Medical Assistants: The Profession

1. Medical Assistants: The Profession MA100 Instructor: Mayra M Howells

2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES To Discuss: • The history of medical assisting as a profession. • Current accrediting agencies for medical assisting programs. • Medical assistants role in Healthcare. • Administrative duties and clinical skills. • List qualities of a good medical assistant. • The professional organizations that certify medical assistants. • Career opportunities available to medical assistants.

3. Critical Thinking Questions • How long has the medical assisting field been in existence? • What has caused the field to grow?

4. The History and Training of Medical Assistants • Originally an on the job training • Increase responsibility meant increase liability, led to the need for formal training • Prior to the formal training nurses were in higher demand to assist physicians

5. American Association of Medical Assistants • Acronym: AAMA • Founded by Maxine Williams • First president of the AAMA. • Adopted as a national professional organization in 1957 • Emphasize educational objectives • To learn more about the AAMA visit http://www.aama-ntl.org Source: American Association of Medical Assistants, Chicago, IL

6. Critical Thinking Questions • Why is it important for medical assistants to be formally trained? • Does the existence of organizations such as the AAMA help the profession? If so, how?

7. AAMA Definition of a Medical Assistant • As a multiskilled health professional educated to primarily work in ambulatory settings. • Performs both administrativeand clinicalprocedures.

8. Formal training for the medical assistant • Certificate training varies from six weeks to a year. Focus is typically on clinical skills. • Diploma programs is similar to certificate programs. Focus is on clinical and limited administrative skills. • Degree programs are approximately two years in length. Courses include clinical and administrative, professional development and general education courses.

9. Accrediting Agencies for Medical Assistant Programs • Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) • Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) • For more information on these accrediting bodies go to website below • CAAHEP - http://www.caahep.org • ABHES - http://www.abhes.org

10. Accreditation • A voluntary process to determine if a school meets or exceeds standards set by an accrediting body • Ensures that a school meets an established criteria • Ensures that a program in a school meets or exceeds standards • Learning outcomes for programs are competency-based

11. Curriculum Typically Found in MA Programs • Anatomy and physiology • Medical terminology • Medical law and ethics • Psychology • Human rights • Communication (oral and written) • Patient education • Medical assistant administrative procedures • Medical assistant clinical procedures • Professional components • Externship

12. The Medical Assistant Externship • Is a required component of the program • Externships take place in • physician’s offices • clinics • hospital settings

13. Lesson 2:Role and Responsibilities of the Medical Assistant

14. Critical Thinking Question • Why would an MA choose to work in one type of employment setting versus another?

15. Role and ResponsibilitiesMedical Assistant • Primary role is to assist the physician • Duties typically vary from office to office. • Size and type of setting determine the types of duties the medical assistant will perform. • Scope of practice (duties) vary due to federal and state regulations and guidelines.

16. AdministrativeDuties • Clerical; telephone, reports, data entry and filing • Processing insurance forms, handling referrals and coordinating managed care coverage • Handling financial agreements with patients • Providing • Managing the officeduring the physician’s absence • Ensuring compliance with HIPAA guidelines For an overview on HIPAA go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/hipaaGenInfo.

17. Good communication and social skills are required in each of them.

18. Helping maintain accurate patient records is a critical part of the medical assistant's work.

19. Good computer skills are now required to be a successful member of an office staff.

20. Clinical Responsibilities • Obtaining a medical history and assisting patients in preparation for physical exams and procedures • Vital signs, educating and instructing • Assisting the physicians with procedures • Performing routine clinical and Laboratory procedures • Venipunctures,electrocardiograms and collecting specimens • Inventory control

21. Medical assistants perform many functions in a physician's office or a clinic.

22. Medical assistants are often involved in confidential conversations between the physician and the patient.

23. Critical Thinking Question • Are MAs always expected to have both administrative and clinical skills?

24. The Occupational Analysis • The AAMA utilized a document called the DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) • Defines specific areas of instruction and competences for medical assisting • Identifies three major categories of competences for entry-level Medical Assistants • Administrative • Clinical • General or interdisciplinary • Study was revised in 2003 and again in 2007–2008

25. Qualities of a Good Allied Healthcare Professional • Competent to perform clinical and administrative skills. • Ability to communicate and collaborate with others. • Demonstrates: • Empathy • Integrity • Discretion • Confidentiality • Thoroughness • Congeniality • Proactivity • Punctuality • Appearance

26. Critical Thinking Question • How does an MA present a professional image?

27. How to Present a Professional Image • Develop a basic understanding of human behavior. • Exhibit good daily personal hygiene and grooming habits. • Provide quality care.

28. Lesson 3:Certification and Career Opportunities for the Medical Assistant

29. Certification and Career Opportunities Certifying organizations • American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) • American Medical Technologists (AMT) • National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) • National Healthcareer Association (NHA) • Places of employment • Physician’s offices • Ambulatory care clinics • Government agencies • Urgent care facilities • Free-standing facilities

30. Critical Thinking Question • Should medical assistants become certified, and if so why? • What qualifies an individual to sit for the CMA exam?

31. The American Association of Medical Assistants • Key association in the field of medical assisting. • Offers national certification for medical assistant credential. • AAMA Certification Exam • Offered to graduates of programs accredited by CAAHEP or ABHES. • Computerized exams available throughout the year. • Certification indicates that the candidate has met the standards of the AAMA for being an MA.

32. American Medical Technologists • Provides a Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) a national certification. • RMA is awarded to candidates who pass the AMT certification exam. • RMA certification exam focuses on three areas: • General medical assisting knowledge • Administrative medical assisting • Clinical medical assisting • Also provides certification for Medical Laboratory Technicians

33. Critical Thinking Question • What would qualify an individual to take the AMT certification exam?

34. Qualifications of RMA Certification

35. AMT Certification Requirements • Be of good moral character. • Must have graduated from an accredited program/organization. • Applicant must have completed a minimum of 720 clock-hours or equivalent of training.

36. Registered Medical Assistants • With additional experience, RMAs can apply for the Certified Medical Administrative Specialist credential (CMAS) • For more information on the AMT RMA certification exam and the CMAS AMT credential visit the following website: http://www.amt1.com

37. National Center for Competency Testing • Issues the National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) credential. • Must be a high school graduate • Must have completed an MA program or provide documentation of two years MA experience. • Continuation of certification requires 14 hours per year of continuing education.

38. National Certified Medical Office Assistant • Offered by the National Center for Competency Testing. • Must have a high school diploma • Must have completed a medical assisting program. • Available to nongraduates of a MA program but are able to provide documentation of two years working experience as an MA. • For more information on the NCCT visit the following website:http://www.ncctinc.com

39. National Healthcareer Association • A. Founded in 1989. • Grants the following two credentials: • Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA), Certified • Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA). • Qualified applicants must pass a professional examination. • To learn more about this organization visit http://www.nhanow.com

40. Critical Thinking Questions • What do you think the job outlook in the future for MAs might be? • What factors might impact the growth of the field of medical assisting?

41. Career Opportunities • Data Processing Clerk • Billing & Collections Assistant • Insurance Claims Processor • Clinic Aide • Clinical Assistant • Patient Technician • Patient Care Technician • Unit Clerk • Insurance Claim Coder • Medical Records Clerk • Medical Receptionist • Multifunctional Technician

42. Job Opportunities Inpatient and Ambulatory Care Settings

43. Job Opportunities Health Care Departments and Specialties

44. Statistics on Jobs in Medical Assisting • According to the U.S. Department of Labor • MAs held about 417,000 jobs in 2006 • 62% were employed by physician offices • 12% held positions in public and private hospitals • About 11% worked in the offices of other health care practitioners • 15% were employed in other health care industries • Projections: the field of medical assisting from 2002-2012 will be a fast-growing occupation • For more information on these statistics visit http://www.bls.gov/oco

45. Medical Laboratory Technician Career Description • Analyze body fluids and tissues using microscopes or complex automated instrumentation • Perform chemical, biological, hematological, immunologic, microscopic, and bacteriologic testing • The above testing may be used to match blood types for a transfusion or determine a patient’s glucose, cholesterol, drug level, etc. • Data entry of results • Troubleshoot unexpected results • Relay critical test results to other medical professionals including doctors and nurses

46. Qualifications • Good eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity • Communication and inter-personal skills, • Color blind, NO! • Close attention to detail • Must have good analytical judgment • Ability to work under stress and adapt to a fast paced environment • Current on all required vaccinations • Understanding that the nature of the work may put the individual at risk of coming into contact with infectious diseases

47. National Accrediting Agencies And Certifying Organizations • The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) • The Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) • The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) • Certifying Organizations • American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP) • American Medical Technologists (AMT) • American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB) 

48. Differences between CLS/MT and CLT/MLT • Many employers do not differentiate between CLS/MT and CLT/MLT for entry-level generalist positions* • The main difference is a bachelor’s degree will allow you to enter management positions *Source= www.naacls.org

49. Employment • Employment of clinical laboratory workers is expected to grow by 14 percent between 2008 and 2018, faster than the average for all occupations. • The volume of laboratory tests continues to increase with both population growth and the development of new types of tests. Source-http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos096.htm#outlook

50. Places of Employment • Most graduates will find employment in the following: • Hospitals • Clinical reference labs • Blood banks • Other places of employment with further education and experience include: • Public health organizations • Food science labs • Pharmaceutical companies