Improving On Constructive Criticism A new medical assistant, Janelle, was hired at an outpatient medical center. Her supervisor found an error she made on a patient's record and sent Janelle the following email. Edit the email to make it a good example

Question

of constructive criticism. "I just want you to know how angry I am to find an error on Mr. Smith's record yesterday. How can you be so careless about such an important thing? There is absolutely no room for carelessness in this job because people's lives depend on us! I have fixed the error, but if this ever happens again, you may lose your job."

Answer 1

The following are the guidelines for providing constructive criticism:
a . Start the message with a buffer that factually explains the importance of accuracy in medical records.
b. Provide an example of how a seemingly minor detail can have major ramifications for patients.
c. Point out the error made by Janelle, and explain how it should have been recorded.
d. Offer to help answer questions or to double-check her work while she is in training.
e. Provide suggestions that will help her avoid future errors with patient records.
f. Encourage her to excel.

A proposed solution follows:

TO: Janelle
SUBJECT: Patient Record Accuracy

Accuracy in patient records is a top priority for all of us at Medcap Center. Among the myriad of details that we must enter daily on patient records, errors can sometimes occur. When discovered, we try to correct them as quickly as possible to avoid serious problems in the treatment of our patients.

I am sure that you realize the serious nature of incorrectly recording information on patient charts. The consequence of one error can have far-reaching ramifications, including life-threatening patient issues and medical malpractice. With this in mind, it is critically important that you check and double-check all the information that you enter in patient records.

The recent error you made on Mr. Smith's record was thankfully not life-threatening, but this serves as an important reminder that all information must be checked before entering. This is an essential part of your job, and there is no room for error. Some of our more experienced medical assistants would be glad to provide tips for double-checking patient information prior to recording. I have scheduled a brief training session tomorrow at 8 a.m. with Jeremy Combs who will review this matter with you.