MA 117 - Medical Administrative Practice I

A study of medical office communications with a focus on written correspondence, telephone techniques, non-verbal messages, communication barriers, therapeutic communication strategies, cultural sensitivity, meeting agenda and minutes preparation, patient education resources, business travel arrangements and processing incoming/outgoing mail. Direct writing style for a specific purpose will be emphasized. Use of proper medical terminology, abbreviations, acronyms, eponyms and sound-alike words will be integrated into sentence structure and proofreading. Use of library reference materials, internet and online databases will be used to conduct medical research on a health topic of interest. The impact of technologies on oral and written communication will be addressed.

Course Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• apply non-verbal communication skills by reading/using body language and recognizing barriers to communication;
• demonstrate active listening, reflection, restatement, and clarification techniques to obtain a patient history;
• write correspondence with the purpose to inform/persuade, promote goodwill, respond to a request, and/or educate the patient in a medical office environment;
• format medical community resources pamphlets, prevention newsletters and informal proposals referencing medical dictionaries, library materials, and/or online databases to clarify medical terminology, abbreviations, eponyms, and acronyms used in medical correspondence;
• apply professional telephone procedures used in a medical office including triage, screening, directing, and prioritizing calls;
• participate in a business meeting, prepare minutes and agendas;
• create a travel itinerary for a medical conference;
• learn techniques for processing incoming and outgoing mail in medical offices;
• demonstrate behavior consistent with acceptable professional conduct standards such as appearance, quality of work, human relation skills, and reading skills; and
• effectively manage time to complete required assignments.