Medical Assistant Research Paper

Medical Assistants and their importance in the healthcare field

Olivia N. Ladner

Miller-Motte Technical College

Medical Assistants and their importance in the healthcare field

Medical Assistants work under the supervision and direction of Registered Nurses, and are relied on more heavily today than in previous years in the healthcare field. They have a multitude of activities and responsibilities. The importance of a Medical Assistant ranges from assisting physician’s in hospitals, doctor’s offices, and medical clinics; to performing a combination of administrative and clinical duties. A Medical Assistant working in a smaller practice may have duties in the administrative area of the clinic. Medical Assistants must be outgoing, courteous,

and friendly to work successfully with the different personalities they encounter, including physicians, nurses, co-workers, adolescent, and adult patients, laboratory personnel, and insurance staff. (Tronshaw www.ehow.com 2015)
More often than not, doctors and nurses are not afforded much time to spend with patients so, a Medical Assistant is relied upon to fill in, in these areas.

Medical Assistants most often deal with patients who are enduring physical and emotional difficulties, so they must empathize with their patients, and treat them with kindness, caring gentleness, and project an inspirational, and reassuring demeanor. Doctors and nurses divulge information quickly and may be too busy to repeat themselves; patients may be too embarrassed or uncomfortable to repeat themselves, especially if discussing their health issues or medical history. (Tronshaw www.ehow.com 2015)

A Medical Assistant often provides a more comfortable atmosphere for a patient to further inquire about their diagnosis, test results, and procedures which can give the patients additional piece of mind. This is because a Medical Assistant can easily relate to the patient in an easy –to-understand manner. (Tronshaw www.ehow.com

2015)
Medical Assistants are important administratively also. While working in the administrative position a Medical Assistants obligation will be to come in at least thirty minutes early before opening hours to setup, and prepare to open the office. After the opening of the office the M.A. will need to pull charts for the next day’s appointments, and organize patient records. While checking in patients it is essential to be courteous and always put on a happy face when greeting patients as they arrive. Medical Assistants have to be very proficient at multitasking. They must take incoming phone calls, and schedule appointments. With established patients you will have to update their patient records, and help new patients fill out paper work. After you have gotten the patients information, you will need to collect the insurance copayments, and give patients their balances due. Keeping the reception area clean, and safe is very important, it is the first perception the patient has of the office. In some cases there may be disturbances in the reception area that need to be managed, or even a medical emergency, to where you may have to give CPR or first aid to a patient. It is very important to respect the patients wait time in the reception area, most patients don’t like to wait no more than twenty minutes. The Medical Assistant working the administrative position must check on patients and notify them if they see that the patient will have to wait longer. They will need to escort the patient to the exam room, and have them prepare for their exam. At the end of the day the Medical Assistant will need to document any patient no-shows, lock up all personal files and close the office. If these administrative duties are not done with care and precision, it can lead to a substandard level of patient satisfaction. (Pearson comprehensive medical assisting second edition 8:1 text 2015).
Medical Assistants bear an important role in the clinical area of a medical facility by recording the patient’s preliminary information of which a doctor or nurse will use in determining the patients’ health factors and/or health risks.

Once the patient is called to the back he/she will record the patients’ weight and height. They will escort the patient to the exam room, where they will carry out patient history interviews, and take and record the patient’s temperature, blood pressure, and respiration rate. If the patient has to be disrobed for examination the Medical Assistant will give the patient a paper gown to put on after he/she has left out of the room. With law suits today physicians prefer for the Medical Assistant to be in the room at all times especially when the patient is a child or a women getting a breast, or vaginal examination. They also assist the physicians in the examinations or surgical procedures by handing them the instruments needed and helping with any other request that might be needed in the exam room to help make the procedure go quickly. They relieve doctors and nurses of a great deal of time consuming functions by way of performing procedures such as venipuncture, administering immunizations, collecting, and preparing laboratory specimens, removing sutures, and changing dressings. Further, they can notify patients of laboratory results, give prevention reminders, instruct patients about medications or special diets, perform basic laboratory

tests, prepare or administer oral or intramuscular medications as directed, perform ECGs, sanitize instruments, and are responsible to maintain strict patient confidentiality. (Tache, MD, MPH and Chapman,PHD,RN/www.aafp.org/2005/ 2015)
In conclusion, a Medical Assistant is not only important to the health industry; they are necessary and vital in order to significantly reduce and, in some cases, completely alleviate many duties that would otherwise slow the progress of doctors and nurses caring for patients timely and efficiently. With a Medical Assistant effectively carrying out their many duties, it frees valuable time for the doctors and nurses to accomplish other health care responsibilities with greater focus and that leads to a higher level of patient care.