Lecture Medical assisting: Administrative and clinical procedures with anatomy and physiology (4e) – Chapter 7

Parts of a Business Letter cont.• Attention line – Used when letter is sent to specific person in a company • Salutation – Written greeting such as “Dear” – May use business title or de

Managing

Correspondence

and Mail

7.1 List the supplies necessary for creating and

mailing professional-looking correspondence

7.2 Identify the types of correspondence used in

medical office communications

7.3 Describe the parts of a letter and the

different letter and punctuation styles

7.4 Compose a business letter

Learning Outcomes

7.5 Explain the tasks involved in editing and

proofreading

7.6 Describe the process of handling incoming

and outgoing mail

7.7 Compare and contrast the services provided

by the U.S Postal Service and other delivery services

Correspondence and Professionalism

Learning to

correspondence properly ensures positive,

effective communication between your office and others



Letterhead paper Envelopes

Choosing Correspondence Supplies (cont.)

 Letterhead

– Formal business stationary

– Doctor’s or office’s name,

address, phone number printed at the top

Choosing Correspondence Supplies (cont.)

 Letterhead

– Cotton fiber bond

• More expensive than other types of paper (sulfite bond)

• Watermark

– Sizes

• Standard or letter size – 8½ x 11 inches

• Legal size – 8½ x 14 inches

Medical Practice, Inc.

111 One Dr.

Any, St 11111 111-111-1111

 Envelopes

– Should match letterhead

– Types of envelopes

• Correspondence or business – No 10

• Invoices or statements – No 6 to No 10

Choosing Correspondence Supplies (cont.)

 Labels

– Printed, computerized address labels can

save a large amount of time

 Invoices and statements

What three things do written materials of a medical

office convey or demonstrate?

ANSWER: Written materials convey the ability of the

medical office staff to communicate and to conduct

business, as well as demonstrate a professional

image that reflects on the entire office staff.

Apply Your Knowledge

Parts of a Business Letter

• Letterhead

• Dateline

– Month, day, and year

– Begins 3 lines below letterhead on line 15

• Inside address

– Includes information needed for correct

delivery – Two to four spaces below dateline

Parts of a Business Letter (cont.)

• Attention line

– Used when letter is sent to specific person in

a company

• Salutation

– Written greeting such as “Dear”

– May use business title or department if name

is not known– Second line below inside address

Parts of a Business Letter (cont.)

• Subject line

– Used to bring attention to subject (optional)

– Second line below salutation

• Body

– Begins two lines below salutation or subject

line– Single-spaced within a paragraph

– Double-spaced between paragraphs

Parts of a Business Letter (cont.)

• Complimentary closing

– Placed two lines below body

– “Sincerely” is commonly used

• Signature block

– Places writer’s name on first line and

business title on second line– Three to four lines below complimentary

closing

Parts of a Business Letter (cont.)

• Identification line

– Letter writer’s initials and the typist’s initials (KB/SF or

KB:SF) – Two lines below the signature block

• Notations

– May be abbreviated as Encl, Enc, or Encs

– Copy notation (c:) appears after the enclosure

notation – Number of enclosures and copy recipients

– One to two lines below signature block or

identification line

Punctuation Styles

Punctuation Styles

• Open punctuation uses no punctuation

after these items in a letter

– The word Attention in the attention line

– The salutation

– The complimentary closing

– The signature block

– The enclosure and copy notations

Punctuation Styles (cont.)

• Mixed Punctuation includes the following:

– Colon after Attention in the attention line

– Colon after the salutation

– Comma after the complimentary closing

– Colon or period after the enclosure notation

– Colon after the copy notation

Letter Format

 Margins : One inch on the left and right for

8 ½-inch wide paper

 Letter should be centered on the page

 Single-space body of letter and

double-space between paragraphs

 Short sentences with no more than 20

words on an average

Letter Format (cont.)

 Have at least two or three sentences per

paragraph

 Divide paragraphs longer than 10 lines

into shorter paragraphs

 For multipage letters, use letterhead for

first page only

Letter Style Description

Full-Block • Lines are typed flush left

• No indented paragraphs

• Most commonly used in medical office

Modified-Block • Dateline, complimentary closing, signature block, and notations are aligned at the

center of the page or to the right

• Traditional, balanced appearance

Written Correspondence (cont.)

Modified-Block

with Indented

Paragraphs

• Paragraphs are indented ½ inch

Simplified • Modification of full-block style

• Most modern letter style

• No salutation, courtesy title, or closing

• Has a subject line in all capital letters

• Too informal for medical office

What should the medical assistant do if a mailing is

to be sent to an organization to request x-ray films,

but no specific name or title is given to address it to? Which of the following would you use?

A To Whom It May Concern

B Attention: To Whom It May Concern

C Dear Sir/Madam

D Dear Radiology Department

Apply Your Knowledge

ANSWER:

Effective Writing

• Identify your reading audience

– Tone of letter (formal or relaxed)

• Know the purpose of the letter

• Be clear and concise

– Don’t use unnecessary words

– Message should be easily understood

• Use active voice when possible

Effective Writing (cont.)

• Be polite and courteous

• Check

– Spelling

– Accuracy of dates and monetary figures

– Grammar

• Avoid leaving “widows and orphans” (dangling

words and phrases)

Interoffice Memorandum (Memo)

Apply Your Knowledge

All professional correspondence must be written in

a way that conveys information clearly What do

you need to know when preparing to write any

form of office communication?

ANSWER: You must know who you are writing to, i.e., a physician, patient, vendor, or fellow staff member

Good Job!

Editing and Proofreading

Tools for Editing and Proofreading

Dictionary Medical dictionary

Physician’s

Desk Reference

(PDR)

English grammar and usage manual

Word processing spell checker

Thesaurus

Editing (cont.)

• Language usage

– Learn basic grammar rules

– Ask: “Is this the best way to

convey what I want to say?”

• Style

– Appropriate to reader

Editing (cont.)

• Content - logical flow of thought

– State purpose

– Discuss one topic at a time

– Change paragraphs when changing topics

– List events in chronological order

– Stick to subject

– Select words carefully

– Proofread what you write

• Proofread and put aside

• Have coworker proofread document

• Three types of errors

– Formatting

– Data

– Mechanical

Proofreading (cont.)

• Formatting errors

– Positioning parts of a letter

– Indenting, line length, line spacing

– Avoid by following office style

Proofreading (cont.)

• Mechanical errors

– Spelling, punctuation, spacing between

words, division of words– Be sure word processing spell checker has

medical terminology– Avoid mechanical errors

• Learn basic spelling, punctuation, and word division rules

• Check for transposed characters or words

• Avoid dividing words at the end of a line

A letter must be sent to current employees that have

exceeded their number of absences according to office policy Which of the following would be most

appropriate?

A Dear _, The attendance policy of this office requires that….

B Dear _, You have violated the attendance policy of this ….

C Dear _, Are you aware that you have missed “X” days….

Apply Your Knowledge

ANSWER: This correspondence must communicate the facts in a soft

manner while getting the point across The first response begins with

identifying the “fact” or policy, followed by the individual’s performance,

Preparing Outgoing Mail

• Signing letters

– If you sign for the doctor, place your initials

after the doctor’s signature

• Preparing the envelope

– Use USPS guidelines for addressing

envelopes

• Address placement

• Address format

Preparing Outgoing Mail (cont.)

• Folding and inserting the mail

– Type of envelope determines the

way a letter should be folded

• Small envelope – fold letter in half

• Business-size envelope – fold in thirds (fold bottom up then top down)

• Window envelope – accordion fold so address appears

in the window

– Be sure letters are signed and all enclosures are

included – Be sure address on letter matches envelope

Apply Your Knowledge

ANSWER: When preparing envelopes for mailing office

correspondence, you should use USPS guidelines.

How should you prepare envelopes for mailing

office correspondence?

Approval!

Mailing Equipment and Supplies

• Letterhead, blank stationery, envelopes

• Available from USPS, private delivery

companies, and office supply stores

– Forms

– Labels

– Packaging supplies

Mailing Equipment and Supplies (cont.)

• Airmail supplies

– Letters and packages must be

labeled “AIRMAIL” on all sides – Available for mail to foreign countries

• Envelopes for overnight delivery services

– USPS and other companies require the

use of their own mailing materials for next-day delivery

Mailing Equipment and Supplies (cont.)

• Postal rates, scales, and

meters

– Rates and regulations

change periodically, so keep current rates on- hand at the medical office

Apply Your Knowledge

In addition to letterhead, blank stationary, and

envelopes, what other mailing supplies might be

needed for a medical office?

ANSWER: A medical office may need forms, labels,

and packaging supplies for items needing special

attention.

Good Answer!

USPS – Regular Mail Service

USPS – Regular Mail Service (cont.)

• Parcel Post

(Fourth-Class Mail)

 Used for items

weighing between 1

lb and 70 lb.

 Rates are based on

weight and distance

• Bound Printed Material (Special Fourth-class mail)

 Used for promotional advertising and

directories

 No personal correspondence

 Bulk rates

USPS – Regular Mail Service (cont.)

• Priority Mail

– Useful for heavier

items requiring faster delivery

– USPS offers a flat rate

for any items that can fit into the priority

envelope – USPS guarantees

delivery within 2–3 days

– Special flat rate also available

USPS – Special Postal Services

 Offers a guarantee that the item

has been received

 Requires signature of recipient

USPS – Special Postal Services (cont.)

• Return receipt requested

 Offers proof of who received

the item and when they received it

• Registered mail

 Used to send valuable, important items

 Evidence provided of mailing and delivery to sender

 First-class and priority mail can be registered

• Delivery confirmation

USPS – Special Postal Services (cont.)

• International mail

– USPS offers surface

and airmail services

to most foreign countries

destination on time – The original receipt must be presented to locate the item

Delivery Service Description

• Local area same-day delivery

Other Delivery Services

Confidential laboratory results

Signed and dated contract materials

Patient invoice and billing statements

Which type of mail would you use to send each of

the following:

C or DA

Apply Your Knowledge

A First class mail

Processing Incoming Mail (cont.)

• Sort and Open

– Mail is often sorted according to

its priority

• Urgent, registered mail, etc.

• Personal or confidential mail

• First class, airmail, and Priority Mail

• Packages

• Magazines and newspapers

• Advertisements and catalogues

– Do not open personal mail without permission

Processing Incoming Mail (cont.)

• Record – daily mail log

– Mail received

– Follow-up correspondence

• Annotate

– Outline key points

– Write reminders, comments,

or suggestions

• Distribute

Processing Incoming Mail (cont.)

Handling Drug and Product Samples

DO

 Place only

nonprescription products in patient areas according to office policy

 Sort and store other

prescription items in locked cabinet

 Destroy outdated

samples properly

DO NOT

 Give patients samples

without the physician approval

 Fail to document in

patient record when samples are given per the physician’s request

 Discard medication

samples in trash cans or flush down sink or toilet

What are the steps for processing incoming mail?

Apply Your Knowledge

ANSWER: The steps for processing incoming mail

– Routine correspondence – Letters of referrals – Scheduling letters – Reports to insurance companies

– Instructions for exams and lab reports

• Punctuation styles

– Open – Mixed

In Summary (cont.)

7.4 Medical assistants should proofread and edit

correspondence they create.

7.5 Keep reference tools available when editing and

proofreading.

7.6 The processing incoming and outgoing mail includes

properly sorting, opening, recording, annotating, and distributing the mail.

7.7 The United States Postal Service offers a variety of

services for letters and packages and can now compete with other mail and package delivery services.

If a fellow wants to be a nobody in the business world, let him neglect sending the mailman to somebody on his behalf

—Abraham Lincoln

End of Chapter 7