the American Rehabilitation Center on Main Street.
Thank you for this interesting consultation.
Yours truly,
Benjamin Matthews, MD
BM/es
Enc. (2)
c: Dr. Samuel Adams
Figure 1-8 Components of a business letter in full
block format contains the following elements: (1)
letterhead, (2) date, (3) inside address, (4) subject line,
(5) salutation, (6) body, (7) closing, (8) signature and
typed name, (9) identication line, (10) enclosure, and
(11) copy. (Reprinted from Kronenberger J, Ledbetter J.
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins’ Comprehensive Medical
Assisting. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer; 2016.)
860-344-6000
visible through the window. If the letter is going to a
business, insert the receiver’s title as the second line,
between the name and street address. The business
name becomes the third line.
4. Subject line—this is an optional line. If it’s used, it
appears on the third line below the inside address. It
begins with Re: (the abbreviation for “regarding”)
followed by the subject.
5. Salutation—the greeting that starts the letter. Place
the greeting two spaces below the inside address
or the subject line. Make sure it contains the title
and last name of the person receiving the letter—
for example, Dear Mr. Smith or Dear Ms. Jones. If
the letter is to a physician, write out Doctor—Dear
Doctor Smith, not Dear Dr. Smith.
6. Body—the part of the letter that contains the message. Single-space the body using a double space
between paragraphs. Use letterhead only on the rst
page, if the body goes onto a second page.
7. Closing—concludes or closes the letter. Place the
closing two spaces below the body. Capitalize only
the rst word. Insert a comma after the closing.
8. Signature and name—type the name and title of the
person signing the letter four spaces below the closing. If you’re told to sign the letter, write the physician’s name, followed by a slash mark and your name.
9. Identication line—the uppercase initials tell who
composed the letter. The lowercase letters tell who prepared it. Like the subject line, this element is optional.
10. Enclosure—if something is included with the letter,
use the initials Enc. to indicate that. If more than
one document is included, show the total number
in parentheses.
11. Copy—use the letter “c” to show that a duplicate of
the letter was sent somewhere else.
Writing a Memorandum
A memorandum, or memo, is a form of written communication used within the ofce. Often, memos are
used for brief announcements. Memos are never sent to
patients. They are less formal than letters. See Figure1-9,
which is a sample memo with the necessary formatted
information.
In some ways, memos are like letters in style. But in
many other ways, their style is different.
Heading—Type the word memorandum across the
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top of the page.
To—List the names of everyone who’s going to receive
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the memo. If it’s to an entire group, the group name
can be typed instead of the individual names.
From—Type the name and title of the person sending
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the memo.
Date—Use the same rules as you do for letters when
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typing memo dates.
22 Section I General Skills for the Medical Assistant
Franklin Dermatology Center
Memorandum
All Medical Assistants
To:
Patty Stricker, Office Manager
From:
12/03/16
Date:
Holiday time
Re:
Please notify me by December 10 of any requests you have for
taking time off during Christmas or New Year’s. Remember that
holiday requests will be based on seniority. The office will be
closed at noon on December 24. The office will be closed on
th
the 25
and reopen on the 26th. The office will also close on
December 31
reopening on the 2
If you have any questions, please e-mail me.
Figure 1-9 Sample memorandum (memo). (Reprinted
from Kronenberger J, Ledbetter J. Lippincott Williams
& Wilkins’ Comprehensive Medical Assisting. 5th ed.
Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer; 2016.)
Subject—Type a brief phase describing the purpose
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st
at noon. The office will be closed on January 1,
nd
.
of the memo.
The abbreviation Re:—Is sometimes used in place of
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Subject.
Body—Insert the message of the memo.
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Copy—Use the same rules as you do for letters.
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Memos don’t use salutations and closings. Writing a
memo requires the same preparation, composition, and
editing steps that letters do. Your computer software
should have a memos template as well.
123 Main Street
Rockfall, Kansas
913-755-2600
Guidelines for Medical Writing
Writing letters to medical professionals is similar to writing
business letters. Some additional guidelines apply including appropriate medical terms, symbols, and numbers.
Accuracy
“The patient’s mucus was yellow.”
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“The patient’s mucous was yellow.”
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Mucus is a sticky secretion. Mucous is a membrane
that secretes mucus. Both words are spelled correctly.
The spell check will not ag either as an error but the
second sentence is wrong.
Also, be careful about plural forms of words.
Making many medical terms plural can be tricky. For
example, the plural of bulla (a blister) is not bullas. It
is bullae.
Capitalization
Pay special attention to how words and abbreviations
are capitalized. Never change how a word is capitalized
unless you are told to do so. If you question a capitalization, mark a hard copy of the typed document with a
question mark for the physician to answer.
Some common medical terms with unusual capitalizations are pH, RhoGam, rPA, ReoPro, and aVR.
Abbreviations and Symbols
Using abbreviations and symbols saves time in writing notes by hand. When typing medical information,
however, spell out all abbreviations that are not part of
everyday English. For example, PM is commonly understood as an indicator of time. But NPO (meaning noth-
ing by mouth) is not. Be familiar with the abbreviations
and symbols that are used where you work. Most ofces
have a list of their approved ones.
Box 1-1 lists many medical terms that are either misspelled or misused.
Box
1-1
Commonly Misspelled or
Misused Medical Terms
Medical writing requires even more accuracy and clarity
than writing business letters does. Pay careful attention
to detail when you write medical letters and documents.
Some of your letters are led in patients’ permanent
medical records. Mistakes here could cause injury or
death, lawsuits, and harm to the physician’s practice.
When the physician asks you to draft a letter about
a patient, he/she may or may not give you notes to follow. Either way, your duty in typing the letter is to be
as accurate as possible. You should question anything
you’re not sure about.
Spelling
The spell-check feature in word processing programs
can be a great help. But it has limitations. For instance,
it will not nd mistakes in which words are spelled correctly but are misused. Here’s an example:
Here are some common medical
words than can be misspelled and misused easily:
Anoxia and anorexia
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Aphagia and aphasia
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Bowl and bowel
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Emphysema and empyema
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Fundus and fungus
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Lactose and lactase
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Metatarsals and metacarpals
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Mucus and mucous
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Parental and parenteral
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Postnatal and postnasal
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Pubic and pubis
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Rubella and rubeola
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Serum and sebum
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Uvula and vulva
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Chapter 1 Communication Skills for Medical Assistants 23
Be careful when interpreting what abbreviations and
symbols mean. Here are some examples of what can go
wrong:
The physician wrote “The patient had good BS.” You
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assumed that BS meant bowel sounds. So you typed,
“The patient had good bowel sounds.” But what the
physician meant by BS was breath sounds.
Do not change < or > signs to less than or greater than
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unless you are sure what the symbol means. If the
statement means, “Her hemoglobin is less than 13,”
and you mistakenly type, “Her hemoglobin is greater
than 13,” a treatment error could occur.
The symbols for male (♂) and female (♀) are com-
r
monly used and understood. But you should replace
them with words when writing a medical or business
letter.
Numbers
Numbers 1 to 10 should usually be spelled out in medical and business writing. There are exceptions, however.
Units of measurement are always written as numbers,
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no matter how small—for example, 5 mg.
Numbers referring to an obstetrical patient’s condi-
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tion are not spelled out. “The patient is gravida 3,
para 2.” Don’t convert these numbers to words.
Be careful about placement of decimal points. There’s
a huge difference in dose between 1.25 and 12.5 mg of
medication. Also, make sure you don’t switch the order
of numbers when you type them. Double-check for this
very important kind of error.
C
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SENDING WRITTEN
COMMUNICATIONS
Once a document has been typed, edited, and signed (a
letter), the next step is sending it. Most routine business
letters are delivered by the United States Postal Service
(USPS) through regular US mail. Other means of sending documents are also available.
Send letters only to known addresses. Include a return
r
address on all mail, so that it can be returned if the
person is no longer at that address.
Using US Mail
When written communications are sent by regular mail,
USPS guidelines should be followed to prevent errors or
delays in delivery.
Addressing Envelopes
Number 10 business envelopes are used to mail most
letters. Medical records, multipage test results, and some
other reports and documents may be sent in larger, 9- ×
12-inch mailing envelopes. Figure 1-10 is an example of
an appropriately addressed No. 10 envelope with return
address and recipient address.
The USPS expects the delivery address to be placed in
the center portion of the envelope. The equipment USPS
uses to scan the envelope for address information does
not recognize writing at its edges. Addresses on large
envelopes can be printed on labels and then attached to
the envelope. Addresses on business envelopes will usually be printed on the envelope itself.
On a No. 10 business envelope, type the address 12
spaces down from the top, centered on the face of the
envelope. Single-space the address. Provide a line each
for the addressee’s name, name of the business (if any),
street address, and the city and state. If you abbreviate
the state name, use only the ofcial USPS abbreviation.
The ve-digit zip code must appear at the end of the
line for city and state. You should include the four-digit
expanded zip code whenever possible. Your computer
software also may let you include a USPS PostNet bar
code. This is generally inserted two or three lines below
the address. This bar code will speed USPS handling of
the envelope.
Place the return address in the upper left corner of
the envelope. It should not exceed ve lines, and it is
also single-spaced. Many medical ofces will have their
return address preprinted on their envelopes. Place
Overnight delivery by express mail—USPS offers this
r
option as well as private delivery services such as
FedEx and UPS.
Immediate delivery by electronic mail (e-mail) or fax—
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These methods have drawbacks, however, despite their
ease and speed. These limitations are discussed later.
There are two key things to remember when sending
any written communication:
Make every attempt to ensure that condential mate-
r
rial is kept condential. Mark the outside of such
envelopes “condential.” This applies to all correspondence that contains information about a patient.
PIEDMONT INTERNAL MEDICINE
1050 S MAIN STREET
ASHEBORO NC 26092-1050
SEAMSTER JANITORIAL SERVICE
P O BOX 5030
RALEIGH NC 25532-5030
Figure 1-10 Sample No. 10 Envelope demonstrates
position of mailing address and return address.
(Reprinted from Kronenberger J, Ledbetter J. Lippincott
Williams & Wilkins’ Comprehensive Medical Assisting.
5thed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer; 2016.)
24 Section I General Skills for the Medical Assistant
special notations such as “personal” or “condential”
two lines below the return address.
Special Services
Sometimes, it’s necessary for the ofce to have proof
that a letter was sent. For example, the physician might
decide to end his/her relationship with a patient. This
requires that the patient be notied and proof of delivery should be scanned into the patient’s record. Proof
of delivery is available from USPS by sending the letter
by certied mail. This type of mailing requires an extra
fee. Private express-delivery companies such as FedEx
and UPS also offer tracking services that prove a letter was delivered. Figure 1-11 is a sample of a delivery
notice used to identify the sender and recipient. Many
companies use an electronic tablet and can e-mail verication to the sender. The device is also used as a tracking
mechanism.
Faxing Documents
Facsimile machines (commonly called fax machines)
allow you to send and receive printed materials over a
phone or Internet line. They’re an easy and cheap way
of sending records, physician’s orders, test results, and
other documents that must be received quickly.
When you send documents through a fax machine,
include a cover sheet with them. The cover sheet is always
the rst page to be faxed. Most ofces have a supply of
printed cover sheets that you ll in for each fax. The
cover sheet should contain the following information:
Name, address, telephone, and fax number of the
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ofce
Name of the person the fax is intended for
r
Telephone number of the receiver’s fax machine
r
Date and time of the fax
r
Number of pages being sent (count the cover sheet
r
too)
Condentiality statement
r
Figure 1-12 is a sample of a fax cover sheet used as
the rst sheet sent through the fax machine. It includes
the information required to identify the fax message.
The condentiality statement located at the bottom
of the fax cover sheet is necessary because the faxed
information may be private. Patient test results, for
example, are condential and often are sent by fax. For
legal purposes, a statement such as this one must appear
on the cover sheet:
This sheet and any documents accompanying it
are condential. They are intended only for use by
the person or entity named above. If you are not
the intended recipient of these documents, you are
hereby notied that any disclosure, copying, or dis-
tribution of this information is strictly prohibited.
Notify the sender immediately by telephone.
Lack of condentiality is one drawback of sending
written communications by fax machine. You can’t
Cardiology Associates
Maria Sefferin, MD
897 Bayou Drive
Philadelphia, PA
215-112-9999
facsimile transmittal
To: Fax:
From: Date:
Re: Pages:
CC:
Urgent For Review Please Comment Please Reply Please Recycle
Figure 1-11 Return receipt proving recipient received
the delivered document. (Reprinted from Kronenberger J,
Ledbetter J. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins’ Comprehensive
Medical Assisting. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters
Kluwer; 2016.)
Comments:
CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
The information in the facsimile message and any
accompanying documents is confidential. This
information is intended only for use by the individual
or entity name above. If you are not the intended
recipient of this information you are hereby notified
that any disclosure, copying or distribution of this
information is strictly prohibited. Please notify the
sender immediately by telephone.
Figure 1-12
Kronenberger J, Ledbetter J. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins’
Comprehensive Medical Assisting. 5th ed. Philadelphia,
PA: Wolters Kluwer; 2016.)
Sample fax cover sheet. (Reprinted from
Chapter 1 Communication Skills for Medical Assistants 25
know for sure that it’s the addressee who will actually
pick up the fax at the other end.
Sometimes, when you fax documents to another fax
machine, that machine may be busy sending or receiving
other faxes. If this happens, your fax machine will keep
redialing the number until it can send the fax. Don’t use
this feature, however, if unauthorized persons might
have access to the documents while they are waiting to
be faxed. Also, never leave unattended documents in a
fax machine.
Electronic Mail
Electronic mail, or e-mail, allows you to send les from
your computer to another computer anywhere in the
world. When communicating by e-mail, follow the same
rules that you use when writing letters.
There are two ways of sending e-mails:
You can send the document—a letter, for example—
r
as an e-mail.
You can send the document as an attachment to an
r
e-mail.
Sending the document as an e-mail requires that you
type it at the time you send it. If the document already
exists in your computer somewhere, you can select it
and attach it to a short e-mail letter that explains what
is attached. Condentiality still cannot be guaranteed.
Be sure you know your ofce policies on e-mail prior
to sending any information or include a condentiality
statement in e-mails that contain condential information. This is similar to the statement included on a fax
cover sheet. You can easily adapt that sample cover sheet
statement for use with e-mails. If you’re attaching documents to an e-mail, open and look at them before you
hit send to be sure you attached the correct documents.
Opening and Sorting Mail
Some physicians may want you to sort, open, respond
to, and le mail without their review. In other ofces,
all mail is handled only by the physician or ofce
manager.
Most physicians will open and handle their own
personal mail. Mail about patients, however, should be
opened and dealt with as soon as possible.
Any mail marked “urgent” should be processed rst,
whether you’re permitted to open it or not. Records,
test results, and other patient-related materials are next
in order. Ads, announcements, and other promotional
materials are handled last.
Your ofce may have established policies and procedures for processing the daily mail. Some additional
general procedures to follow that will help you do the
job efciently include the following:
1. Gather the needed equipment: a letter opener, paper
clips, and a date stamp.
2. Open all letters and check for enclosures. Attach
these with a paper clip to the letter. If the letter states
there were enclosures and none were sent, contact the
sender. Write on the letter that enclosures were missing and the name of the person you contacted.
3. Stamp all mail with the date it was received.
4. Sort the mail into categories and handle each accord-
ing to ofce policy. In general, this will mean:
5. Test results—Scan into EHR as soon as possible.
6. Payments—Record all checks and insurance pay-
ments and process them according to ofce policy.
7. Advertisements—Dispose of all advertisements
unless you are told differently.
8. Employee mail—Distribute to the proper staff
member.
9. Magazines—Place in the waiting room. Do not put
medical journals in the waiting room.
C
O
G
Part of your duties may be handling the incoming mail.
Many types of mail will come into the ofce each day.
They may include:
r
r
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r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
HANDLING INCOMING
MAIL
Advertisements
Bills from suppliers of goods and services
Consultation letters
Hospital communications and newsletters
Laboratory and radiology reports
Waiting room magazines
Professional journals
Literature from professional organizations
Samples of drugs and lab test kits
Payments from insurance companies and patients
Other patient correspondence
C
O
G
Another form of professional communication that you
will need to work on is your resume and letter of application. Your resume will serve to represent you and
the skills you possess. As such, you should take time to
inventory what you have to offer a potential employer.
When applying to a position, it is important that you
follow the directions from the potential employer. The
employer will list what items are required and those
that are optional. If a letter of application is optional,
you could elect not to submit one; however, it would
not count against you if it were included. Imagine the
impact of the submitting something that is not required
but is optional. The impact is not measurable, but you
would know that you took the extra step.
CAREER COMMUNICATION
26 Section I General Skills for the Medical Assistant
Letter of Application
Your letter of application, or cover letter, should serve to
introduce you to the employer. This is your opportunity
to explain why you are interested in the position being
offered and what makes you the ideal candidate for
the job. Selling yourself is never easy, so it’s extremely
important that you know your value. Type your letter as
you would any business letter. Pay close attention to the
details; such as spelling, format, content.
Resume
Your resume is a snapshot of your professional career.
It should highlight your education, special training,
employment, professional associations, and awards or
special honors received. There are many different formats for your resume, research styles specic to the type
of position you seek. Your resume should be organized
in chronological order ascending from the most recent
to the past. Conne your resume to one page, this allows
the employer to see all your information at a glance. Be
sure to include the following information:
1. Personal Information: Name, address, phone number, and e-mail
2. Educational Background: College name, dates
attended, degree or program completed
3. Special Training: Name of training, dates of training
4. Professional Association: Organization name, title
held such as RMA, CMA, etc., and any positions held
within the organization
5. Awards or Special Honors: Perfect attendance
throughout your education, Academic Honors,
awards from professional organizations such as
Student of the Year or RMA of the Year
Many companies have job applicants complete online applications and will not accept paper copies.
Usually, there is an opportunity to attach a cover letter
or introductory letter of intent explaining why you are
applying for the position.
Remember the purpose of your letter of application
is to introduce yourself, highlight why you are the best
candidate for the job, and ask for an interview. Your
resume should demonstrate your training and experience and secure the interview for you.
Procedure 1-1 Documenting Patient Education
The purpose is to document the instruction and education
given to patients. Equipment includes a computer with an
EHR program that is used to document the procedure.
1. Obtain an electronic copy of printed materials that
the patient will receive.
2. In the patient’s EHR, record the date, time, subject of education provided, and the names of those
present during the education. It is important to
include the names of those present including the
educator, patient, and any family member or guest
that is present.
3. Document, in detail, the manner information was
presented. For example, “The patient and his
mother were educated on the proper use of crutches.
We reviewed written instructions, watched the
Mayo Clinic Orthopedic video “How to properly
use crutches,” and practiced proper use.
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of your teaching and
record the results of the instruction. For example,
“The patient practiced ambulating through the hall.
Corrections were made in crutch placement and
patient continued practiced. The patient expressed
understanding of materials given and demonstrated
proper use of crutches.”
5. Document information regarding future appointments, evaluations, or follow-up reports. For example, “The patient’s mother will report to the ofce,
via phone, on the patient’s progress in 7 days. She
verbally expressed understanding and will notify
the physician immediately if there are any changes
in symptoms.”
P
S
Y
Chapter 1 Communication Skills for Medical Assistants 27
Procedure 1-2 Explaining General Ofce
Procedures and Policies to the
P
S
Y
Patient
The purpose is to provide the patient with information
on ofce practices in an effect to insure the best possible
care. Equipment and supplies include the General Ofce
Procedure and Policies brochure, highlighter, business
card, and pen.
1. Welcome the patient to the practice. Introduce
yourself to the patient and explain your role in the
ofce.
2. Review the ofce brochure with the patient.
Highlight areas of importance such as ofce hours,
appointment scheduling, prescription rells, and
after hours contact.
3. Answer any questions the patient may have.
Encourage the patient to contact you if they have
questions after they leave.
4. Give the brochure to the patient along with a business card. Write your name and contact information on the back.
5. Document the review of policies in the patient’s record.
Procedure 1-3 Writing a Professional Business Letter
The purpose is to create a clear and concise business
letter that is professional in appearance and content.
Equipment need is a computer with word processing
program, 8½ × 11 paper, and a No. 10 envelope. The
medical assistant was asked by Dr. Georgia Parks to
compose a letter to patient, Dwayne Waterman, 12105
Quality Lane, Chestereld, MO 63017, terminating
the physician–patient relationship. She is terminating
Mr.Waterman’s care due to his noncompliance and failure to adhere to the narcotic use agreement he signed.
Dr.Parks has advised you she will terminate the patient’s
care 15days after the receipt of the letter. She will provide urgent and emergency care until that time. Dr. Parks
also wants the patient informed that she will no longer
prescribe any narcotic pain medications. She will release
his medical records to the physician taking over his care
upon receipt of a signed release of medical information.
This letter will be sent certied with return receipt. Use
block format, all line with start ush with the left margin.
1. Compose a rough draft of the body of the letter.
Take time to insure all the information needed is
covered. Have others review the letter for content
and accuracy.
2. Create a “header” to serve as letterhead for
Dr. Georgia Parks, include a mailing address and
phone number.
3. Return down two lines and insert the date or dateline of your letter.
4. Double-space and enter the inside address. This
will include Mr. Waterman’s full name address.
5. Double-space and type the salutation.
6. Double-space and enter the subject line. Such as:
RE: Termination of care
7. Double-space and type the body of your letter.
8. Double-space and type the complimentary close.
There are numerous complimentary closures. Select
one that is professional in nature.
9. Enter or return four to six times then type the physician name. This will leave space for the physician
to sign. Typically, four lines are enough space for a
signature.
10. Double-space, type the initials of the sender in capital letters followed by a backslash or colon, then,
your initials in lower case.
P
S
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28 Section I General Skills for the Medical Assistant
Preparing for Externship
Your externship is the opportunity for you to experience the “real world” while you are still a student. Most medical assistant programs require an
externship assignment in a medical facility, typically a minimum of 160 clock hours. During your
time at the externship facility, you will perform the
duties taught throughout the program. This chapter discusses communication essentials, which
you will need to use to communicate with your
school and the medical facility. Your school assigns
an instructor or externship coordinator who will
Chapter Recap
● Effective communication includes delivery of a
message, clarication that the message was received,
feedback, further clarication, and nal feedback.
● Dr. Kubler-Ross discovered the ve steps to grieving.
These steps can occur in any order and are important
in dealing with loss.
● There are ve levels in the Hierarchy of Needs: self-
actualization, esteem, love/belonging, safety, and
physiological.
● Patients and visitors should be welcomed in a
professional and friendly way.
● A professional appearance includes clean, wrinkle-
free clothing and well-groomed hair and nails.
● Medical letters and documents need to be well
organized, concise, and free of spelling and grammar
errors.
guide you throughout the externship experience.
The medical facility will assign a supervisor, sometimes called a preceptor, who will oversee your
performance of duties. It is essential that you communicate well with your supervisor and frequently
ask for constructive criticism. Constructive criticism is a way of providing you feedback about how
you can improve your performance. The externship
course is the time to rene your skills and prepare
you for your rst position as a professional medical
assistant.
● When faxing or e-mailing documents from the
medical ofce, a condentiality statement must be on
the document or cover page.
● USPS guidelines are used to format envelopes to
prevent delays in delivery.
● Certain correspondence may require special mailing
such as certied, used when a return receipt is needed
to prove delivery of the item.
● A letter of application allows you to outline your
qualications and explain to a potential employer
why you are the best candidate for the position.
● Your resume represents you to potential employers;
therefore, it should be awless and professional in
appearance.
Online Resources for Students
Resources for students available on thepoint.
lww.com include the following:
● Audio Glossary
● Animations
● Competency Evaluation Forms
● Harris CareTracker Case Studies
● Interactive Games & Activities
● Certication Preparation Question Bank
● Videos
Chapter 1 Communication Skills for Medical Assistants 29
Exercises and Activities
Certication Preparation Questions
1. When creating a business letter, the salutation is the:
a. subject line.
b. greeting.
c. closing.
d. body.
2. Paralanguage is:
a. body language.
b. sobs, sighs, or grunts.
c. tone, volume, and pitch.
d. facial expressions.
3. Proxemics deals with:
a. personal space.
b. the study of body movements.
c. paralanguage.
d. nonverbal communication.
4. A patient’s social history includes:
a. information on the health of the patient’s broth-
ers and sisters.
b. past surgeries or procedures the patient has had.
c. smoking, exercise, and alcohol habits of the patient.
d. allergies to medications.
5. A patient schedules an appointment with the
doctor through a friend as the patient does not
speak English. Which of the following represent
the best way to handle this situation?
a. Ask the friend that is scheduling the appointment
to come along to help with communication.
b. Have the patient come alone and give her the
information in writing to take with her for
someone else to explain.
c. Schedule a professional interpreter for the visit.
d. Just speak to the patient in English and hope
they understand.
6. When dealing with patients, it is important to
establish/maintain a professional relationship by:
a. picking up their prescriptions and delivering to
the patient.
b. offer to drive patients to appointments on your
day off.
c. being friendly while maintaining a professional
distance.
d. helping them by picking up groceries.
7. In business letters, the closing would include the
words:
a. Sincerely
b. Dear
c. Enclosure
d. Re
8. Your resume should include your:
a. hobbies and titles of recently read books.
b. marital status and number of children you
have.
c. past medical history.
d. education and employment history.
9. In Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the end result of
all needs being met is:
a. self-actualization.
b. esteem.
c. safety.
d. basic needs.
10. If multiple lines require answering, the proper
procedure for answering would be to answer the
line, identify the ofce and yourself, and then:
a. state, “please hold” and place them immediately
on hold.
b. complete one call at a time, allowing the other
lines to ring because they will either wait or call
back.
c. ask the caller if they can hold, wait for answer,
then place on hold if they say “yes.”
d. forward the calls to the night service and wait
for things to calm down.
P
S
Y
Using the Internet, locate ve (5) positions that you
would be interested in applying for. Research the qualications for each of the positions and then create an
action plan for success. In your plan, explain in detail
the steps you will follow to insure that you are qualied
for the positions you plan to hold in the future.
Internet Activity
Law and Ethics
2
Chapter Objectives
● Explain why a knowledge of law and ethics is
important when working in a medical facility.
● Describe the difference between law, ethics,
etiquette, morals, and values.
● Distinguish how law and ethics are related.
● Compare the consequences of unlawful and
unethical behavior.
● Dene the three main sources of law.
● Describe the three different types of law.
● Compare and contrast criminal and civil law.
● Dene respondeat superior and explain how it
relates in a health care setting.
● Identify the three parts of a valid contract.
CAAHEP & ABHES Competencies
CAAHEP
● Identify and respond to issues of condentiality.
● Perform within legal and ethical boundaries.
● Demonstrate knowledge of federal and state health
care legislation and regulations.
ABHES
● Comply with federal, state, and local health laws
and regulations as they relate to health care settings.
● Dene scope of practice for the medical assistant
within the state that the medical assistant is employed.
● Differentiate between expressed and implied contracts.
● List the steps a physician must follow when
terminating a contract.
● Describe the medical assistant’s scope of practice
and explain resources available to answer medical
assistant questions.
● Explain standard of care as it relates to physicians
and medical assistants.
● Explain the difference between intentional and
unintentional torts.
● Dene and explain the difference between
malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance.
● Identify the four Ds of negligence.
● Describe what procedures can and cannot be
delegated to the medical assistant and by whom
within various employment settings.
● Perform risk management procedures.
● Understand the importance of maintaining liability
coverage once employed in the industry.
● Display compliance with Code of Ethics of the
profession.
● Follow established policy in initiating or terminating
medical treatment.