| What is a Medical Assistant? | | | | licensed to make independent medical assessments |
| Medical Assistants are unlicensed healthcare workers | | | | or give advice. Although many Medical Assistants may |
| who perform administrative and basic supervised | | | | have advanced training in certain clinical areas it is |
| clinical tasks to keep the offices of physicians, | | | | ultimately the responsibility of the supervising |
| podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health | | | | physician or other licensed health care provider to |
| practitioners running smoothly. Many also work in | | | | assure that their staff and Medical Assistants working |
| outpatient clinics, hospitals and healthcare centers. | | | | in the office are performing duties in compliance with |
| Medical Assistant careers are gathering demand in the | | | | all governing laws. |
| background of a healthcare industry boom worldwide. | | | | Therefore the physicians must determine the skill |
| Doctors' offices are extremely busy places. There | | | | level and capabilities of each employee they |
| are almost constantly patients to see or consult with | | | | supervise and take into account liability risk and |
| on the telephone, medical records and insurance | | | | quality control when assigning them their |
| records to update, tests to run, appointments to | | | | responsibilities. Physicians should provide initial direct |
| schedule, billing and bookkeeping responsibilities to | | | | supervision and periodically assess the quality of their |
| handle, and many other duties and needs. Doctors | | | | work. In practices with nurse managers, medical |
| may hardly have time to see all of their patients, let | | | | assistants can receive additional supervision |
| alone handle the rest of these tasks. This is where | | | | coordinated to maximize workflow in a practice. |
| medical assistants step in. Medical assistants are | | | | Communicating the employees roles to other staff |
| basically the doctor's right hand. They keep the office | | | | and clearly delineating their responsibilities is important |
| running smoothly, taking care of any clerical and | | | | in maximizing the productivity of the health care |
| some clinical aspects so that the doctors can focus | | | | team. Although legal requirements addressing the |
| on providing direct patient care. | | | | Medical Assistant scope of practice vary by state, |
| Many doctors have large practices, especially those in | | | | the Medical Assistant generally works under the |
| populous rural areas where there are fewer doctors | | | | license of their supervising physician or the managed |
| per person, and if all responsibilities are left to the | | | | care organization that employs them. The formal |
| doctor, the quality of the patient care can suffer. | | | | education of medical assistants often occurs in |
| There is never a typical workday as far as medical | | | | vocational schools, technical institutes, community |
| assisting is concerned because it is a very busy and | | | | colleges, proprietary schools, online educational |
| varying occupation. They may focus on reception, | | | | programs or junior colleges. |
| records, and billing one day and perform simple lab | | | | According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, |
| tests and change dressings and sutures the next. | | | | there are about 800,000 doctors in practice in the |
| They may even be needed to assist doctors in | | | | United States, with only 500,000 medical assistants |
| procedures or by taking x-rays or administering | | | | working for them. As such, the medical assistant field |
| electrocardiograms. Medical assistants also explain | | | | is expected to grow substantially within the next ten |
| medication and procedures to patients, providing | | | | years, especially as more doctors become |
| them with the knowledge and understanding they | | | | overloaded with patients. The job is challenging, but |
| need to better care for themselves. The | | | | there are many rewards, not in the least the chance |
| responsibilities and challenges, as well as the | | | | to provide patients with the best care available. |
| opportunities, are endless. | | | | Copyright : St. Augustine School of Medical Assistants. |
| Many physicians are unsure of what tasks are | | | | ( ) |
| appropriate to assign to a medical assistant and it is | | | | You can reproduce this article as long as you leave |
| important to remember medical assistants are not | | | | this copy right statement and links unchanged. |