Administrative Health Professionals (AHP) Chapter 1

The Administrative Health Professional (AHP)

• The AHP role is critical in providing efficient, organized health care
• The AHP is a valued member of the health-care team
• The role of the AHP has become more responsible and complex over the years

Employment Opportunities

• Various job titles and employment opportunities are available for the AHP
• Occupational settings vary from fast-paced emergency rooms to less hectic environments of specialist’s offices
• Allied Health Care supports primary health care (e.g., physiotherapists and midwives)
• Alternative/Complementary Care offers non-traditional approaches (e.g., chiropractors and naturopaths)
• Employment can be found in many settings, including:
  • Office and community clinics
  • Public health agencies
  • Walk-in clinics
  • Mental health and palliative care
  • Hospital departments (e.g., emergency room, medical records, surgery, and radiology)
  • Social services
  • Insurance companies
  • Community colleges
  • LTC facilities
• Job titles include:
  • Medical Office Assistant (MOA)
  • Administrative Nursing Coordinator
  • Clinic Administrator/Manager
  • Medical Transcriptionist

Necessary Attributes and Skills of the AHP

• Attributes:
  • Professionalism
  • Cultural sensitivity
  • Analytic thinker
  • Good judgment
  • Calm demeanor
  • Empathy
• Skills:
  • Organizational skills
  • Effective communication
  • Keyboard speed and accuracy
  • Computer literacy
  • Health-care terminology
  • Anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology knowledge
  • Medical transcription skills

Ethical Principles in Health Care Settings

• Ethical principles provide guidance for ethical behavior and moral action
• Five ethical principles:
  • Autonomy: the right to make decisions without coercion
  • Veracity: honesty and integrity in words and actions
  • Faithfulness: meeting realistic expectations
  • Beneficence: acting in the best interests of others
  • Justice: fairness and moral/legal rights
• Five steps to ethical decision-making:
  1. Identify the problem
  2. Gather information
  3. Determine the ethical approach
  4. Make a decision
  5. Take action and analyze the results

Duties and Responsibilities

• Administrative duties:
  • Greet clients and validate health cards
  • Manage incoming/outgoing communications
  • Schedule appointments
  • Billing procedures
  • Coordinate and review diagnostics
  • Triage clients
  • Liaise between physician and pharmacists
  • Maintain an organized office
• Clinical duties:
  • Update charts
  • Escort patients to the exam room
  • Sanitize/disinfect instruments
  • Measure and record height/weight and vital signs
  • Assist during examinations
  • Educate patients about common procedures

Entering the Workplace

• Workplace environment:
  • Health-related workplace settings differ
  • Large primary care groups include a mix of health professionals
  • Smaller offices and clinics accommodate one or two doctors
  • Workplace settings are highly computerized, with some maintaining paper charts
• Résumé and job search:
  • Update résumé with current education, work experience, volunteer work, and relatable skills
  • Highlight relevance of skills and knowledge to the job being applied for
  • Proceed with an organized plan, using available resources, searching employment opportunities, and expanding your network

Professional Growth

• Continuing education:
  • Seminars/conferences
  • Additional training
  • Membership in professional associations
• Professional associations:
  • Association of Administrative Professionals
  • International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP)
  • National Association of Health Unit Coordinators (NAHUC)
  • The Medical Office Assistants’ Association of British Columbia
• Experience:
  • Simulated experience provides practical exposure
  • Applied learning from externship or cooperative work placements
  • Volunteer work is a satisfying way to prepare for your career