What You Need To Know About The Administrative Medical Assistant

In the world of medical assistant jobs, careers are broken down into two basic categories: administrative and clinical

. The administrative medical assistant is not the one we typically think of in this job category yet the position is both legitimate and very much needed. More often than not administrative medical assistants work in private practice since or hospital-based health groups.

By definition, medical assistant jobs exist to provide support services to physicians. Workers are responsible for many of the tasks that are not easily quantifiable for nurses and doctors. In a clinical setting that would mean:

- assisting during medical examinations

- maintaining and sterilizing equipment

- maintaining and sterilizing patient examination rooms

- taking vital signs

- drawing blood or assisting in inoculations

- assisting during tests such as ECGs

The medical assistant in an administrative position is completely different. We will discuss that in the following paragraph, but it is important to note that oftentimes administrative and clinical responsibilities overlap in smaller practices.

Administrative Medical Assistant Jobs

Many people assume that those working in the front offices of a private practice are nothing more than secretaries with clerical experience. That is not usually the case. Even from a clerical standpoint, the medical field requires knowledge of specific terminology, medical billing systems, and other procedures that require specialized training. A good number of the staff members in a private practice are medical assistants.

The main responsibility of the administrative medical assistant is to keep the front office moving smoothly. This benefits patients by allowing them to see the doctor in a timely manner while also benefiting doctors and nurses by allowing them to forget about some of the headaches of the front office. Administrative medical assistants must be detail oriented, willing to be flexible, and proficient at interacting with both patients and the professional staff.

Medical Assistant Jobs and Technology

Today's administrative medical assistant has a lot more training under her belt than colleagues of years gone by. Advanced technology has a lot to do with it. For example, changes in federal regulations have resulted in a mandate requiring all medical facilities to transfer from a paper record keeping to computers.

Medical assistant jobs today require not only the medical knowledge but also a good understanding of medical software. This includes billing systems, medical reference systems, and record keeping systems across multiple networks. It is a completely new world for the administrative medical assistant; one he or she did not have to deal with just 10 years ago.

To keep up with technology certification programs for medical assistants are now including a fair amount of computer training. This sort training helps the new medical assistant hit the ground running upon graduation. It also gives a graduate of the leg up in finding a position in an administrative setting.

The medical assistant is an important part of the healthcare team whether he or she works clinically, administratively, or in a mixed position. Next time you visit your primary care physician be sure to thank the medical assistants for the fine work they do.

by: Kain Black

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