Principles of Medical Secretarial Practice
Syllabus
Course objective
The aim of this course is to enable students to learn the fundamental concepts of secretarial and medical secretarial professions, their duties and responsibilities, communication and correspondence skills, as well as efficiency, quality, and performance criteria in healthcare institutions. Additionally, it aims to equip students with knowledge and skills in effective communication, ethical values, patient rights, digital and health literacy within the healthcare field.
Course content
Concept, types and characteristics of secretarial work; emergence of medical secretarial practice and its distinctions from other types; duties and working areas of medical secretaries; professional development and career planning; confidentiality, privacy, and professional ethics; communication in healthcare institutions, body language, patient communication and patient rights; correspondence techniques, protocol rules, and meeting organization; managerial and assistantship roles; digital literacy, health literacy and medical terminology; time management, crisis management, teamwork and project management; productivity, quality and performance measurement; ergonomics and health-related considerations; medical statistics, data collection and analysis methods.
Learning outcomes
- Define the concepts, duties, and responsibilities of secretarial and medical secretarial professions.
- Apply communication, correspondence, protocol, and organizational processes in healthcare institutions.
- Demonstrate awareness of ethical principles, confidentiality, privacy, and patient rights.
- Acquire fundamental knowledge and skills in digital literacy, health literacy, and medical terminology.
- Interpret efficiency, quality, performance measurement, and statistical analysis methods within the context of medical secretarial practice.
Weekly topics
| Week | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Concept of Secretary, Types of Secretaries and General Characteristics |
| 2 | Emergence of the Medical Secretary, Differences from Other Types of Secretaries and Reasons for the Need |
| 3 | Duties of the Medical Secretary, Field Work Positions (General Overview) |
| 4 | Professional Development, Career Planning and Working Areas in the Health Sector |
| 5 | Essential Qualities of a Medical Secretary (Confidentiality, Privacy, Secrecy, Professionalism) |
| 6 | Communication in Health Institutions, Body Language, Patient Communication and Respecting Patient Rights |
| 7 | Writing Techniques, Official Correspondence and Protocol Rules |
| 8 | Midterm Exam Exam |
| 9 | Meeting Organization, Managerial Assistance in Health Institutions and Required Additional Competencies |
| 10 | Digital Literacy, Health Literacy and Medical Terminology |
| 11 | Time Management, Crisis Management and Effective Planning |
| 12 | Teamwork, Team Management and Project Management |
| 13 | Productivity, Quality and Performance Measurement in Medical Secretarial Practice |
| 14 | Ergonomics and Health Considerations (Posture, Eye Health, Physical Health, Social/Legal Rights) |
| 15 | Medical Statistics, Data Collection and Methods Used in Analysis |
| 16 | Final Exam Exam |
| 17 | Final Exam Exam |
Assessment
| Activity | Number | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-terms | 1 | 40% |
| Final examination | 1 | 60% |
| Total | 2 | 100% |
Course materials
- 1. Tengilimoğlu, D. ve Nilgün, Ç. (2003). Yönetici ve Tıp sekreterliği. Ankara: Seçkin Yayıncılık.
- 2. McMıller, K., ?Being A Medical records Clerk? second Edition,? Profession Institue, Prentice hall Health medical clerical series, New Jersey, 2000.
- 3. Fordney, M.T., French, L.L., Follis, J.J.,?Administrative medical Assisting 5th. Edition? Thomson learning, Canada, 2004
- 4. Demir, Ö., (2008) ?Tıbbi Sekreterlik Mesleğinin Gelişimi ve Sağlık Hizmetlerindeki Rolü? Geçmişten Geleceğe Sağlık Teknikerliği Kitabı, Baş Editör; Gözil R., Gazi Üniversitesi Sağlık Hizmetleri Meslek Yüksekokulu 20. Yıl Anısına, 1.Baskı, Onur Matbaacılık Ltd. Şti. ,
This syllabus is taken from the KBU Bologna information package. Bologna information package ↗