Medical Assistant Program

 A Medical Assistant is an allied health professional that supports the work of physicians and other health professionals, usually in a clinic setting. They perform routine tasks and procedures such as measuring patients' vital signs, administering medications and injections, recording information in medical record-keeping systems, preparing and handling medical instruments and supplies, and collecting and preparing specimens of bodily fluids and tissues for laboratory testing.

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Medical Assistants perform routine clinical and administrative duties under the direct supervision of a physician or other health care professional. Medical assistants perform many administrative duties, including answering telephones, greeting patients, updating and filing patients’ medical records, filling out insurance forms, handling correspondence, scheduling appointments, arranging for hospital admission and laboratory services, and handling billing and book keeping.

The duties of a Medical Assistant can often vary greatly according to local and/or state level laws or regulations. Medical Assistant duties may may include taking medical histories and recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing patients for examination, and assisting during diagnostic examinations.

Medical Assistants sometimes collect and prepare laboratory specimens or perform basic laboratory tests on the premises, dispose of contaminated supplies, and sterilize medical instruments. They instruct patients about medications and special diets, prepare and administer medications as directed, authorize drug refills as directed, telephone prescriptions to a pharmacy, draw blood, prepare patients for X-rays, take electrocardiograms, remove sutures, and change dressings. They also facilitate communication between the patient and other health care professionals.

What Medical Assistants Do:

• Medical assistants complete administrative and clinical tasks in the offices of physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. Their duties vary with the location, specialty, and size of the practice.
• Duties
• Medical assistants typically do the following:
• Record patient history and personal information
• Measure vital signs, such as blood pressure
• Help physicians with patient examinations
• Give patients injections or medications as directed by physicians and as permitted by state law
• Schedule patient appointments
• Prepare blood samples for laboratory tests
• Enter patient information into medical records
• Medical assistants take and record patients’ personal information. They must be able to keep that information confidential and discuss it only with other medical personnel who are involved in treating the patient.
• Electronic health records (EHRs) are changing some medical assistants’ jobs. More and more physicians are adopting EHRs, moving all their patient information from paper to electronic records. Assistants need to learn the EHR software that their office uses.
• Medical assistants should not be confused with physician assistants, who examine, diagnose, and treat patients under a physician’s supervision.
• In larger practices or hospitals, medical assistants may specialize in either administrative or clinical work.
• Administrative medical assistants often fill out insurance forms or code patients’ medical information. They often answer telephones and schedule patient appointments.
• Clinical medical assistants have different duties, depending on the state where they work. They may do basic laboratory tests, dispose of contaminated supplies, and sterilize medical instruments. They may have additional responsibilities, such as instructing patients about medication or special diets, preparing patients for x rays, removing stitches, drawing blood, or changing dressings.
• Some medical assistants specialize according to the type of medical office where they work. The following are examples of specialized medical assistants:
• Ophthalmic medical assistants and optometric assistants help ophthalmologists and optometrists provide eye care. They show patients how to insert, remove, and care for contact lenses. Ophthalmic medical assistants also may help an ophthalmologist in surgery.
• Podiatric medical assistants work closely with podiatrists (foot doctors). They may make castings of feet, expose and develop x rays, and help podiatrists in surgery.

Medical assistants held about 720,900 jobs in 2020. The largest employers of medical assistants were as follows:

Offices of physicians 57%

Hospitals; state, local, and private 15%

Outpatient care centers 8%

Offices of chiropractors 4%

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Employment of Medical Assistants:

The growth of the aging baby-boom population will continue to increase demand for preventive medical services, which are often provided by physicians. As a result, physicians will hire more assistants to perform routine administrative and clinical duties, allowing the physicians to see more patients.

An increasing number of group practices, clinics, and other healthcare facilities will also need support workers, particularly medical assistants, to complete both administrative and clinical duties. Medical assistants work mostly in primary care, a steadily growing sector of the healthcare industry.

Class Assignments:

1. No textbook assignment for  this class.
2. Please view the brief introductory videos below: