Medical Assistant (MA)

A Medical Assistant (MA) is a multi-skilled allied healthcare practitioner who is competent in both a wide variety of clinical and laboratory procedures, as well as many administrative roles. "Medical assistants have been described as healthcare's most versatile, multifaceted professionals."

Overview

In the United Kingdom a Medical Assistant is a member of the Royal Navy Medical Branch. Prior to the 1970s they were known as Sick Berth Attendants. The United States Navy equivalent is the Hospital Corpsman.

Another group known as Medical Assistants evolved in the United States in the early 1950s. These were a group of trained-on-the-job medical assistants gathered together to form a professional organization. Encouragement and support by the American Medical Association (AMA) lead to the creation of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), which was founded in 1956. The first president of this newly-formed organization was Maxine Williams.

In 1978 medical assisting as a profession was formally recognized by the United States Department of Education. And later, in 1991 the American Association of Medical Assistants approved the current definition of medical assisting:

"Medical Assisting is an allied health profession whose practitioners function as members of the health care delivery team and perform administrative and clinical procedures."

Education

Formal education of medical assistants usually occurs in vocational or technical institutes, community colleges, proprietary schools, or junior colleges. The course length usually ranges from 1 to 2 year programs, complete with externships. The curriculum presented must always be accredited if its graduates plan to become either certified or registered (see Certified Medical Assistant, Registered Medical Assistant) In 2002, there were 495 medical assisting programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and about 170 accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education School (ABHES). Accreditation by either CAAHEP or ABHES usually requires that the schools curriculum provide sufficient classroom, lecture, and laboratory time (if applicable) to each of the courses below.

=Administrative Courses

= Computer Applications
Manual Recording of Patients’ Data
Scheduling Appointments
Maintaining medical Records
Word Processing/Typewriting/Keyboarding
Coding/Insurance
Telephone Triage
Personnel Management

=General Courses

= Anatomy and Physiology
Behavioral Psychology
Pathophysiology
Medical Terminology
AIDS/HIV
Patient Education
Medical Law and Ethics

=Clinical Courses

= Phlebotomy
l Medical Asepsis/Infection Control
Pharmacology/Administration of Medications
Assisting Techniques/Physical Examination
Assisting with Minor Surgery
Basic Laboratory Procedures/Routine Blood and Urine Testing
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
X-Ray Theory and Positioning
Electrocardiogram (EKG)

Certification

Certification is a voluntary process which is strongly backed by the AAMA and a number of other well respected certification bodies in the USA as a way to guarantee competency of a medical assistant at a job-entry level. However, in order to be eligible for certification one must attend a school which has been accredited by either CAAHEP or ABHES. Certification is usually achieved by taking a test issued by the National Board of Medical Examiners and AAMA, or AMT, or NHA and is offered twice yearly, simultaneously, at over 200 different test sites across the United States.

Successful completion of the rather intense exam earns the taker the proper credentials to become a Certified Medical Assistant, or CMA. National certification is legally required in order for any medical assistant to adhere to CMA status. The title CMA then follows postnominally.

Recertification must occur every 5 years in order for one to maintain their credentials. There are two ways to do this; one may either continually earn continuing education hours by attending CMA meetings, conventions and seminars, or by completely retaking the initial exam to prove they still possess a certain level of knowledge.

Registration

A medical assistant may choose another possible credential over CMA, and become a Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) instead. Again, credentialing is completely voluntary. The American Technologists (AMT) agency is responsible for certifying MAs who choose this course.

AMT first began offering this certification in 1972 on the months of June and November, through a computerized exam, much like the one offered by the AAMA. AMT therefore has its own conventions and committees, bylaws, state chapters, officers, registrations and revalidation examinations.

To become eligible to hold the title of RMA a student must be at least 18-years-old, pass a medical assisting curriculum at a school accredited by either ABHES or CAAHEP and possess a minimum of 5 years experience. The initials RMA then follow the individual’s name.

RMAs have historically been very active in legislation, seeking protection for medical assistants, as well as continuously encouraging improved educational curriculums.

Scope of Practice

Medical Assisting is not a licensed profession (as of 2005), although this may change soon. This means that MAs must be under the supervision of a physician to practice, although in some occasions other licensed healthcare professionals such as Physicians Assistants (PA) and head Nurses are granted the right to supervise.

In several states unlicensed healthcare providers, including medical assistants, are required to have an authorization by the state in which they reside to perform needle injections; such as allergy testing, purified protein derivative (PPD) or Mantoux skin tests, and venipuncture. In other states MAs need permission from the state to expose patients to X-rays.

The AAMA has created a Role Delineation Chartwhich identifies all clinical, administrative, and general procedures MAs are trained for.

Career Opportunities

Career opportunities for medical assistants are extremely prevalent as the profession rises in demand and healthcare services expand. Indeed, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical assisting is projected to be the fastest growing occupation from 2002 through 2012. In 2002, MAs held about 365,000 jobs.

Traditionally, medical assistants have held jobs almost exclusively in ambulatory care centers, urgent care facilities, and physicians’ clinics. Recently this has begun to change. MAs now find employment in both private and public hospitals, as well as inpatient and outpatient facilities. They may now assist a wide variety of medical doctors, including specialists such as podiatrists, and are no longer bound as simply “generalists”.

Related careers in the health care industry for medical assistants who seek better professional options and better pay abound. Experienced medical assisatants often elect to crosstrain or transition into related fields. Careers that medical assistants may find attractive include medical records technician, medical data and coding assistant, medical billing clerk, medical transcriptionist, and phlebotomist. Some, with additional education become a pharmacy assistant or massage therapist.

References

Lindh, Wilburta Q. et al. Delmar’s Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies, 2nd Edition, Delmar, Albany, NY, 2002. ISBN 0-7668-2418-7

Considerations in Distance Education for the Medical Assistant Instructor ^*

External links

Healthcare occupations | Professional certification

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