General Office Duties

Chapter 9

Receptionist Duties
Should be professional, confident, and caring. Responsible for ensuring patient safety and confidentiality at
all times.

Opening and closing office Replenishing supplies Greeting patients Signing in patients Answering the phone Making sure that the reception area is safe and clean

Scheduling
Collating records

Managing Correspondence and Mail

Mail can be classified according to type, weight, and destination. First-Class Mail Items that weigh 13 ounces or less Priority Mail Items over 13 ounces and under 70 pounds provides 2nd day service. Express Mail The fastest mail service offered by the Postal Service and is available 7 days a week,
used for urgent documents.

Standard Mail (A) - includes circulars, form letters, catalogs, newsletters, direct-mail promotions, and
merchandise weighing less than 16 ounces

Standard Mail (B) - includes books and parcels weighing between 16 ounces and 70 pounds Periodicals class of mail is designed for newspapers, magazines, and other periodical publications
whose primary purpose is transmitting information to an established list of subscribers or requesters.

Special Mail Services

Certified Mail guarantees that the item has been mailed and received by the
correct party, available for First-Class and Priority mail.

Insurance on mail for damaged or loss Registered Mail The most secure service offered by post office, provides
insurance coverage and controlled from point of mailing to delivery.

Special Handling available for standard mail only, including insured and

COD mail, the words SPECIAL HANDLING should be printed in capital letters two lines below the postage

Letter styles
There are four major styles of letters: full-block,
modified-block, indented, and simplified.

Full- block
All lines in standard letter format, flush left. Most common format used in medical practices

Modified-block
All lines begin at left margin, except date line,
complimentary closing, and keyed signature, which usually begin in the center position

Simplified
Omits the salutation and the complimentary closing, all lines keyed flush with left margin

Telephone Techniques

Volume Just load enough to hear clearly Enunciation Speak clearly and articulate carefully

Speed Should be a normal rate, neither too fast or too slow

Answer calls promptly, by the second or third ring Be courteous, calm, and pleasant

Pay full attention to the caller, and listen carefully

Proper documentation of calls protects the physician if the caller takes legal action

Types of Scheduling
Open hours first come, first serve basis Double booking two or more patients in the same time slot Wave scheduling the purpose is to begin and end each hour on time,

example, if average appointment is 15 min then schedule appointments at 10:00, 10:15, 10:30, and 10:45 beginning of each hour, followed by single appointments every 10 to 20 minutes for the remainder of the hour

Modified wave appointments for two or more patients are scheduled at the
Grouping reserve certain times or days for similar procedures

Filing Systems
Alphabetical simplest filing method, from A to Z, last name first, followed by first
name

Alphanumerical based on combination of letters and numbers Subject alphabetically by names of topics or things such as A1-5, B1-2

Chronological based on time

Numerical filing of records, correspondence, or cards by number, used by large clinics or hospital serving more than 5,000 patients

Color-coding red is A-D, yellow is E-H, green I-N, blue is O-Q, and purple is R-Z Tickler file chronological file used as a reminder that something needs to be done
on a certain date

Polices and Procedures

Policies Rules or guidelines that dictate the day-to-day working
of an office, examples are dress code, office hours, scheduling appointments, health and safety guidelines

Procedures Detailed instructions for maintain clinical and

quality assurance