Medical Assistants:
The Profession
MA100 Instructor: Mayra M Howells
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.
Critical Thinking
Questions
1. How long has the medical assisting field
been in existence?
2. What has caused the field to grow?
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
American Association of
Medical Assistants
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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
Critical Thinking
Questions
1. Why is it important for medical assistants
to be formally trained?
2. Does the existence of organizations such
as the AAMA help the profession? If so,
how?
AAMA Definition of a
Medical Assistant
 As a multiskilled health professional
educated to primarily work in ambulatory
settings.
 Performs both administrative and clinical
procedures.
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.
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
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
Curriculum Typically
Found in MA Programs
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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
The Medical Assistant
Externship
 Is a required component of the program
 Externships take place in
 physician’s offices
 clinics
 hospital settings
Lesson 2:
Role and Responsibilities of the
Medical Assistant
Critical Thinking
Question
1. Why would an MA choose to work in one type
of employment setting versus another?
Role and Responsibilities
Medical 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.
Administrative Duties
 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 office during the physician’s
absence
 Ensuring compliance with HIPAA guidelines
For an overview on HIPAA go to
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/hipaaGenInfo.
Good communication and social skills are
required in each of them.
Helping maintain accurate patient
records is a critical part of the
medical assistant's work.
Good computer skills are now
required to be a successful member
of an office staff.
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
Medical assistants perform many
functions in a physician's office
or a clinic.
Medical assistants are often
involved in confidential
conversations between the
physician and the patient.
Critical Thinking
Question
1. Are MAs always expected to have both
administrative and clinical skills?
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
Qualities
of a Good Allied Healthcare
Professional
 Competent to perform clinical and
administrative skills.
 Ability to communicate and collaborate with
others.
 Demonstrates:
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Empathy
Integrity
Discretion
Confidentiality
Thoroughness
 Congeniality
 Proactivity
 Punctuality
 Appearance
Critical Thinking
Question
1. How does an MA present a professional image?
How to Present a
Professional Image
 Develop a basic understanding of human
behavior.
 Exhibit good daily personal hygiene and
grooming habits.
 Provide quality care.
Lesson 3:
Certification and Career
Opportunities for the Medical
Assistant
Certification and Career
Opportunities
Certifying organizations
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American
American
National
National
Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)
Medical Technologists (AMT)
Center for Competency Testing (NCCT)
Healthcareer Association (NHA)
Places of employment
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Physician’s offices
Ambulatory care clinics
Government agencies
Urgent care facilities
Free-standing facilities
Critical Thinking
Question
1. Should medical assistants become
certified, and if so why?
1. What qualifies an individual to sit for
the CMA exam?
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.
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
Critical Thinking
Question
1. What would qualify an individual to take
the AMT certification exam?
Qualifications of RMA
Certification
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.
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
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.
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
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
Critical Thinking
Questions
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What do you think the job outlook in the future for MAs
might be?
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What factors might impact the growth of the field of
medical assisting?
Career Opportunities
 Data Processing Clerk
 Billing & Collections
Assistant
 Insurance Claims
Processor
 Clinic Aide
 Clinical Assistant
 Patient Technician
 Patient Care Technician
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Unit Clerk
Insurance Claim Coder
Medical Records Clerk
Medical Receptionist
Multifunctional
Technician
Job Opportunities
Inpatient and Ambulatory Care Settings
Job Opportunities
Health Care Departments and Specialties
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
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
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
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)
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
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
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
Career Opportunities
 Medical Laboratory Technician=MLT
 Clinical Laboratory Technician=CLT
 Above terms are interchangeable and require
a two year program MLT=CLT
 Medical Laboratory Technologist=MT
 Clinical Laboratory Scientist=CLS
 MT and CLS are interchangeable and requires
a Bachelor’s degree MLT=CLT
Phlebotomy
 The ancient art of blood letting
 Dates back to ancient Egyptian and
Greek societies
 The practice was to eradicate spirits
and sickness
 In the 5th century BC, barbers where
the common practitioners of
blood letting
 Modern Day Phlebotomy: Phlebotomists
follow a set of safety protocols.
 They are trained, tested and certified in
Qualifications
 Ability to insert needles quickly and
accurately, Venipuncture
 Ability to adhere to safety standards
 Ability to deal with various difficult
patient situations and emergencies
 Able to acquire a sterile sample
 Ability to maintain accurate records and
follow exacting procedures for the proper
care of specimens
National Accrediting Agencies
And Certifying Organizations
 The National Accrediting Agency for
Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS)
 Certifying Organizations
 American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of
Certification (ASCP)
 American Medical Technologists (AMT)
 The National Center for Competency Testing
(NCCT)
 National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory
Personnel(NCALP)
 National Phlebotomy Association
Employment Outlook
 Employment opportunities for certified
phlebotomy technicians, are expected to
grow by 14% between 2008 and 2018
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Source-http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos096.htm#outlook
Places of Employment
 Hospitals
 Blood banks
 Commercial
laboratories
 Medical Office and
clinics
 Home health care
agencies
 Visiting nurse
organizations
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Pharmaceutical
Research labs
Prison hospitals
Military base
hospitals
Certification and Career
Opportunities
Certifying organizations
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American
American
National
National
Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)
Medical Technologists (AMT)
Center for Competency Testing (NCCT)
Healthcareer Association (NHA)
Places of employment
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Physician’s offices
Ambulatory care clinics
Government agencies
Urgent care facilities
Free-standing facilities
Thank You
for
Listening
?