Reference no: EM133216610

Most patients today have an answering machine or voicemail; many times we will need to leave a message for a patient. We also need to send a fax for a patient referral, or for other reasons that would involve transmitting patient information. Always remember patient confidentiality when using voicemail or fax machines.

Please refer to Plunkett's Procedures for the Medical Administrative Assistant ebook chapter 4 for guidelines on maintaining confidentiality when leaving telephone voice messages and using fax machines, and answer the questions below:

Part 1: Describe the guidelines for leaving a message on a patient's voicemail and how these guidelines maintain patient confidentiality. Also, describe what should a medical office assistant do using fax in the clinic, for example when sending a referral to a specialist. How could you protect patient confidentiality when sending a fax?

Part 2: You need to get in touch with a patient on an urgent basis but all you get is the answering machine that only gives the patient's phone number (Therefore, you cannot ascertain whether the patient is still at that number). What should a medical administrative assistant do?

Part 3: Many phones have call displays. You have called Mr. Baxter's home but the call went to the answering machine, which only identified the telephone number. You did not leave a message but his wife saw your number on the call display and is calling to see what the call was about. How would you respond?