Duties in the Front Office

Administrative Medical Assistant

Administrative medical assistants are employed in small to large medical offices, group practices, or clinic operated by physicians and non-physician practitioners. The front office is the first and last thing patient sees when they come and go. It is there, where the administrative medical assistant greets and registers new and existing patients, and assists them with their questions, and the necessary form completions. 

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Main Role

The administrative medical office supervisor is in charge of the front office's medical assistant staff, whose duty is clearly defined. They are the ones responsible for creating and updating medical charts, assist with clerical activities related to appointment scheduling and patient intake, data verification, office communications, filing of patient records, preparing reports, and maintaining records of services rendered.  

Daily Tasks

Administrative medical assistants enter patient's data and demographics into the files and medical office computer databases, perform various typing requests, maintain treatment records, prepare schedules, call patients with appointment reminders, answer phones, route incoming and outgoing messages, call the pharmacy for prescription order refills, and arrange for a patient's hospital admission if so ordered. They also make sure copies of lab tests and other diagnostic results, such as x-rays are mailed to other doctors and patients, handle billing and bookkeeping procedures, while all along meeting deadlines and handling various other multiple tasks.

Flexibility and Versatility

Administrative medical assistants employed in a larger group practice or clinic shared by several doctors might have to deal with ALL the patients that call and come in, whereas their clinical medical assistant counterparts in the different clinical areas only take care of the patients of the doctor he/she is directly working under for THAT group.

Administrative Skills

Typing, keyboarding and computer skills and knowledge of Corel or Microsoft Office applications, thorough knowledge of medical terminology, efficient filing skills, basic grammar, spelling and arithmetic, knowledge of the scheduling, registration, or admission process and excellent customer services skills are essential to do this job! Personal computers or computerized healthcare information systems are used in the performance of many of the above listed record-keeping tasks.

File Management

Another important aspect of the administrative medical assistant's job is to create and maintain an efficient filing system, which requires an investment of time and effort. A well maintained filing system not only conveys a polished and professional image, but it also enables every medical assistant to effortlessly retrieve patient records and documentation whenever needed.

HIPAA

They also must be familiar with all health insurance plans and adhere to HIPAA laws. HIPAA, known as the Administrative Simplification (AS) provisions, requires the establishment of national standards for electronic health care transactions and national identifiers for providers, health insurance plans, and employers, and assure the security and privacy of health data.