Medical Secretary Certification
For someone who enjoys working in a medical environment, has good organisational and time management skills and a caring and sunny disposition, the Medical Secretarial Certification course will provide the ideal mix of specialised skills.
Responsible for making patient appointments, maintaining doctors’ schedules and meeting and greeting patients in the doctors’ surgeries, the medical secretary is a vital link in the cycle of patient care.
What’s Covered in the Course?
This course provides the knowledge and understanding that a medical secretary needs, in order to provide the appropriate level of support. It includes:
- The daily duties of a medical secretary: the job profile and the attributes needed;
- How to manage appointment bookings, why scheduling is important and setting reminders;
- The filing systems used in medical practices and setting up an effective filing system;
- The importance of patient confidentiality and patient privacy;
- The purpose, benefits and management of accurate and complete medical records;
- Medical jargon and terminology;
- Information technology used in the medical profession, basic computer use, electronic prescriptions and patient registrations;
- Maintenance and storage of medical records;
- Health and safety in the workplace;
- Medical supplies and inventory management;
- Communication skills for an effective medical secretary;
- Legal and ethical issues in medical practice;
- Medical (clinical) coding, billing and important aspects of medical administration;
- Career information and prospects.
What are the Benefits of the Course?
- Specialised medical secretarial skills that are job-specific;
- The medical secretary certificate is studied online using any device (PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone) with access to the internet, enabling the staff member to study from anywhere, at any time and at their own pace – there are no schedules or deadlines.
- Once the student is satisfied that they have mastered the course material, they will complete a multiple choice test and, upon passing it, will be able to immediately download and print out the course certificate. All certificates are verifiable by employers who can visit the course website and type in the certificate number, in to confirm the student’s status.
- Easy-to-learn and manage modules, containing comprehensive information;
- Access to online support during the course and lifetime access to modules, so they can be referred to at a later date.
Course Modules/Lessons
Module 1: Introduction, Job Role and Responsibilities
- Who is a medical secretary?
- Job role and duties
- Overview of attributes and skills
- Job profile
Module 2 : How to manage Appointment Scheduling
- Why appointment scheduling is crucial to medical offices
- Guidelines for successful appointment scheduling
- Tips and strategies to make appointments for new patients and established patients
- Types of appointment reminders
Module 3 : Filing Systems in Medical Offices
- Importance of filing in medical offices
- Effects of using an unreliable or inefficient filing system
- Guidelines to set up a medical filing system
- Alphabetic, numeric and geographical filing systems
Module 4 : Patient Confidentiality in the Healthcare Industry
- Importance of patient confidentiality
- The concept of patient confidentiality and what it entails
- Difference between patient privacy and confidentiality
- Factors that increase breach of confidentiality in a medical office
Module 5 : Definition, Purpose and Benefits of Medical Records
- Importance of medical records
- Form and content
- Guidelines to create medical records
- Difference between medical records and health records
Module 6 : Understanding Medical Terminology and Jargon
- What is medical terminology?
- Importance of medical terminology for non-clinical staff
- Pathology and X-rays
- Important medical terms that you should be familiar with
Module 7 : Information Technology and Computer Usage in Healthcare Administration
- Understanding the basic operation of a computer
- Electronic prescriptions
- Patient Registration
- Patient Administration system
Module 8 : Information Technology and Computers
- Importance of information technology and software in the healthcare industry
- Basic components of a computer workstation
- Computer applications for non-clinical staff
- Word processing, spreadsheets, internet and intranet
Module 9 : Medical Records Management
- Medical records in clinics and hospitals
- Types of physical filing systems for medical files
- Guidelines for good record keeping
- Tips to maintain paper medical records
Module 10 : Health and Safety in a Healthcare Setting
- Importance of health and safety in the healthcare sector
- Types of risks and hazards
- Guidelines and tips to reduce hazards
- Clinical waste disposal
Module 11 : Supplies and Inventory Management and Administration
- Definition of inventory
- Manual inventory systems for smaller medical offices
- Tips for medical inventory management
- Different types of medical inventory
Module 12 : Communication Skills in a Medical Office
- Greeting new and established patients
- Etiquette in the reception area; patient information booklets
- Managing incoming and outgoing telephone calls
- Managing incoming and outgoing correspondence
Module 13 : Communication Skills in a Medical Office Part II
- Nonverbal communication and body language (kinesics)
- Facial expressions, gestures, posture and eye contact
- Professional dress code in medical offices
- Cross-cultural capabilities and communication skills
Module 14 : Law, Medical Services and Ethics
- History of medical ethics
- Importance and relevance of medical ethics
- Principles and aspects of medical ethics
- Regulatory bodies that govern medical ethics
Module 15: Medical (Clinical) Coding, Billing and Important Aspects of Medical Administration
- Medical coding and billing process
- Patient check-in
- Medical coding procedures
- Patient checkout
Module 16: Career Information and Prospects
- Review of duties and skills required
- Education, training and development
- Job prospects and hours of work
- Medical secretary interview questions
FAQ's
-
Who can take the Medical Secretary Certification course?
There are no entry requirements to take the course. -
What is the structure of the course?
The course is broken down into 16 individual modules. Each module takes between 20 and 90 minutes on average to study. Although students are free to spend as much or as little time as they feel necessary on each module. -
Where / when can the course be studied?
The course can be studied study at any time and from any internet connected device -
Is there a test at the end of the course?
Once you have completed all 16 modules there is a multiple choice test. The questions will be on a range of topics found within the 16 modules. The test, like the course, is online and can be taken a time and location of your choosing. -
What is the pass mark for the final test?
The pass mark for the test is 70%. -
What happens if a user fails the test?
If the user doesn’t pass the test first time they will get further opportunities to take the test again after extra study. There are no limits to the number of times a test can be taken. -
How long does it take to complete the Medical Secretary Certification course?
We estimate that the course will take about 10 hours to complete in total, plus an additional 30 minutes for the end of course test.
