Question

As a Medical Administrative Assistant employee at Rassy Clinic, you will encounter a variety of concerns and questions from patients. Being able to address and reply to these concerns in a professional and appropriate manner will be essential to your position.

Instructions

For this assignment, you will complete two (2) parts and submit one (1) file.

Part 1: Review the Scenarios

Review the two (2) asynchronous and two (2) synchronous communication scenarios that could occur within a medical facility.
Please review the four scenarios below and answer the questions.

Synchronous Scenario #1

A patient shows up for their appointment and give you there new insurance information. Your office is no longer in-network with their insurance plan so they will need to pay more out of pocket before they can see the physician in accordance with office policy. The patient states (to medical administrative assistant), "I am out of my depression medication and need a refill. I do not know where to go for an appointment or how long I can go without my medication before I can see a new physician." 1. Write 1 paragraph identifying the patient’s possible emotions, concerns, and overall complications they are presenting with.2. Write 3-5 sentences stating what you would say in response to this patient in the scenario above.3. What complications could this scenario have for your clinic? Synchronous Scenario #2A patient shows up for their appointment and you cannot find their name on the schedule, but you can see where another office member deleted their appointment from the schedule two days earlier. Your coworker apologizes to the patient about the mix-up. and the patient becomes visibly angry because they left work early to attend their appointment. The patient states (to medical administrative assistant), "I had to use paid time off to be at this appointment today, this is all your fault. You better have the doctor see me right now and make it right!"1. Write 1 paragraph identifying the patient’s possible emotions, concerns, and overall complications they are presenting with.2. Write 3-5 sentences stating what you would say in response to this patient in the scenario above.3. What complications could this scenario have for your clinic? Asynchronous Scenario #1After billing your patient’s insurance for their most recent office visit and lab work at Rassy Clinic, you received a denial from their insurance policy was no longer active on the date of service, so the insurance company will not pay and the patient, Barbara Smith, is responsible for the full amount. You send the patient their bill with a letter stating why their insurance did not pay and asking them to update your office with the policy information if they have a new insurance plan. Several days later you receive this email from the patient:"This is Barb Smith, I received your bill and I’m not going to pay it! I didnot know my husband’s insurance policy was cancelled when he switchedjobs but I cannot afford the bill and if you do not stop billing me I will sueyou!"1. Write 1 paragraph explaining how the patient is probably feeling at this moment and why.2. Write a professional email response to this patient. It should include an element to deescalate the situation and explain options so your office can receive reimbursement and continue to treat the patient.3. What complications could this scenario have for your clinic?Asynchronous Scenario #2Samuel Jones, a patient, recently had an appointment at your clinic. The next day you received the following email:"I had an appointment in your office yesterday and overheard twoemployees gossiping about a patient while I was waiting in the receptionarea. I wanted to bring this to your attention because this is veryunprofessional and I do not want to go to a clinic that behaves in thismanner.

Sam Jones

Write 1 paragraph explaining how the patient is probably feeling at this moment and why?

Answer 1

The responses to the scenarios should show empathy, professionalism, and a clear plan to address the issues while considering the possible emotions and complications for both the patient and the clinic.

Step-by-step explanation:

In response to Synchronous Scenario #1, the patient is likely experiencing frustration, anxiety, and distress due to not having their medication and facing unexpected costs. An adequate response would be to empathize with their situation, explain the policy, and offer to help find alternate solutions such as suggesting a list of in-network providers or exploring other payment options. Potential complications for the clinic include loss of patient trust, negative reviews, or formal complaints.

Regarding Synchronous Scenario #2, the patient is showing signs of anger and disappointment due to the scheduling error and the personal cost of missing work. The administrative assistant should apologize, acknowledge the error, try to deescalate the situation, and offer to reschedule the appointment as soon as possible. This mishap could lead to a damaged reputation and patient dissatisfaction affecting the clinic's standing.

In Asynchronous Scenario #1, the patient, Barb Smith, is feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and defensive about being billed for services she thought were covered by insurance. A professional email response should show understanding, provide clear information on why the charge occurred, and outline possible steps to resolve the issue, including payment plans or verifying new insurance details. Failure to resolve this might result in financial loss for the clinic and damaged patient relations.

Lastly, in Asynchronous Scenario #2, Sam Jones is feeling concerned and displeased after overhearing employees' unprofessional conduct. Acknowledging his concerns, apologizing for the staff's behavior, and assuring him that the matter will be addressed could help maintain his trust. Not addressing this issue could result in breach of patient confidentiality, and affect the clinic's reputation.