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Highly technical and invasive medical procedures carried out by non-qualified health care workers seriously injure thousands of Americans every year. Many discussions continue to revolve around medical assistant duties and what they can and cannot legally do. Among these hotly debated issues is whether they are allowed to start and disconnect IV lines, take radiological images, insert urinary catheters, administer Botox® injections, or conduct phototherapy in a UV booth, or triage. In general medical assistants cannot do the following tasks:  Independently diagnose or treat patients Assess, plan and evaluate patients, or their care (nor can this ever be delegated Perform tests that involve the penetration of human tissues except for skin allergy tests and venous and capillary blood collection to obtain a sample for diagnostic laboratory tests Perform arterial punctures (NEVER EVER!) Administer intravenous (IV) medications Independently provide medical treatment, analyze test results, advise patients about their condition and treatment regimen, or perform medical care decision making Administer any anesthetic agents that render a patient unconscious, or semiconscious Independently prescribe or refill medications Sign lab requisition slips, prescritpitions, or treatment orders Independently order lab tests  Practice physical therapy, except technical supportive services, which utilize concepts of physical therapy under the supervision of a licensed healthcare professional Apply skills which require healthcare professional licensure and constitute the practice of medicine Medical Assistants Who Give Injections Medical assistants are often asked to administer injections, e.g. vaccines, medications, hormones, B12, and intradermal injections like TB skin and allergy scratch testing. In order to do this, they must be fully trained, competent, directly supervised […]

… and medical offices can do to protect themselves. Medical assistants in the USA do not have to be formally trained through an academic or post-secondary adult education institution, nor necessarily be certified to function in an assisting role in a medical office. Under the doctor’s discretion and direct supervision, meaning the doctor is on the premises, anyone can be trained to perform certain administrative and clinical tasks in the front and back office as long as the employer allows it, however, there are occupational limitations and certain skills a medical assistant cannot legally do. A good medical practice and health care facility has researched legal parameters and limitations and established policies outlining each staff member’s responsibilities to protect themselves. Each medical assistant under their employees should receive a written job description and adhere to it. What A Medical Assistant Can Do: Generally speaking, when performed under the supervising physician, ophthalmologist, podiatrist, surgeon, or other licensed health care practitioner a medical assistant is allowed to do the following tasks: Prepare and file medical records and patient charts Maintain medical records using standard filing systems Perform inventory control and ordering supplies Maintain and adjust medical office equipment Manage a petty cash drawer Post service charges and payments Gather community resources and statistics Prepare and maintain appointment books Sterilize, wrap and label instruments Set up the examination room for the next patient Record body measurements and vital signs Prepare patients for their physical examinations Assist with therapeutic procedures Assist during simple surgical procedures Prepare and administer medications as ordered Draw up liquid medications and administer (most […]

The first and last person people see in the medical office is the administrative medical assistant. Typical duties medical office administration includes welcoming patients, new patient registration form completion, patient file management, health insurance verification, patient billing and accepting co-payments, and scheduling new and follow-up appointments. In addition, they enter patient data and demographics into medical files and computer databases, perform various medical corresponding and typing requests, route incoming phone calls, take messages, call the pharmacy for prescription order refills and arrange for patient hospital admission if so ordered by the doctor. They also make copies of lab tests and medical notes to be mailed to other doctors, or patients. Duties Medical Office Administration Front office and reception management, customer service, typing, keyboarding, computer skills and knowledge of word processing applications, medical terminology, filing systems, basic grammar, spelling and arithmetic, scheduling, registration, and admission process, bookkeeping, accounting, payment processing, financial management and excellent customer services skills are all essential skills which all require an investment of time and effort. The featured Concorde medical assistant school video above not only promotes their 9-month training program but also nicely shows the duties of the administrative medical assistant and other medical office professionals in a managed health care company (HMO), physician’s practice, and other health, medical and professional office settings. It’s worth watching. Serving people calling the doctor’s office and dealing with patients who are sick can be equally stressful on both ends. A well-maintained filing system not only conveys a polished and professional image, but also enables every medical assistant to effortlessly […]

The clinical medical assistant works in the back office, which is the area where the patient goes to be examined, evaluated, and treated. They call the patients in from the waiting room, ask for the reason for the visit, take their vital signs, write down current medications, and allergies, organize the medical table and instrument tray, annotate the medical chart for the doctor and make sure the patient is comfortable and ready for the exam. If the patient needs to change into an examination gown or needs to be draped and positioned on the examination chair or table they will assist and assure their privacy and safety. Before leaving the exam room the medical assistant will sift through the patient’s medical chart one more time to assure it is complete, including recent lab results and radiological reports if this is a follow-up visit. Once everything is all set they place the patient’s medical chart into the holder outside the door which is the “universal sign” that the patient is ready for the doctor. Examination Room Responsibilities Male physicians who perform gynecological, anal, rectal, and breast exams on a female patient and vice versa, female physicians performing genital and anal, rectal exams on male patients prefer to have their medical assistant present with them in the exam room during the examination. The medical assistant serves as a chaperone to avert any misunderstandings or claims of abuse. It often also helps to make a patient more comfortable during the exam. A medical assistant chaperone can also be also utilized during a physical examination […]