CCMA Study Guide

• Psychology


  The study of mind and behavior
• Psychologist


  A healthcare professional that evaluates the behavior of an individual
• Psychiatrist


  A physician (MD) who assesses behavior, prescribes medications, and provides ongoing therapy
• Growth


  Physical growth from infancy to adulthood as well as the physiological changes that take place
• Developmental stages


  • Emotional
  • Physiological
  • Mental
  • Social
  • Interactive
  • Spiritual
  • Physical
• Erikson's Theory of psychosocial development


  The human life cycle has eight developmental stages from birth to death
• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs


  All individuals have needs ranging from basic to complex, displayed as a pyramid with the most basic needs at the bottom and the most complex at the top

  
• Gerontology


  The study of aging
• Geriatric


  Persons 65 and older
• Terminal illness


  An incurable disease that results in death
• Stages of grief


  • Denial
  • Anger
  • Bargaining
  • Depression
  • Acceptance
• Communication


  The process of exchanging messages
• Verbal communication


  The use of language and words to send and receive information
• Tone of voice


  "It's not what you say, but how you say it." A speaker's feelings are expressed through volume, rate, and pitch
• Lay terms


  Everyday language that patients can understand
• Therapeutic communication


  Patient-centered communication in which the patient is looked at as a person
• Open-ended question


  Requires more than a one- or two-word answer
• Closed question


  Requires a simple one- or two-word answer, often "yes" or "no"
• Written communication


  A form of verbal communication, including messages, test results, notes, documents, policies, and patient education material
• Nonverbal communication


  Includes all the physical aspects of communication, such as eye contact, facial expressions, body language, physical appearance, touch, and proximity
• Internal communication


  Face to face conversations, telephone calls, email, and faxing
• External communication


  The exchange of information between a business and another person or entity outside of the company's environment
• Active listening


  Mindfully hearing and attempting to comprehend the meaning of the spoken words
• Telecommunication relay service


  Provides video relay service or translators to communicate with patients who need accommodations such as hearing or visual impairments
• Sender-receiver model


  Includes a sender, receiver, and a message
• Barriers to communication


  • Discomfort caused by pain, hunger, extreme temperatures, and loud noise
  • Emotions like anger and sadness
  • Patient with a disability such as hearing or vision impairment
  • Patient with an intellectual/developmental deficit
  • Language barrier
• Telephone techniques


  Speaking clearly, speaking at a normal rate, using correct pitch and tone, speaking politely
• Answering calls


  Answer before the 4th ring, greet with "good morning" or "good afternoon", allow the caller to hang up first
• Directing multiple incoming calls

  Ask the caller to hold, ask the 2nd caller to hold and give them time to respond
• Screening calls


  Refer only necessary calls to the doctor and take messages for other calls, refer patients to appropriate sources for assistance
• Dealing with emergencies


  Notify the doctor, instruct the patient to hang up and call 911
• Managing difficult callers


  Keep voice at normal tone and remain calm, notify the appropriate person
• Telephone confidentiality


  Follow HIPPA guidelines, verify the caller is the patient, give information only to the patient, do not leave information like test results on a patient's voicemail
• Calls from providers


  Many facilities expect calls from other providers to be transferred immediately, remain professional and business-like
• Calls from third party payers

  Third party payers will need to speak with a member of the team regarding billing codes, documentation, claims, and denials
• Calls from patients and caregivers

  Verify that the person speaking is the patient or has been given proper authority to discuss the patient's information over the phone
• Practice-management software


  Allows documentation to be done on the computer
• Health history


  • General statistical data
  • Chief complaint
  • Present illness
  • Past history
  • Family history
  • Psychosocial history
• SOAP notes


  Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan
• Progress report


  Contains information regarding a patient's ongoing care, treatment, and progress