Question

A patient was seen in the office to discuss a newly diagnosed heart condition. Later in the day, the same patient calls the office with additional questions for the physician. Which of the following would be the most appropriate response by the medical assistant?

A. Obtain all necessary information and tell the patient you will inform the physician.
B. Give enough information so that the patient may conduct a web-based search of medical sites on the condition.
C. Offer to send a copy of all laboratory reports.
D. Schedule an appointment for the patient to come in right away to visit with the physician.

Answer 1

The appropriate response is to collect information from the patient and inform the physician. Medical assistants should act as liaisons and not provide medical advice beyond their scope of practice.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a patient calls the office with additional questions after being diagnosed with a heart condition, the most appropriate response by the medical assistant would be A. Obtain all necessary information and tell the patient you will inform the physician. This ensures that the patient's concerns are addressed while maintaining the responsibility of the physician to provide medical advice. It is crucial to respect the boundaries of medical knowledge and to act as a liaison between the patient and the physician, without attempting to diagnose or provide medical information beyond the assistant's scope of practice.

Approaches like offering web-based search information or sending laboratory reports without proper context could lead to misunderstanding and should be avoided. If the questions are of an urgent nature, it would be advisable to schedule an appointment, but this is not the default response without first understanding the patient's concerns.