The document discusses the role of medical assistants in coaching patients. It covers how medical assistants can coach patients on disease prevention, health maintenance, diagnostic tests, and treatment plans. Medical assistants should understand the stages of grief, health belief model, and domains of learning to effectively coach patients. They can adapt coaching based on a patient's specific needs, culture, development level, and any communication barriers. Medical assistants should coordinate care, act as patient navigators, and provide referrals to community resources when needed. Proper documentation and ensuring patient-centered care are important legal and ethical considerations for medical assistants in their patient coaching role.
2. 2
Patient Coaching
1. Describe the medical assistant’s role as a coach.
2. List and describe the stages of grief; also, discuss how the health belief
model helps to explain what factors influence a person’s health beliefs
and practices.
3. Describe the three domains of learning.
4. Explain how a medical assistant can adapt coaching to the patient.
5. Describe the teaching-learning process.
3. 3
Patient Coaching
6. Discuss how a medical assistant can coach on disease prevention.
7. Describe how a medical assistant can coach on health maintenance and
wellness, including different types of self-exams and screenings.
8. Describe how a medical assistant can coach on diagnostic procedures
and treatment plans.
9. Describe care coordination and patient navigation, develop a list of
community resources, and facilitate referrals.
4. Coaching
Disease prevention
Health maintenance
Diagnostic tests
Treatment plans
Specific needs
Community resources
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5. Stages of Grief
Denial and isolation
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance
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6. Health Belief Model
First part deals with person’s perception of his or her
chance of developing a disease
Second part deals with person’s perception of severity
of disease
Third part focuses on whether the person will take
preventive issues
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7. Domains of Learning
Cognitive domain
Mental processes of recall, application, and evaluation
Psychomotor domain
“Doing” domain
Affective domain
“Feeling” domain
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8. Cognitive Domain
Sensory stage
Short-term memory
Long-term memory
Tips:
Present information at an appropriate level for patient
Build on patient’s prior knowledge about topic
Present information in small chunks; well-organized
Provide information in two different ways
Have patient teach back information provided
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9. Psychomotor Domain
“Doing” domain
Provide step-by-step directions to patient
Give timely feedback on person’s performance
Have patient “teach back” skill
Repeated practice doing skill helps with recall and
retention
Make sure to use equipment and supplies patient will be
using at home
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10. Affective Domain
“Feeling” domain
Includes our feelings, emotions, values, and attitudes
Make sure you address (as much as you can) any
affective domain barriers prior to educating a patient
Written home instructions should also be given
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11. Developmental Levels
Trust versus mistrust
Autonomy versus shame and doubt
Initiative versus guilt
Industry versus inferiority
Identity versus role confusion
Intimacy versus isolation
Generativity versus stagnation
Ego integrity versus despair
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12. Cultural Diversity
Role of family and community
Religion
Views on health, wellness, death, and dying
Views on complementary therapies
Views on gender roles and relationships
Beliefs related to food, diet, illness, and health
Beliefs regarding sexuality, fertility, and childbirth
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13. Communication Barriers
Patients who have impaired vision
Patients who have impaired hearing
Patients who have language barriers
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15. Patients With Impaired Vision
Alert patient that you are in the room and identify yourself
Patient is unable to pick up your body language; use clear, concise
language and a normal tone of voice
Provide all written material in a large font or print size
Consider the impact of color contrast and glare on materials
Make eye contact
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16. Patients With Impaired
Hearing
Face person when speaking
Determine if person has better hearing in one ear over
the other; position yourself accordingly
If patient has hearing aid, encourage patient to use it
Say person’s name before beginning conversation
Keep hands away from your face when talking
Limit extra noises in environment
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17. Patients With Language
Barriers
Address patient by his or her last name
Be respectful and courteous
Use simple phrases
Use an interpreter; focus on patient
Use translated materials
Pictures and models can be helpful during coaching session
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18. Teaching-Learning Process
Assessing the learning needs
Determining teaching priorities
Planning the teaching process
Implementing the teaching process
Evaluating the patient’s learning
Documenting the teaching-learning process
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19. Coaching on Disease
Prevention
By group:
School-age children (handwashing and cough etiquette)
Teens and adults (STIs, cigarettes, tobacco use)
All age groups (vaccines; immunization schedules)
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20. Coaching on Health
Maintenance and Wellness
Based on patient’s answers to screening questions,
medical assistant may need to provide coaching on
specific topics
Medical assistant completes some screenings, but also
educates on at-home self-exams
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21. Self-Exams
Breast self-exam
Yearly mammograms start between 45-50
Testicular self-exam
Also part of routine physical exam
Skin self-exam
ABCDE (Asymmetry, Border, Color, Diameter, and Evolving)
Rule
Oral cancer self-exam
Also done routinely by dentist
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22. Regular Screenings
Blood pressure
Bone density
Cholesterol
Colorectal cancer screening
Dental exam
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Dilated eye exam
Lung cancer screening
Mammograms
Pap test
Prostate cancer
Type 2 diabetes mellitus
24. One-Time Screenings
Abdominal aortic aneurysm
Males between 65-75 who have smoked at one time in their lives
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screen (blood test)
People 15-65 years: at least once in their lifetime
All pregnant women
People with high risk should be tested annually
Hepatitis C
Person with risk factors should be tested
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26. Coaching on Diagnostic Tests
Provide necessary information for diagnostic and
laboratory tests ordered for patients
Some tests require fasting; others do not
Provide answers to the following:
What is the test?
Where does the patient need to go for the test?
When is the test scheduled?
Does the test require fasting? If so, for how long? If no
food or beverages, does that include water?
Should patients continue or stop taking their medications?
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27. Coaching on Treatment
Plans
Medical assistants review treatment plans with patients
Taking medications
Caring for casts and splints
Applying hot or cold therapy
Using assistive devices
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28. Care Coordination
Provides personalized patient- and family-centered care in
a team-based environment
Advantages:
Greater efficiency with providing patient care
Reduced cost
Greater patient care
Individualized patient guidance and services
Encourages patients to focus on goals and self-management
Reduces hospital emergency department visits and
readmissions
Ensures patient’s needs and preferences for healthcare
services are met
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29. The Medical Assistant
as a Patient Navigator
A patient navigator is a person who helps patients and
families with insurance problems, explains treatment
and care, communicates with the healthcare team,
assists caregivers, and manages medical paperwork
Medical assistants are cross-trained in administrative
and clinical skills, so they are in a unique position to
serve as patient navigators in ambulatory care settings
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30. Patient Coaching
Patient education materials can be:
On paper
Apps
YouTube links
Other websites and videos
Use only provider-approved sites
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31. Legal and Ethical Issues
All patients have the right to information before they
agree to receive care
Conduct adequate patient education and follow-up
Document each patient education intervention
completely and accurately
Meet needs of all patients without evidence of
prejudice
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32. Patient-Centered Care
Care coordination helps provide patients with individual
assistance
Patients who feel well cared for (and who feel
comfortable talking with healthcare team) stay with
their provider
Care coordination will increase in popularity over the
coming years
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