Pearson's Comprehensive Medical Assisting Administrative and Clinical Competencies Second Edition CHAPTER CHAPTER 11 Written Communication Lesson 2: Handling Mail in the Medical Office
Lesson Objectives Lesson Objectives Upon completion of this lesson, students should be able to List and describe how to prepare an envelope to meet the standards of the U.S. Postal Service. State the four classifications of mail service. List and describe six special services offered by the U.S. Postal Service. Define an instant message and identify its purpose.
Tasks Related to the Handling of Sorting Dating Reading Incoming Mail
Sizes of Letterhead Stationary Standard letterhead is used for most office correspondence Smaller version of the standard letterhead the monarch or executive style used by some physicians for their social correspondence Baronial letterhead is a half-sheet of the standard size used for brief letters and memoranda
Folding and Inserting Letters into a Number 10 Envelope Bring up the bottom third of the letter and fold with a crease Fold the top of the letter down to 3/8 inch from the first creased edge Make a second crease at the fold and place this edge into the envelope first
Folding and Inserting Letters into a Number 6 3/4 Envelope Bring the bottom edge up to 3/8 inch from the top edge Make a crease at the fold Fold the right edge one third of the width of the paper, and press a crease at this fold Fold the left edge to 3/8 inch from the previous crease and insert this edge into the envelope first
Guidelines for Optimal Efficiency of OCR Scanning Optical Character Recognition (OCR) The address must be typed on the envelope, using single spacing and all capital letters with no punctuation The last line in the address must include the city, state two-digit code, and the ZIP code. It cannot exceed 27 characters in length.
Considerations When Typing an Envelope Bottom margin of the No. 10 envelope should be 5/8 inch with 1-inch margins on the left and right sides No. 6 3/4 envelope should have a two-inch margin on the left side with the address 12 lines from the top of the envelope
Considerations When Typing an Envelope Return address for the sender should always be placed in the upper left corner in the event the letter must be returned to the sender Envelopes can be printed with the address of the sender in this position
Critical Thinking Questions 1. What is the purpose of zip codes? 2. How do zip codes help eliminate handling steps and improve service?
ZIP Codes ZIP codes begin on the East Coast with the number 0, increasing to the number 9 on the West Coast and Hawaii First three numbers identify the city and all five digits combine to identify the individual post office and zone within the city Four more digits have been added to the ZIP code by the USPS. These represent the addressee s street location.
Common Types of Mail First class Letters, postcards, business reply cards; letters weighing less than 11 ounces; sealed and unsealed, handwritten or typed material Priority First class mail weighing more than 11 ounces; maximum weight of 70 pounds; postage calculated based on weight and destination
Common Types of Mail Second class Newspapers and periodicals that have received second class mail authorization; copies of newspapers and periodicals mailed by the general public are not able to receive the second-class rate Third class Catalogs, books, photographs, flyers, and other printed materials (also called bulk mail ) must be marked Third Class ; must be sealed
Common Types of Mail Fourth class Printed material, books, and merchandise not included in First and Second class; must weigh between 16 ounces and 70 pounds; there are size limitations also Express mail Available seven days a week; up to 70 pounds in weight and 108 inches around; expected delivery by noon; shipping containers are supplied; pickup service in some areas
Specialized Postal Services Certified mail Certificate of mailing Special delivery Special handling Insurance Registered mail Postal money orders Forwarding mail Mail recall Tracing lost mail Returned mail Let s look more closely at a few of these!
Certified Mail Includes items that, if lost, would be difficult to replace Items would be mailed at the first class rate with a special fee added for certified mail Assists in tracking and collecting this mail Receipt-verifying delivery can be requested for a fee
Certified Mail Can be sent by special delivery if the extra fee is paid Records are maintained for two years
Registered Mail Safest way to send first-class or priority mail A fee is paid for this service A signed record is kept for each piece of mail Mail is tracked as it moves through the mail system, which helps to reduce loss Mail is insured for the value declared at the time of registration For an additional fee the sender can request a return receipt indicating the time, place of delivery, and the receiver s signature
Mail Recall If mail has been placed into the mailbox or given to a postal carrier by mistake, it can be recalled by the sender The sender can call the post office and request the item be held for them When the sender goes to the post office to reclaim the mail, a Sender s Application for Recall of Mail must be completed If the mail is still at the post office, it will be returned to the sender upon completion of this form
Mail Recall If the mail has already left the post office, the postal clerk will call the post office where that mail has been sent and ask that the mail be returned The sender must pay all the expenses incurred in an attempt to recall the mail, including the telephone calls placed by the postal service If the mail has already been delivered to the addressee, the sender will be notified
Size Requirements for Mail Domestic mail must be at least 0.0007 inch thick Mail 1/4 inch or less in thickness must be 3-1/2 inches in height and at least 5 inches long. All mail not meeting this requirement is considered nonstandard. Items that are bulky and lightweight are charged a 15-pound balloon rate surcharge
Size Requirements for Mail Balloon rate is applied to all Priority Mail and Parcel Post items that weigh less than 15 pounds and measure over 84 inches but not more than 108 inches in length and girth combined
Guidelines for Preparing Mail to be Metered Separate all international mail from domestic mail Separate all mail destined to either Canada or Mexico from the rest of the international mail Face all letter size envelopes in the same direction Make sure none are upside down When mailing letter size envelopes, flaps must be sealed, tucked in, or nested (overlapped)
Guidelines for Preparing Mail to be Metered Try not to overstuff letter-size envelopes. If not possible, seal the envelopes with tape. Envelopes larger than a No. 10 size letter envelope must be sealed before being sent Keep the top right corner of each mailing piece clear of all markings Consult the USPS for specific mailing, size, weight, and pricing requirements to ensure the outgoing mail is properly prepared
Issues Related to Electronic Mail Electronic mail cannot be used if the original signature on the document needs to be sent When creating e-mail, remember that e- mail is considered part of the patient s record or part of the office management, therefore all standard proofreading and confidentiality guidelines apply
Issues Related to Electronic Mail E-mail can take different forms: a composed letter, form letter, or interoffice memorandum Some offices use e-mail to confirm office visits. Every office has a particular format to utilize for this purpose. The tone of the message should remain as professional as if you were keying in a letter to be sent through the U.S. Mail
Issues Related to Electronic Mail If e-mail is offered to patients as a mode of communication, it is imperative to check it frequently in order to avoid liability E-mail is not efficient to use for emergencies It is imperative to strictly adhere to all HIPAA confidentiality laws when using e- mail
Issues Related to Instant Messaging Defined as a way to communicate with another person in real-time Several offices allow users to instant message each other both internally (within the office) or externally External instant messaging is generally linked to an account that is purchased from an Internet company
Issues Related to Instant Messaging Instant messages are not permanent documents and cannot be attached to a person s medical records or be used in a court of law Abbreviating words when instant messaging from within the office is unacceptable
Steps in Opening and Sorting Mail Step 5: Stamp the name of the medical office across all periodicals and newspapers. Step 4: Place a current date and time of arrival on each piece of mail. Step 3: Discard and recycle all unwanted third-class mail. Step 2: Sort the mail before opening into first-class, personal/confidential, second-, third- and fourth-class. Step 1: Have all supplies in one place when processing the mail.
Steps in Opening and Sorting Mail Step 10: Open all the mail and clip together the inside contents before handling each piece of correspondence. Step 9: Clip the opened envelope to the mail until the mail is completely processed. Step 8: Attach all enclosures in each envelope with a paper clip. Step 7: Do not open mail marked personal or confidential. Place it in the physician s box unopened unless otherwise instructed. Step 6: Lay all of the envelopes flap down to reduce the motions involved in opening a large amount of mail.
Steps in Opening and Sorting Mail Step 12: Route the mail immediately after opening. Step11: Annotate the mail as soon as possible after it is opened.
Guidelines for Sending a Fax Original document is inserted into the fax machine Receiver s fax phone number is dialed When the connection is made, the document is transmitted over the telephone lines, resulting in a printed document at the receiver s fax machine Cover sheet should be sent first All fax cover letters must be HIPAA compliant
Contents of a Fax Cover Sheet Information about the sender Telephone number of the receiver Date Number of pages (including the cover sheet) Verbiage to encourage the recipient to notify the sender if they have received the fax in error, and asking the recipient to destroy the document after notification
Questions?