Medical Assistant Duties

Medical assistants are the backbone of doctors’ offices, hospitals, and clinics alike. These professionals assist physicians, nurses, and medical office managers with a countless number of tasks. However, there are five medical assistant duties which remain constant throughout most healthcare facilities. Discover if they’re the types of responsibilities you might enjoy.

Patient Rooming

When patients visit the doctor’s office, a medical assistant is generally one of the first people they see. Medical assistants are often responsible for greeting patients in the waiting area, taking their vitals, escorting them to a room, and documenting their chief complaints. They also notify the physician when each patient is ready to be seen and sometimes even remain in the room to scribe, or record notes in a patient’s chart, during the exam.

Medical Testing

Blood draws and oral swabs are two common forms of testing that medical assistants perform. However, in specialized offices, medical assistants may be required to carry out additional assessments, as well. Those who work in optometry offices, for example, typically check color vision, measure eye pressure, take retinal photos, and perform other routine vision tests before a patient meets with the optometrist.

Treatment Assistance

Once a doctor has examined a patient and studied any necessary test results, they then may rely on medical assistants to assist them with clinical treatment. However, it is important to note that the type of care medical assistants provide varies widely from specialty to specialty. Chiropractic assistants, for instance, may perform traction therapy, while medical assistants who work in podiatry and OB/GYN offices may aid physicians with minor surgeries.

Prescription Education

Though a physician’s script may state the name and dosage of a medication, it is important for someone to have a verbal conversation with the patient about the drug and how it is best administered. Often, medical assistants are the ones responsible for this task. Medical assistants generally call the prescription order in to the patient’s pharmacy, as well.

Administrative Support

When the front desk is busy or short-staffed, medical assistants may be asked to assist. Thus, they may schedule appointments, check in patients when they arrive, verify insurance benefits, and prepare billing statements. This is most common in small offices where employees must wear many hats.

Learn How to Perform Routine Medical Assistant Duties at EBI

As you can see, medical assisting is a broad discipline that can inject variety into your daily life. Those who bore quickly sitting behind a desk may enjoy this diverse and rewarding career. If the medical assistant duties mentioned above sound appealing to you, contact EBI’s Vestal campus at 607-729-8915 to receive information about their medical assisting degree program.

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