In your medical office, you may have to create or revise an opening and closing procedure manual for your entire staff. You need to delegate some employees to pull or file charts at the end of the workday. You also need to delegate employees to scan lab reports, referrals, authorization forms, or other correspondence in a patient’s EHR/EMR every day. You need to have someone check the crash cart to make sure the items in it are not expired. At the beginning of the workday, you also need to have someone turn on the fax and copy machine and check the telephone for messages. List other tasks that you believe should be written in an opening and closing procedure manual. What should not be included in an opening and closing procedure manual and why? Write at least two pages of information detailing what information you would include in an office policy about the opening and closing procedures.

The manual should also include the following tasks:
Checking that the medical supplies for today are adequate
Checking that patient files are properly filed and organized
Assuring all electronic devices, including computers, mobile phones and tablets, are in good working order
Maintenance of office equipment like printers and copiers
Before leaving your office, make sure that all documents are stored securely.

The information that should not be included in an Opening and Closing Procedure Manual includes passwords, other login credentials, personal information about staff members, privileged communication between healthcare providers or details about sensitive patient care issues. These types of information must be kept separate from the manual.

A policy on office opening and closing should contain a description of the tasks that staff are expected to complete each day before starting their work, or at the end of their shift. When describing these responsibilities, it is essential to be clear so that there are no misunderstandings among staff members. It is also important to establish expectations about how long each task will take. Also, providing guidance regarding best practices for documenting the tasks performed by employees during their shifts (time spent doing each one etc.) and any other instructions related to safety/security protocols at work would be helpful. It is also important that organizations review policies periodically with their staff to ensure they are in compliance with any local laws or regulations which might change.