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104.4 Office and Digital Skills
Email, calendars, trackers, health records, telehealth and safe technology
Your materials
Slides (PowerPoint) Handout (Word)
For instructors
Facilitator guide Printable pre and post tests Quiz (LMS import)
What you will learn
- Write clear, professional work emails and keep a shared calendar
- Enter client contacts correctly in a spreadsheet data tracker
- Help a client get ready for a telehealth video visit
- Protect client privacy with strong passwords, MFA and safe AI use
Start here
Your phone holds your whole life. What would happen if a stranger could open it today?
Lesson
The office side of CHW work
Ohio requires CHWs to learn basic clerical, computing and office skills.
- Email: Short, polite messages with a clear subject line, sent from your work account only.
- Calendars: Visits, calls and meetings on one work calendar your supervisor can see.
- Data trackers: Spreadsheets that count contacts, referrals and follow-ups so we can show our impact.
- Health records: Electronic systems where care teams read and write notes about clients.
A work email: weak and strong
Weak
- Subject line: hey
- Full client name and diagnosis in the message
- Sent from a personal Gmail account
- Long story with no clear ask
Strong
- Subject: Follow-up needed, client ID 1042
- Client ID only, details kept in the secure record
- Sent from your work account
- Three short lines and one clear request
Reading a simple contact tracker
| Column | What to enter | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Client ID | Number, never the name | Names stay in the secure record |
| Date | Same format every time | Example: 10/26/2026 |
| Contact type | Call, text, visit, group | Use the drop-down list |
| Referral made | Program name | Example: food pantry, HEAP |
| Follow-up date | When you will check back | Add it to your calendar too |
| Outcome | Did the client get help? | Yes, no, or pending |
Getting a client ready for a video visit
Based on HHS telehealth tips for patients:
- Find a private spot: A quiet place with good internet where the client can speak openly.
- Test the device early: Check the camera, microphone and app a day before.
- Log in early: Join a few minutes before so there is time to fix problems.
- Learn the main buttons: Camera, microphone, chat, and the button that ends the call.
- Write down questions: List questions, current medicines, allergies, and any blood pressure readings.
- Keep paper nearby: Paper and pen help the client remember what the provider says.
Protecting accounts and devices
Four habits that keep client data safe:
- Long passwords: At least 16 characters, or a passphrase of 5 to 7 unrelated words.
- One per account: Use a different password for every account, and a password manager to keep them.
- Turn on MFA: Multifactor authentication, a second proof like a code, makes you 99% less likely to be hacked.
- Spot phishing: Do not click links in surprise messages that rush you or ask for passwords.
Using AI tools safely at work
Okay, with agency approval
- Draft a flyer for a health fair
- Turn a reading into plain language
- Brainstorm questions for a group class
- Check spelling in a general email
Never
- Enter a client name, address or birth date
- Paste case notes or health details
- Ask AI to diagnose or suggest medicine
- Trust AI facts without checking a real source
The digital divide is upstream
- What we see: Mr. Ortiz in Clark-Fulton keeps missing his video visits and portal messages from his clinic.
- Why it happens (upstream): He has an old phone, a small data plan, and no home internet. Internet service costs more than many families can pay.
- What we can build on (assets): His neighborhood library branch with public computers, a church or rec center with computer help, and his granddaughter who is good with phones.
Situation: the quick AI shortcut
Situation: Your coworker Tasha has ten visit notes to finish. She pastes a client's full case note into a free AI chat tool and asks it to clean up her writing. She tells you it saves her an hour.
What should you say and do?
- Kindly tell Tasha client details must never go into AI tools
- Suggest she stop and tell the supervisor what was shared
- Follow the agency privacy policy for possible data exposure
- Offer to help her catch up on notes another way
Talk it over
- Which office or computer skill do you want to grow most?
- Who in your community helps neighbors with phones and computers?
- What would make telehealth easier for the people you serve?
Study sheet
The big idea: Office and digital skills help us serve clients well, show our impact, and keep private information safe.
Key points
- Use only your work email, phone number and calendar for client work.
- Keep work emails short, with a clear subject, one clear request and no private details.
- Enter tracker data the same way every time, using client ID numbers instead of names.
- Help clients prepare for video visits: private spot, tested device, early login, written questions.
- Use long, unique passwords, a password manager and multifactor authentication.
- Never enter client names, details or notes into an AI tool.
Remember
- CISA: passwords of at least 16 characters, different for every account
- MFA makes you 99% less likely to be hacked (CISA)
- Minimum necessary: share only what the task needs
- No client data in AI tools, ever
Ask yourself
- Are any of my passwords used on more than one account?
- How can I help clients who have little access to the internet?
Vocabulary
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Electronic health record (EHR) | A digital version of a patient's chart, with history, medicines, test results, care plans and notes. |
| Patient portal | A secure website or app where patients see their records and message their care team. |
| Telehealth | Health care given at a distance, by video, phone or secure messaging. |
| Data tracker | A spreadsheet or database used to count contacts, referrals and outcomes. |
| Client ID | A number used in place of a client's name to protect their privacy in trackers and messages. |
| Multifactor authentication (MFA) | A login that needs two or more proofs of identity, such as a password and a code. |
| Password manager | A secure app that creates, stores and fills in strong passwords for you. |
| Phishing | Fake emails, texts or calls that trick people into clicking links or sharing passwords. |
| Minimum necessary | The HIPAA idea of using or sharing only the health information a task truly needs. |
| Artificial intelligence (AI) tool | A computer program, like a chatbot, that writes or answers questions; it can make mistakes. |
Real-life situations
The email sent to the wrong person
Andre, a CHW in Fairfax, emails a referral update to a clinic. He realizes the address autofilled to a different person with a similar name.
What to do
- Tell your supervisor right away
- Follow the agency policy for a possible privacy breach
- Do not try to hide it or wait to see what happens
- Next time, check the To line before you press send
Why: Agencies must respond quickly to possible privacy breaches, and early reporting protects the client.
The client who cannot log in
Ms. Whitfield in Lee-Harvard has a video visit with her doctor tomorrow. She has never used the clinic's app and is nervous about it.
What to do
- Set a time today to practice logging in together
- Show her the camera, microphone and end-call buttons
- Help her write down her questions and medicine list
- Give her the clinic's phone number in case the video fails
Why: Practice ahead of time lowers stress and helps the visit actually happen.
The text that asks for your password
Kiara gets a text that says it is from her agency's IT team. It says her account will close in one hour unless she clicks a link and signs in.
What to do
- Do not click the link or reply
- Call IT or your supervisor using a number you already know
- Report the message as your agency directs
- Delete the text after reporting it
Why: Rushing you and asking for a login are common signs of phishing.
The messy tracker
Your team's tracker has client names in it, three spellings of the same food pantry, and many blank follow-up dates.
What to do
- Bring it up kindly at the next team meeting
- Ask your supervisor about moving names to the secure record
- Suggest a drop-down list for program names
- Fill in your own follow-up dates and calendar reminders
Why: Clean, private data protects clients and lets us show funders what our work achieves.
Activity: Digital safety tune-up
About 25 minutes.
- Rewrite the weak email from the slide into a strong one: clear subject, client ID, one request.
- Enter three practice contacts into the sample tracker using the same date format and drop-down lists.
- Check one of your own accounts: is the password long and unique? Turn on MFA if you can.
- Write two sentences on how you would explain the no client data in AI rule to a coworker.
- Post your email and your two sentences in the course discussion.
Post-test
Ten questions. You need 75% to pass, with one retake. Your result is saved in this browser.
Sources
- Ohio Administrative Code 4723-26-13, Standard curriculum
- HHS Telehealth, Preparing for a video visit
- CISA Secure Our World, Passwords tip sheet
- CISA, Multifactor Authentication
- HealthIT.gov, What are electronic health records
- HHS, HIPAA Minimum Necessary Requirement
- City of Cleveland, Digital Inclusion Resources
- CISA Secure Our World, Recognize and Report Phishing