MEMO

Date: 27 February 2015

To: Krista Soria
From: Tia Diggins
Subject: Interview about professional writing in the workplace.
Introduction
On February 20 I interviewed Neal Rucks, a Physician Assistant at Montevideo Medical Clinic
in Chippewa County. The interview regarded the types of professional writing in a medical
workplace. The purpose of this memo is to share the information gathered from this interview.
Experiences and Strategies Used in College
Neal graduated from Augsburg University. In undergraduate, he never could have imagined how
much writing would be required for the job. In result, he only took writing courses that were
required for graduation. However, once he began his graduate program the writing requirements
intensified. During this time, Neal really learned to utilize his assets. His main strategy when
writing was research and resource. This is an excellent strategy to improve writing because it
helps in preparation and being efficient. Also, knowing how to use the materials will help
produce a strong document.
Writing in the Job
There are different types of writing that is required of Neal in his profession, such as; letters to
patients or insurance companies. Also many legal government documents have to be created. For
example, social security or disability claims. Overall, 50-60% of his job has to do with writing
documents. These types of documents were not anything Neal was taught in school. He learned
through experience in his career.
Communication
Email is the preferred method of communication in the medical field because of its convenience.
When discussing small issues in the Clinic, an email is forwarded to all staff explaining the new
change. However when announcing large changes in the clinic, a meeting is held to verbally
explain the issues. For Neal, person to person communication is preferred. He says, that this way
what is being communicated is clearer.
Changing Audiences
Since the medical field has specific language of its own, diction needs to be adjusted in order for
specific audiences to understand what is being conveyed. Neal mainly writes documents that are
geared toward the technical side of his field. He communicates primarily with other medical
providers and staff. Therefore, correct medical terminology is needed to communicate clearly.
Neal also writes in regards to patients and their needs. These documents tend to contain more
general information, and become very standardized.

Documentation
Most documents are computerized. For instance, all medical records, lab results, and daily tasks
are electronic. The main program to create such documents is called Meditech. Neal mentions
this program acts as a template to create documents more efficiently. With Meditech, creating
standard documents on average takes 10 to 15 minutes. Neal says without it generating a
document will take up to 30 minutes.
Tools for Writing
Content is extremely important when creating documents in the medical field. To insure quality
medical information, Neal refers to medical books. These can provide him with necessary stats,
diagnostics, and standard care guidance. Neal also reaches out for knowledge from other medical
providers; who he says can supply the best advice.
Conclusion
My interview with Neal was extremely informative. I learned a lot about how both verbal and
written communication in the healthcare field is extremely important to provide effective care of
a patient. This interview was a great experience because it gave great insight on what a career in
the medical field would be like. There is a lot more writing needed than I could have imagined.
However, it is very comforting to know there are resources to refer back on for medical
information.