Medical Assistants and Their Role in the Healthcare Field
Medical Assistants have the responsibility of handling the administrative and clinical tasks of a healthcare facility. No matter what kind of specialization a doctor may have, they require medical assistants to assist them on various tasks crucial to running a successful medical practice. The duty and role of a medical assistant differ according to the nature and the type of medical facility they will be fulfilling their duties.
If you’re interested in training to become a Medical Assistant, consider enrolling in U.S College’s Medical Assistant Program. The Medical Assistant is short-term, allowing you to earn a certification in just 16 weeks!
Opportunities
The number of job openings for qualified and trained healthcare workers is many due to the demand and growing need for healthcare services. Due to medical advancements and longer life expectancies, the need for trained medical assistants will continue to grow.
Roles and Responsibilities
Medical assistants are assigned many different roles and responsibilities. These jobs must be carried out efficiently and with great care so that healthcare institutions keep running smoothly. The duties they perform can be divided into two main types, which are discussed below.
Administrative Duties
Administrative duties include all those roles, which must be carried out regarding the administration of the institution, which includes proper service delivery. Following are the duties they must perform diligently and promptly.
- While on the desk, they must answer telephones
- Greet patients, when they enter, and assign them to the waiting area
- File the patient’s medical records and update them regularly until the patient is discharged, and every time he or she revisits.
- Fills the insurance forms and handles all correspondence between the patients and physicians. This includes scheduling appointments, admitting the patient on time, and preparing them for examination.
- The medical assistant aids the doctor by documenting the vitals and symptoms of each patient.
Clinical Duties
The clinical duties differ from the administrative duties for they require greater medical knowledge and expertise. These responsibilities differ according to the law of the state in which a medical institution is situated. However, these duties include the following.
- Taking the medical history of the patient when they arrive, and the recording their vital signs
- answering any queries the patient might have and explaining the different types of treatment procedures to them
- Preparing the patients for their examination with the physician
- Assisting the physician during the examinations
- Collecting specimens and results from the lab
- In some cases, they are even asked to conduct basic lab tests
- They help in disposing of any of the contaminated supplies
- They are also given the responsibility of sterilizing and scrubbing the medical equipment
- Arranging the equipment in the exam room, along with any other instruments is also their duty
These people play a significant role, which supports the physicians, as well as the institution. Depending on the expertise and skill set of the medical assistant, they can perform either administrative duties, or clinical duties, often even both.
If you’re interested in learning more about the field of Medical Assisting and whether a career as a Medical Assistant is right for you, give us call (855) 554-5040 to speak with a friendly and knowledgeable admissions representatives from U.S. Colleges.
Enroll in U.S College’s Medical Assisting Program. The program is short-term, allowing you to begin a new career in the healthcare field in just 16 weeks!