Lecture Medical assisting: Administrative and clinical procedures with anatomy and physiology (4e) – Chapter 4

4.1 Identify elements of the communication circle.. 4.10 Explain how stress relates to communication and identify strategies to reduce stress.. Communicating with Patients and Families

Communication with Patients, Families,

4.1 Identify elements of the

communication circle.

4.2 Understand and define the

developmental stages of the life cycle.

4.3 Give examples of positive and

negative communication.

Learning Outcomes

4.4 List ways to improve listening and

interpersonal skills.

4.5 Explain the difference between

assertiveness and aggressiveness.

4.6 Give examples of effective

communication strategies with patients

Learning Outcomes (cont.)

4.7 Discuss ways to establish positive

communication with coworkers and management.

4.8 Describe how the office policy and

procedures manual is used as a communication tool in the medical office

Learning Outcomes (cont.)

4.9 Describe community resources and

how they enhance the services provided by your office.

4.10 Explain how stress relates to

communication and identify strategies

to reduce stress.

Learning Outcomes (cont.)

• Medical assistants must

– Recognize human behaviors

– Communicate effectively, with professionalism and diplomacy

– Recognize obstacles that affect therapeutic communication

Communicating with Patients and Families

• You are the key communicator between the

physician and patient

• Your interaction sets the tone for the office visit

• Developing strong communication skills is just

as important as mastering administrative and

clinical skills

• Customer service

– Most important part of

communication

– Two points fundamental to customer service

• The patient comes first

• Patient needs are satisfied

Patien ts are #1 !

Communicating with Patients and Families

– Assisting with billing issues

– Creating a warm and reassuring

Apply Your Knowledge

What are the two key parts of customer

service?

ANSWER: The two fundamental parts of customer service

are that the patient comes first and you must satisfy

patient needs

The Communication Circle

 The communication circle involves an exchange of

messages through verbal and nonverbal means.

Communication Process

• Patients often believe that health care has

become impersonal due to

– Technological advances

– Managed care organizations

• Maintain a patient-centered approach

Apply Your Knowledge

What are the three elements of the communication circle?

ANSWER: The three elements of the

communication circle are the message, source,

and receiver.

RIGHT!

Human Behavior: Stages of the Life Cycle

on developmental stage

– Infant – Toddler– Preschooler– School age– Adolescence– Young, middle, old adult

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs

Self-Actualization Esteem Needs Love/Belonging Needs

Physiological Needs

Deficiency (Basic) Needs

Safety Needs

Apply Your Knowledge

You can communicate with all people in the same way Is

this statement true or false, and why?

ANSWER: The statement is false Not all people are at the same

place on Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs To communicate

effectively with a person, you need to understand what he or she is deficient in For example, you would use different communication

styles when talking to a homeless person who may have

psychological and safety needs than when talking to an elderly

person who is lonely and depressed due to the recent loss of his

or her spouse

Types of Communication

• Positive or negative

• Verbal or non-verbal

• Written (Chapter 7)

Positive Verbal Communication

to ask questions– Speak slowly and

clearly

Negative Verbal Communication

 Curb negative communication habits

Mumbling

Speaking brusquely

Avoiding eye contact

Interrupting patients as they speak

Apply Your Knowledge

Mr Garcia comes to the desk to check in and asks if he will be seen on

time The receptionist continues with her paperwork, points to the

sign-in sheet, and tells Mr Garcia: “Just sign sign-in The doctor will be with you

when he can.” Explain why this is an example of negative

communication.

ANSWER: This is an example of negative communication because the

clerk

• Did not stop what he or she was doing – was not friendly or attentive

• Did not greet Mr Garcia or make eye contact with him

• Did not give a satisfactory answer to Mr Garcia’s question

• Did not make sure Mr Garcia understood when he would be seen

YEA!

Improving Communication Skills

– Relax and listen attentively

– Maintain eye contact

– Maintain personal space

– Think before you respond

– Provide feedback

Improving Communication Skills (cont.)

Therapeutic Communication

• The ability to communicate with patients

– In terms they can understand

– So they feel at ease and comfortable

• The ability to communicate with other

members of the health-care team

– Technical terms

– Appropriate to the health-care setting

Therapeutic Communication (cont.)

 Giving a broad opening

 Offering general leads

 Making observations

 Encouraging communication

Ineffective Therapeutic Communication

 Minimizing feelings

 Making stereotyped comments

Defense Mechanisms

• Unconscious, designed to protect self

• Patients may display

Assertiveness Skills

 Assertive – people who are firm and

stand by principles while still showing

respect for others

 Requires

Openness

Honesty

Directness

 Aggressive – people who try to impose

their position on others or try to manipulate them

Apply Your Knowledge

What is the difference between being aggressive and

being assertive?

ANSWER: Assertiveness means standing by your principles while

showing respect for others You trust your instincts, feelings, and

opinions and act on them An aggressive person tries to impose his

or her own position on others or tries to manipulate them He or she

is bossy, may be quarrelsome, and does not consider others’

feelings, needs, thoughts, ideas, or opinions.

Communication – Anxious Patient

• Can interfere with communication process

– May not listen well or pay attention to what

you are saying

Communication: – Angry Patient

– Recognize anger and its

– Do not take anger personally

– Ask patient to be specific concerning cause

– Present your point of view

– Avoid breakdown of communication

– Leave if you feel physically threatened

 Goal is to help the patient express anger constructively

 Steps in communicating with an angry patient

Communication – Patients from Other Cultures

• Each patient has his or her own behaviors,

traditions, and values

– Strive to understand and be tolerant

• Stereotyping

– Negative statement about specific traits of a

group applied to an entire population

• Generalization

– Statement about common trends within a

group

Communication – Other Cultures (cont.)

• Attitudes about health

Communication – Patients with Visual Impairment

• Use large-print materials

• Use adequate lighting in all

areas

• Use a normal speaking voice

• Talk directly and honestly

• Do not talk down to the

patient

• Preserve the patient’s dignity

Communication – Patients with Hearing Impairment

• Find a quiet area to talk

• Minimize background noise

• Position yourself close to and

facing the patient

• Speak slowly

• Remember that elderly

patients lose the ability to

hear high-pitched sounds

first

• Verify understanding

• Use written material

• Speak clearly but do not shout

Communication – Mentally or Emotionally Disturbed

• Determine what level

voice– Avoid appearing

impatient

Communication – Elderly Patients

Communication – Terminally Ill Patients

• Often under extreme stress, so offer

support and empathy

• Kubler-Ross’s Stages

of Dying

– Denial– Anger– Bargaining– Depression– Acceptance

Communication – Young Patients and Their Parents

• Recognize and accept their

fear and anxiety

• Explain all procedures

• Use praise

• Do not tell children that a procedure will

not hurt if it will, or you will lose their trust

• Reassuring and keeping parents calm will

also help the child relax

Communication – Patients with AIDS/HIV

• Stigma of disease

– Guilt

– Anger

– Depression

• You must have accurate

information about the disease

and the risks involved to answer the

patient’s questions

• Patients need human contact and to be

treated with dignity

Communication – Patient’s Family and Friends

• Provide emotional support to the patient

• Acknowledge family members and friends

• Keep them informed about patient’s

Apply Your Knowledge

What can you do to promote communication with

someone who is visually impaired?

ANSWER: Use large-print materials, adequate lighting in all

areas, and a normal speaking voice Talk directly and honestly,

but do not talk down to the patient; preserve the patient’s

dignity.

Communication with Coworkers

• Develop rapport with coworkers

• Rules for the medical office

– Use proper channels – Have a proper attitude – Plan an appropriate time for communication

Communicating with Management

Dealing with Conflict

• Do not gossip

• Do not jump to conclusions

• Set boundaries to limit undesirable behavior

• Do not “feed into”

Apply Your Knowledge

ANSWER: You can use the following strategies to avoid

conflict in the workplace:

• Do not “feed into” others’ negative attitudes

• Be personable and supportive

• Refrain from passing judgments

• Do not gossip

• Do not jump to conclusions

What strategies can you use to avoid conflict in the

workplace?

Policy and Procedures Manual

• Key written communication tool

• Policies

– Dictate the day-to-day workings of an office– Describe chain of command

• Procedures

– Detailed instructions

• Mailings

• Bookkeeping

• Scheduling appointments

• OSHA

• Purpose of test, clinical application, and

usefulness

• Specimen required and collection method

– Special patient preparations or restrictions

• Reagents, standards, controls, and media used

• Instrumentation

– Calibration and schedules

Community Resources

• Good customer service is

founded on providing or

researching services to

assist in attaining the goal

of patient health and

well-being

• Discuss with patient’s

physician before referring

patient

• Resources

– Alcoholics Anonymous – Shelters

– Hospice

– Mental health services – Meals on Wheels

– PASSPORT – Easter Seals – State agencies – Support groups

Apply Your Knowledge

ANSWER: Policies dictate the day-to-day workings of an

office and usually describe the chain of command

Procedures are the detailed instructions for specific

procedures

What is the difference between policies and

procedures?

Rig ht!

Personnel Management (cont.)

Personnel Management (cont.)

• Successful hiring

– Find the most qualified person for the job

– Scrutinize and check references carefully

– Have a salary range

– Discuss policies and procedures early

– Train properly and re-train

Apply Your Knowledge

What is employee orientation essential to?

What should be stressed during employee

orientation?

ANSWER: Personnel management

ANSWER: Competencies of teamwork, policies and procedures, and cross-training

Good Answers!

Managing Stress

• Stress can be a barrier to communication

• Stress can occur

– Due to a feeling of being

under pressure– As a reaction to anger,

frustration, or change in routine

• Stress is normal

– Motivating

– More productive

Managing Stress (cont.)

• Ongoing stress

– Overwhelming – Physical effects

• Reducing stress

– Consider your strengths and limitations

– Be realistic about commitments both at work and in your private life

– Techniques to reduce stress

Apply Your Knowledge

List three things you can do to relieve stress.

ANSWER: Any of the following can help you reduce stress:

• Exercise regularly

• Eat a balanced diet

• Get enough sleep

• Set realistic goals

• Be organized

 Change what you have control over

 Keep focused

 Identify sources of conflict

 Maintain a sense of humor

 Try not to overreact

• Burnout is the end result of prolonged

periods of stress without relief

• Type A personality

– Highly driven, perfectionist-type person

– More susceptible to burnout

• Type B personality

– More relaxed, calm, “laid back”

– Less prone to burnout

Apply Your Knowledge

What are the phases of burnout?

ANSWER: The phases of burnout are

In Summary

4.1 The communication circle involves a message being

sent, a source, and a receiver that responds

4.2 It is important for the medical assistant to understand

the development of the life cycle as it will assist in

communication skills with patients

4.3 Communication that promotes comfort and well being

is considered positive communication Medical

assistants may not be aware of some of the signs of

negative communication they display

4.5 Assertive medical professionals trust their instincts

Aggressive medical professionals try to impose their positions through manipulation techniques

4.6 Learning about the special needs of patients and

polishing your communication skills will help you become an effective communicator

In Summary (cont.)

4.7 The quality of communication you have with your

coworkers and your supervisor greatly influences the development of a positive or negative work climate

4.8 The policy and procedure manual is a key

communication tool

4.9 Community resources are available in your local area

to patients who may need additional outside resources

4.10 Stress can be good or bad However, it is how we

handle stress that makes the difference

Often during life-altering experiences, patients and their loved ones need a shoulder to cry on or someone to comfort them

It is important for them to know support is there

—Lindsey D Fisher (The Healers Art)

End of Chapter 4