Duties. Certification is available through both traditional classroom-based programs and online programs. A medical assistant in a private practice setting has the basic duties of an office receptionist, and the doctors will depend on the assistant to manage patient care and also keep the office running smoothly. Medical assistants can become certified through an accredited program. While certified clinical medical assistants working in smaller offices may be asked to perform some administrative duties, those working in larger medical facilities focus mainly on providing patient care and being a support system for the working physician. In smaller offices, certified medical administrative assistants may be the only ones attending the front desk, and are responsible for providing customer service, managing the phones, making appointments, checking in patients, maintaining patient records, filing insurance claims, inputting electronic medical coding, and performing general accounting and billing. What Does a Back Office Medical Assistant Do? They perform various duties and responsibilities, both clinical and administrative, as well as help the patient feel at ease by explaining any questions they may have. A specialized medical assistant works closely with a physician(s) and serves patients in a more direct way. Being a medical assistant is sometimes a stressful, but always a rewarding, career. They may also have to work evenings and weekends to cover shifts in medical facilities that are always open. Others are not formally educated, but are trained by other office staff. Some have associate degrees and others may have completed training programs through vocational colleges or even high schools. Their duties are specific and unique to the private practice they work for. In order to be able to sit for the Certified Medical Assistant exam, one must complete a formal medical assisting program from a school that has received accreditation from either the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). Does this sound like you? Their job responsibilities are both patient and lab-based, where they may spend time examining samples taken from patients, administering immunizations, medication or prescription refills, or performing ECG readings. While individuals can work as medical assistants without being certified, becoming certified through the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) is preferred by employers. Clinical Assistant. The medical assistant may need to have certification or training. Medical assistants (MA) care for two crucial areas in a healthcare setting — clinical and administrative. Note: Medical assistants should not be confused with physician assistants. In this role, you bring patients back to the exam rooms, take and record vital signs, and ask patients questions about their symptoms, concerns, and medical history. The curriculum will be focused on learning office functions that mix medical processes and procedures with administrative assistant skills. Certified medical administrative assistants play a very important role in managing the front desk operations of a physician’s office, hospital, or other medical facility. Medical assistants are trained to perform a wide variety of administrative and clinical duties to support healthcare professionals. Since the medical assistant course is a combination of clinical training & administration, a medical assistant gains the potential to do so much around a hospital/clinic. Back office medical assistants conduct basic clinical duties for doctors and nurses in a physician’s office, hospital, or other medical facility. Medical assistants have the opportunity to provide help to both patients and doctors. Some medical assistants are required to offer mostly administrative support to the practice where they are employed, such as making appointments and submitting insurance claims. Administrative Assistant Like any administrative assistant, a medical admin aid will deal primarily with bookkeeping, appointment setting, greeting patients, filling out insurance forms, handling admissions, and answering phones. Physician assistants are licensed professionals trained to practice medicine and perform surgical procedures along with a physician. Yes, medical assistants may work with patients in their homes and at an assisted living facility or a nursing home. Medical assistants commonly work in physicians' offices, outpatient clinics, hospitals, assisted living facilities and private and government-run health centers. Medical Assistants are also known as: They perform a mixture of clinical and clerical duties which are common in all states. Medical assistants complete administrative and clinical tasks in the offices of physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. Prepping exam rooms may include cleaning and sterilizing instruments, and disposing of contaminated items. Medical assistants may be responsible for a variety of tasks based on location, employer, and a number of other factors. The varied work of a medical assistant demands a specific set of skills and abilities: Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment – the job involves a myriad of both administrative and clinical responsibilities, Communication skills – the capacity to interact with people with ease; to listen, ask pertinent questions, and clearly convey instructions and information, Perception and attention to detail – skilled at observing and recording details; in this field, mistakes can have serious health and safety consequences, Sensitivity – the ability to recognize patient distress and discomfort and treat them with kindness and compassion, Ability to react calmly and effectively in emergency situations, Comfort with technology – depending on the setting, medical assistants use medical equipment such as autoclaves, x-ray machines, blood pressure monitors, EKG machines, and hemoglobin machines; they use different types of software for bookkeeping, billing, scheduling, and maintaining patient records. The medical assistant in a clinic would have a blend of clinical and administrative duties that range from answering telephones, greeting patients, explaining procedures and changing wound dressings. They may handle billing, fill out patient forms, and perform typical receptionist type duties. There is room for growth as well, and if you decide you'd like to move up, you can look at becoming a physician assistant or a nurse. Visit PayScale to research medical assistant hourly pay by city, experience, skill, employer and more. Medical assistants perform routine tasks and procedures in a medical clinic. Another 7 percent worked in outpatient care centres, while the rest worked in public and private educational services, other ambulatory health care services, state and local government agencies, medical and diagnostic laboratories, nursing care facilities, and employment services.". 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