Today's medical office requires many different types of clerical equipment in order to function effectively and smoothly. The role of the medical assistant includes learning how to evaluate, purchase or lease, operate, and maintain this essential equipment. Think how difficult it would be to communicate with others outside the office without the use of a communication system, which could include telephones, e-mail, beepers or pagers, interactive pagers, text messaging, answering machines, and fax machines. How limited would a medical practice become if the recording of the care given to a patient had to done without the use of a computer? What if all patient billing, bank deposits, and pay-roll management had to be done without the use of a calculator or business accounting software? Without a paper shredder, each piece of confidential paper would have to be torn many times before discarding. Possibly the most difficult of all tasks would be the duplication of endless documents by hand instead of using a copy machine!

In this chapter you will be learning about the use and maintenance of many important pieces of administrative medical office equipment. Additionally, you just might come away with a new appreciation of the importance they play in the function of the efficient medical practice.

Outline

• Office Communication Equipment
• Office Automation Equipment
• Purchasing Decisions
• Maintaining Office Equipment

Learning Outcomes

After completing Chapter 5, you will be able to:

 5.1 Describe the types of office equipment used in a medical practice.
 5.2 Explain how each piece of office equipment is used.
 5.3 List the steps in making purchasing decisions for office equipment.
 5.4 Compare and contrast leasing and buying.
 5.5 Describe a warranty, a maintenance contract, and a service contract, and discuss the importance of each.
 5.6 Identify when troubleshooting is appropriate and what actions may be taken.
 5.7 List the information included in an equipment inventory.
 5.8 Explain how HIPAA law applies to faxing confidential patient information.
 5.9 Explain how HIPAA law applies to telephone conversations and conversations with patients.

Summary

In many ways, state-of-the-art office equipment is as important for a medical office as its medical equipment. Although every office does not have the same equipment, common equipment may include telephones, electronic typewriters, computers, pagers, fax machines, dictation-transcription equipment, folding equipment, photocopiers, adding machines and calculators, postage meters, check writers, paper shredders, and microfilm or microfiche readers.

As a medical assistant, you may be expected not only to operate this equipment but also to help make purchasing decisions by researching various purchasing options. This research includes obtaining information about product features, warranties, and maintenance. You may also be involved in researching information regarding the advantages and disadvantages of leasing and buying equipment.

Equipment is an asset for a medical office. The office staff needs to maintain a comprehensive inventory of the products leased and purchased. It is important to keep up-to-date with new technologies that will help the administrative office function smoothly and efficiently.