chapter 8 telephone techniques

voice mail

An electronic system that allows messages from telephone callers to be recorded and stored.

urgent

An acute situation that requires immediate attention but is not life threatening.

tactful

The quality of having a sense of what to do or say to maintain good relations with others or to prevent offense.

STAT

The medical abbreviation for the Latin term statum,meaning immediately; at this moment.

speed dialing

A telephone function in which a selected stored number can be dialed by pressing only one key.

speakerphone

A telephone with a loudspeaker and a microphone; it can be used without having to pick up and hold the handset.

screen

A system for examining and separating into different groups; in the healthcare facility, it means determining the severity of illness that patients experience and prioritizing appointments based on that severity.

provider

An individual or company that provides medical care and services to a patient or the public.

pitch

The depth of a tone or sound; a distinctive quality of sound.

participating provider

A physician or other healthcare provider who enters into a contract with a specific insurance company or program and by doing so agrees to abide by certain rules and regulations set forth by that particular third-party payer.

monotone

A succession of syllables, words, or sentences spoken in an unvaried key or pitch.

multiple-line telephone system

A business telephone system that allows for more than one telephone line.

jargon

The vocabulary of a particular profession, as opposed to common, everyday terms.

intercom

A two-way communication system with a microphone and loudspeaker at each station; often a feature of business telephones.

headset

A set of headphones with a microphone attached, used especially in telephone communication.

ergonomics

An applied science concerned with designing and arranging things needed to do a job in an efficient and safe way.

enunciation

The use of articulate, clear sounds when speaking.

emergency

An unexpected, life-threatening situation that requires immediate action.

copayment (copay)

A set dollar amount that the patient must pay for each office visit. There can be one copayment amount or a primary care provider and a different copayment amount (usually higher) to see a specialist or to be seen in the emergency department.

conference call

A telephone call in which a caller can speak with several people at the same time.

caller ID

A feature that identifies and displays the telephone numbers of incoming calls made to a particular line.

call forwarding

A telephone feature that allows calls made to one number to be forwarded to another specified number.

bilingual

Ability to communicate effectively in two languages.

automatic call routing

A system that distributes incoming calls to a specific group or person based on customer need —for example, the customer presses 1 for appointments, 2 for billing questions, and so on.

answering service

A commercial service that answers telephone calls for its clients.