Medical Assistants Are Team Members

Medical assistants are trained to work in all areas of the medical office, including the reception area adjacent to the waiting room area, the office's administrative areas and archives, as well as the back office clinical areas, whhich includes the patient examination and treatment rooms. It should be regarded as one whole area that works together rather than separate units of the office.

Get this FREE Career Information Kit As you already know, working medical assistants, as well as recent graduates from vocational training programs should seek certification as soon as possible to succeed!

Eliminating the Front vs. Back Mindset

In most cases the responsibilities for the smooth operation of the medical office is shared among all staff members. They work hand in hand and although the office space is indeed divided into different areas, especially in larger offices, working together as a team is important! As a matter of fact, it is best to completely eliminate the "front versus back office team" mindset right from the beginning.

The Administrative Medical Assistant

Administrative medical assistants work in the front office and reception area where they are usually the very first medical office staff members the patient sees when they arrive for their appointment. Front office staff are often referred to as the medical secretary, receptionist, or simply the front desk medical assistant.

Administrative medical assistants must have excellent interpersonal skills as they greet the patients, verify their appointments, make copies of their insurance cards, check referrals and then ask them to take a seat in the waiting area.

Administrative Medical Assistant Responsibilities:
They register new patients and assist with form completion, retrieve charts, enter patient data and demographics into a computer database, perform various typing requests, maintain and file treatment records, prepare schedules, call patients with appointment reminders, answer phones and route messages, call the pharmacy for prescription order refills and arrange for a patient's hospital admission. They also make sure copies of lab test results are mailed to patients, handle billing and bookkeeping procedures and must demonstrate the ability to meet deadlines and handle multiple tasks.

Typing, keyboarding and computer skills and knowledge of the 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!

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.

Personal computers or computerized healthcare information systems are used in the performance of many of the above listed record-keeping tasks.

If the administrative medical assistant is employed in a group practice or clinic shared by several doctors then he/she might have to deal with all the patients that call and come in, whereas the clinical medical assistant in the different clinical areas only take care of the patients of the doctor he/she is working under.

The Clinical Medical Assistant

Clinical medical assistants, on the other hand, work in the back office along with other clinical staff members and the physician where a wide array of healthcare services for the patient is performed, such as: physical exams, health screening, immunizations, infection assessment, advise on health conditions, medications and sometimes diet.

Rarely will you see the clinical medical assistant interact with patients up front in the administrative office or reception area, except for those brief moments, when they call the next patient in from the waiting area. From there the patients are directly taken to the back office where the patient's demographics, vital signs, height, weight, the reason for the visit, allergies and current medications are recorded into the patient's chart and assures that previous lab work results are attached to the chart in chronological order.

Readiness in an Emergency:
It is also of important that all medical assistants, whether assigned to the front or the back office are ready to handle and assist with any emergency situation, or life-saving procedure should such an incidence occur anywhere in the office.

A patient may arrive at the medical office with a serious injury, burns, poisoning, or may suddenly suffer an asthma attack, serious allergic reaction, or unexpectedly faint. Such crises involve danger to the patient and require immediate action and cooperation among medical office staff that is present front or back.