MOA Study

• The patient clinical experience begins at the first phone call to the clinic, hospital, office, or other facility
• Greet the patient politely


  As if this person is the most important person you have talked to today
• If the initial call ends with the patient feeling positive about making an appointment, the patient will come expecting great care and will have more trust in your providers
• If the patient felt that the Medical Office Assistant (MOA) was unprofessional or dismissive on the initial phone call, the patient may decide to go to another clinic
• Patients have left clinics and providers due to how the MOA and staff members treated them
• When the patient comes into the office

  Stop what you are doing long enough to look at their face and say "hello" (or your approved office greeting)
• Use professional, but kind, communication with patients and other visitors


  For example, "How can I help you today?", or "May I get your name?"
• Do not ask questions in too familiar way such as, "How are you Hun?", or "How are we today"
• Older people, especially, appreciate respectful communication. Calling them "Hun" or "honey" is insulting to many of them
• When someone is hurting or sick, and you ask, "How are WE today?", the patient will usually look at you, thinking, "I do not know about YOU, but I feel awful! What WE are you talking about"
• Polite communication helps calm waiting patients


  It may be part of the office protocol to have standard answers to common patient questions or be allowed to tell the waiting patient how many minutes they may be waiting until they are escorted back to the exam room
• The MOA should not share information about any of the other patients, that would violate HIPAA rules
• Unprofessional communication with patients is not acceptable and could make the upset patient even more angry
• Patients are hurt or not feeling well, they need kindness and understanding, even when they are not the most pleasant. Responding coldly or rudely would be unprofessional and may offend the patient
• Be aware of cultural differences


  For example, in some cultures, looking someone directly in the eyes may be seen as disrespectful, flirting, a challenge, or a threat
• There are cultures where it is not polite or acceptable to ask questions or disagree with a doctor, elder, or authority figure
• Some cultures do not allow physical contact
• During medical quarantine, pandemic, epidemic, or the patient has a known highly transmissible disease, handshakes, fist-bumps, or anything similar are to be avoided so that disease will not be as easily spread
• Adapt your communication to the person you are speaking to

  Be aware of your patient's age, language, and understanding of medical terms so you can adjust your communication to be professional and appropriate to the patient and the situation
• For adults, speak calmly and truthfully, give them an opportunity to ask questions to help them understand their diagnosis and treatment options

  Use active listening skills during the conversation
• People with hearing loss will need the MOA to speak louder or more slowly or need a sign language interpreter to join the visit


  Look at the patient not only the interpreter while conversing in these situations
• People who do not speak English fluently (or the common language of a country) may request an interpreter to come to the appointment


  Remember to look at the patient during the exam or discussion, not only the interpreter
• The patient's condition may change how you communicate


  For example, a person in post op who is not quite out of the anesthetic enough to understand instructions
• Adults and children with developmental delays may not understand what is said in a medical setting or not completely understand the choices or consequences


  They should have a parent or legal guardian who will be the main one(s) to discuss treatment options with the medical provider and make the decisions for the patient
• Communication includes verbal (spoken), non-verbal (actions, facial expressions), and written (including memos, paper letters, email, etc.)


  All three of these methods of communication are important in any business, but they seem especially important when you are working in a medical clinic or hospital with people who need clear answers and information about their health, condition, options, treatments, appointments, and insurance/billing
• Communication with patients should be polite and professional


  Complete (using full thoughts), Coherent (understandable), Concise (to the point), Correct (accurate, truthful), Clear (obvious message), Courteous (polite), and Concrete (factual and focused)
• The MOA who is comical or too flirtatious may not be considered professional and is not usually appreciated by patients in a medical office
• With the medical providers and staff, it is appropriate to use medical terms, but if the MOA uses large words, medical terminology, and is too complicated in the manner of speaking, the patient may not understand and become frustrated
• When possible, use layman's terms (everyday common language) in order to help the patient understand
• No one person can take care of all that needs to be done each day in a medical clinic or hospital, especially if there is more than one medical provider in a clinic
• The medical providers and office manager set the office hours, how they will schedule the patients, then add in how the support staff will help them care for the patients efficiently and cost effectively
• It is important to schedule personnel so that the daily duties are completed
• The MOA may be responsible for maintaining the appointment scheduling template(s) that are used to arrange who will be, where to do what for which patients

  
• Variables that determine the personnel needed to run each office, clinic, hospital, or facility

  • What is the clinic/hospital/facility budget?
  • What are the hours the clinic/hospital/facility will be open on which days?
  • How many medical providers will be in the office each day?
  • Who will be assisting the providers each day (e.g., RN, PA, MA, Technicians)?
  • How many patients will be seen in one day?
  • Who will manage the office (e.g., is there an office manager and assistants)?
  • Who will manage the reception desk (e.g., MOA)?
  • Who will manage the medical coding and billing (e.g., medical coder/biller)?
  • Who will manage the accounting and finances (e.g., accountant)?
  • Who will manage the legal issues (e.g., lawyer)?
  • Who will manage the cleaning/housekeeping and instrument sterilization?
• Daily schedules give personnel in the medical clinic details of the plan for the day


  This information is necessary for preparing time, supplies, equipment, and personnel to efficiently complete the appointments and tasks during the office hours
• Be certain to share the daily calendar with everyone who will have a part to play in keeping the office running

  This includes: medical providers, medical assistants (MA), nurses (RN), lab and X-Ray technicians, office manager, medical office assistant (MOA) and other front office reception personnel

  
• Emergencies or other disruptions to schedules may happen but having a set schedule can help things run as smoothly and efficiently as possible for most of the day
• Some offices choose to leave one short appointment slot open each day to accommodate emergencies or other unexpected events
• Who is supposed to be at the appointment or performing a task

  • medical providers
  • medical assistants (MA)
  • nurses (RN)
  • lab and X-Ray technicians
  • office manager
  • medical office assistant (MOA)
  • front office reception personnel
• Where is each person supposed to be at a specific time

  • in the clinic