Comprehensive Clinical Communication for Medical Assistants

Vocabulary flashcards reviewing core principles, clinical rooming, screening tools, communication styles, developmental stages, and grief models for medical assistants.

Communication

The continuous exchange of information, thoughts, ideas, and feelings between individuals.

Sender

The individual who initiates and encodes the message in the communication cycle (e.g., Medical Assistant).

Receiver

The intended recipient who decodes and interprets the message in the communication cycle (e.g., Patient).

Message

The specific information, instruction, or thought being transmitted during communication.

Decoding

The phase of the communication cycle where the receiver validates that they understand the transmitted message.

Feedback

Information relayed back to the sender confirming how the message was received and interpreted.

Formal Communication

Official, structured communication containing a clinical objective, documented in the legal record, requiring HIPAA compliance, and strictly prohibiting slang.

Informal Communication

Everyday communication between colleagues that may not contain a formal clinical objective, does not require supporting evidence, and helps build rapport.

Active Listening

The practice of being present, maintaining eye contact, observing nonverbal cues, and refraining from interrupting.

Clarifying

Asking targeted questions during an interview to clear up ambiguous statements made by the patient.

Reflecting

Mirroring the patient's emotional feelings to demonstrate deep empathy.

Restating (Paraphrasing)

Repeating the patient's message in your own words to verify accuracy.

Subjective Information

Information gathered directly from what the patient communicates, such as symptoms, feelings, and pain scale ratings.

Objective Information

Information that can be directly observed, measured, or tested by the clinician, such as vital signs, lab results, or a rash.

Chief Complaint (CC)

The primary reason for the patient's visit stated in their own words.

History of Present Illness (HPI)

Expands on the chief complaint using targeted clinical questions regarding location, quality, severity, duration, and aggravating or relieving factors.

Medication Reconciliation

The process of reviewing the name, dosage, and frequency of all prescribed medications and pending needed refills.

Open-Ended Questions

Questions that allow patients to describe perceptions and explanations in detail, commonly used to gather initial HPI.

Closed-Ended Questions

Questions requiring simple one-word or Yes/No answers used for rapid data gathering.

Assertive Communication

The professional goal communication style: calm, constructive, honest, and respectful of self and others.

GAD-7

A 7-item screening tool used to evaluate Generalized Anxiety Disorder and assess mood and anxiety severity.

PHQ-9

A 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire used to assess major depressive disorder and its severity.

MMSE

Mini-Mental Status Examination used to evaluate cognitive function and dementia level.

Erikson's Infancy Stage

The psychosocial stage covering ages $0\text{ to }1.5\text{ years}$ focused on Trust vs. Mistrust.

Erikson's Adolescent Stage

The psychosocial stage covering ages $12\text{ to }18\text{ years}$ focused on Identity vs. Role Confusion.

Kübler-Ross Denial Stage

The first stage of loss and grief, characterized by refusing to accept the reality of a loss or diagnosis.

Kübler-Ross Bargaining Stage

The third stage of loss and grief, where an individual attempts to negotiate for more time or a different outcome.