Medical Assistant Vocabulary

Medical Assistant Vocab

• Accreditation is credit or recognition from a regional or national organization for maintaining certain standards.
• A continuing education unit is a unit of participation in professional continuing education.
• Fee spitting is the practice of sharing fees with colleagues, especially for making referrals.
• Health coaching is a process that helps patients identify their values related to health, set health goals, and take steps to meet personal goals.
• Initiative is the ability to begin or follow through on a plan without supervision.
• A patient navigator is a person whose role is to remove obstacles to patients accessing or receiving treatment.
• Practicum is practical work experience.
• Risk management is the development of practices and procedures minimizing the chances of the practice being sued by the patient or disciplined by a regulatory agency.
• Time management is the use of skills and techniques to manage time to accomplish or meet goals.

Changes Over Time

• Due to insurance, medical offices are expected to complete insurance forms to receive payments, which are offset by improved cash flow.
• Advances in medical science brought more diagnostic tests and treatments, making it sensible to have assistants complete tasks.
• Insurance companies and government programs now expect electronic claims, requiring more staff to use technology.
• Physicians do not do house calls anymore and see more patients in offices, so more staff are needed. In addition, patients require more complex care.
• As services expanded, physicians employed nurses, but they could not work the technology, so doctors had to find candidates to do patient care and administrative duties.

Professionalism

• CAAHEP, or the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education, defines medical assistant professionalism.
• AAMA, or the American Association of Medical Assistants, also defines the professionalism standards for medical assistants.
• Dependability, honesty, and tolerance are important traits of a medical assistant.
• Caring is expressed by having a serious drive to help others, communicating this when interacting with patients, and prioritizing others' needs.
• Neatness and grooming are important because they project respect for the patient's dignity.
• Neatness and grooming reduce doubts about the office staff.
• Neatness is important for health and safety (hair carries bacteria and should be in a ponytail or bun).
• Scented products can aggravate allergies or respiratory issues.
• Clinical staff wear scrubs.
• Administrative staff wear scrubs or business-casual street clothes.
• Doing things that need to be done without being asked are how to demonstrate initiative.
• Keeping up with current issues in practice without being told is how to demonstrate initiative.
• Planning as well as setting and prioritizing are the principles of good time management.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of how time has been spent are principles of good time management.
• Personal organizers, planning books, scheduling/info, management software, and task lists are tools for good time use.
• AMA's Principles of Medical Ethics, state and federal regulations, the national medical board of their specialty, and regulations of physicians' hospitals are sources of information about professional practice for physicians.
• Hippocrates authored an oath that served as good conduct for ancient physicians.
• Admitting mistakes, staying within the scope of practice, maintaining confidentiality, staying current, and upholding the profession's honor are ethical standards.
• AAMA (American Medical Association) and AMT (American Medical Technologists) provide written sets of standards that provide guidance for professional medical assistants.
• Certification is a process by which an organization verifies one's credentials.
• Licensure is a process by which the state examines qualifications and gives permission to engage in a profession or business.
• Licensure allows one to work under themself.
• Certification means to work under others.
• Graduating from an accredited medical assisting program and taking the AAMA Certified Medical Assistant Exam are needed to become a certified medical assistant through the American Association of Medical Assistants.
• Graduation from a medical assisting program that includes at least 72 hours of training in an institution accredited by the Department of Education is criteria to become a registered medical assistant through the American Medical Technologists.
• Alternative criteria includes graduating from a formal medical services program of the US Armed Forces or being employed in the profession for 5 years.
• National Center for Competency Testing, National Healthcare Association, and California Certifying Board of Medical Assistants are other organizations that provide certification for medical assistants.
• CPR credentials, certified coding associates, and separate phlebotomy certification are credentials other than a certification that the medical assistant may be advised to obtain.
• Continuing education units and contact hours are continuing education requirements needed for recertification. These can be obtained from certified educational programs.
• A medical assistant schedules and documents appointments, maintains medical records, files records and reports, and prints returned reports.
• A medical assistant pays utilities/staff salaries/insurance and maintains records of bills as well as accepts and enters payments into the office computer.

Clinical Responsibilities

• Collecting and processing specimens for testing is a clinical responsibility.
• Performing EKGs, respiratory testing, and other diagnostic tests are clinical responsibilities.
• Preparing patients for examination (taking medical histories, weighing the patient, taking vitals, and getting the chief complaint), are clinical responsibilities.
• Preparing exam/treatment rooms for patients is a clinical responsibility.
• Helping physicians with exams and procedures by getting the patient ready in an exam room, passing instruments and supplies, removing sutures, changing sterile dressings, and setting up equipment and supplies are clinical responsibilities.
• Performing nebulizers and applying hot or cold packs and administering meds and vaccines are clinical responsibilities.
• Providing emergency care and administering first aid is a clinical responsibility.
• A medical assistant must be prepared to give first aid in an emergency.
• Medical assistants must purchase and be responsible for supplies and laundry lab coats. They also must keep an inventory of supplies and recommend changes.
• Educating patients in office procedures, giving health maintenance information, and explaining management of chronic conditions are all types of instructions for patients.
• Patient education is giving your patient knowledge about their health, but health coaching is teaching patients how to apply knowledge, such as setting health-related goals.
• Medical assistants function as patient navigators to help patients with complex health needs to access and receive appropriate referrals to additional healthcare services.
• Doctor's offices, hospitals, and specialist practices are common types of health care facilities where medical assistants find employment.
• It is unethical for physicians to receive payment for referrals.
• It is unethical for physicians to abuse their power to pressure patients to use pharmacies or labs in which they have a financial interest
• It is unethical and bribery to accept gifts from pharmaceutical companies or new medications.
• It is unethical to allow medical assistants to do stuff they are unlicensed to do
• It is unethical to have a sexual relationship with a patient, due to power imbalance
• It is unethical, dishonest, and dangerous to the patients to treat them for stuff outside your specialty.
• A medical assistant in Idaho can test urine, obtain samples, administer immunizations, do blood testing, and authorize prescription refills.
• Medical assistants cannot perform physical examinations.
• Scope of practice refers to tasks that a person licensed or certified as a healthcare professional is permitted to do, determined by state statutes and rules of licensing/certifying entities.