Medical Assistant Responsibilities and Day-To-Day Operations

Front Desk Duties



Medical Office Management

Some medical assistants, especially those with combined skills and work experience in the front and back areas can eventually take on the role of the medical office's practice manager and administrator. Naturally, this role brings on a whole new set of duties and responsibilities in day-to-day operations, which may include, but not limited to accounting, marketing, strategic planning, interviewing, hiring, counseling, evaluating, training, scheduling, disciplining and firing staff. Another important aspect of becoming a medical office manager is being familiar with federal, state and local laws concerning the practice of medicine and human resource such as pay roll, sexual harassment, and legislation that addresses the scope of practice of medical office personnel, and guidelines including OSHA, ADA, EOE, FMLA, CLIA, COLA, JCAHO, FACTA, HIPAA, Stark I, II & III.

Role of the Medical Assistant - Essential to Medical Offices Everywhere

Anonymous said today...

CMAs are not nurses. They are not LPNs or RNs. CMAs cannot work independently. You don't have a license. You can't pass meds. As an LPN I do a full med pass (IM/SQ injections, PO meds, inhalers, etc...) treatments (wound tx, creams, etc). Neuro assessments, skin assessments, pain assessments, behavioral assessments... put phys orders in, change orders, order UAs based on MY assessments (MD can sign later). Deal with trachs, feeding tubes, ostomys, pressure ulcers, diabetics, PICC lines, post-op pts. you name it. And all of this is with a doctor not present. More responsibility = more pay and more respect and more knowledge. As far as vitals? Shit my STNAs do those. Do people really think getting vitals is a skill??? And when I'm working with crappy STNAs I also will wash and toilet my patients (all 26 of them). I bust my ass and I don't count it done unless I see a STNA do it or I do it myself. I'm sick of CMAs who walk a pt to a room, get a set of vitals, ask some questions and leave-acting like they have any idea what LPNs do. You dont even pass meds. Seriously. Know your role. LOL.

Just A Medical Assistant said:

Let's not belittle medical assistants and marginalize their role! Medical assistants are ESSENTIAL to the modern single-doctor or group medical practice within ANY medical specialty. Let me tell you, and other LPNs and nurses, who often are just as confused as to what medical assistants can and cannot do,  as you seem to be.

This is the SHORT summary of medical assistant duties:

Medical assistants are essential to the medical office. For every nurse in the medical office you now find at least 2 medical assistants, one in the front office, and one in the back. Medical assistants typically build strong, long lasting relationships with the doctor, their colleagues, nursing staff and patients. At the end of the day, they return home knowing they have made a difference in many people's lives in their community. If a mother has a sick child the administrative medical assistant will fit them into the doctor's schedule to be seen, if blood, or any other specimens need to be collected, such as a throat or wound swab for a bacterial culture, the clinical medical assistant will take care of that. Chances are the clinical medical assistant is fully trained and qualified to take the administrative medical assistant's chair up front, and the administrative medical assistant can slip into the role of the medical assist in the back handling clinical tasks under the supervision of the doctor.

If the doctor prescribes crutches, a walker, or cane, then it will be the medical assistant's responsibility to make sure the patient returns home knowing how to safely use these devices. The medical assistant's role is to make sure that adequate care and attention is given to each and every patient who arrives and leaves from their doctor's appointment, young or old, and of course, appropriately handle any unforeseen situations, including medical emergencies, promptly notifying the doctor of any such critical events.

Aside from "just" taking vital signs and "only" escorting a patient to the examination room medical assistants know how to use the latest Electronic Medical Records databases and software, explain treatment procedures, prepare, position and drape patients for examinations (yes, they do know what Trendelenburg is, distal, lateral, medial and supine, etc.), give injections, pulmonary function test, EKG, Holter monitor, splints, bandages, eye and ear lavage and assist the physician when asked during an exam, or a procedure.

They also respond to patient's concerns in a courteous and professional manner, route their messages to the intended person, and respond back with an answer if so requested, help patients obtain their prescriptions, show them how to correctly take medications, draw blood, monitor patients and make them feel comfortable during the entire visit.

Furthermore, the medical assistant keeps the doctor on schedule in a succinct manner, patients informed and comfortable, waiting and examination rooms clean, reception area and clinical floors on track and the office workflow running smoothly. And no matter how busy the office gets, from time to time they have to show new medical assistant hirees and medical assistant students on externship the ropes so they can learn the necessary routines. All in all, a medical assistant is an important contributor to the doctor's medical practice and business.

In Conclusion: I don't know what a STNA is; furthermore I have to add that many of the LPN skills listed in the above post truly fall under the classical nursing duties that is essential to in-patient, in-hospital, or nursing home care. Medical assistants do not wash patients, we don't toilet patients, and rarely do you attend or monitor patients with trachs, feeding tubes, ostomys, pressure ulcers, diabetics, PICC lines, or post-op patients in an ambulatory setting. With all due respect to the nursing profession, I do believe this LPN is working in a nursing home (where she is well within her element) and is mistaking medical assistants with nursing assistants, or, at least, not fully aware of the medical assistant's role and scope of practice. I hope this article and posted link helps.

---

More at Medical Assistant NET website.

Medical Assistant to RN

Are you a medical assistant ? Are you wishing to cross-train into another related medical assistant jobs or become a nurse? If you are contemplating a new direction there are many fitting career paths and opportunities in the medical office and allied health career field. The first step when deciding on a fitting career is to take time to assess what you do well. It's also important to explore the educational, training and career opportunities available in your particular area first. Another very important consideration is what a medical assistant and nurse gets paid.

MEDICAL ASSISTANTS

Medical assistants perform administrative and clinical duties under the direction of physician. Administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing and coding for insurance purposes. Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood and administering medications as directed by physician. Experienced medical assistants often elect to crosstrain or transition into these related fields to move on and up in their career.

Medical Assistant to RN

Can it be done? Many experienced allied health/healthcare professionals, especially highly skilled and motivated medical assistants, eventually cross-train into other health service occupations such as an X-ray or EKG technician, dental assistant, ophthalmic medical assistant, surgical technologist, phlebotomist, or massage therapist. Yet, others go back to school and become radiation or nuclear technologists, or licensed practical and registered nurses (LPN or RN). What ever your goal might be: with additional education and training anything is possible.

To learn more about the medical assisting career and what a medical assistant does please visit Medical Assistant Net on the Web. 

Medical Assistant Students Frustrated Over Medical Billing and Coding Expectations

Medical assistant students enrolled in medical assistant courses often have difficulties understanding the medical billing claim form and have problems understanding evaluation and management codes.

We often hear from frustrated students on our active online forums; many wind up venting.

One medical assistant student recently posted into the forum that her instructor wasn't very helpful; she felt the instructor apparently wasn't well versed in the medical billing and coding process herself and therefore was unable to explain the process in a manner that made it clear to the class. The students are frustrated and overwhelmed.



Another person posted a request for help:

I work for a Cardiologist. We are trying to get clarification on:
·        CPT 93454  (Catheter place in coronary arterty(s) for coronary angiography, imaging supervision, and interpretation

·        CPT 93458 (with left heart catherization including intraprocedural injection(s) for left ventriculogy, when performed

QUESTION: Can these two codes be billed together if both of these services are performed?

Medical Coding and Billing Questions in the Certification Exams

We receive many, many, many similar forum discussions from frustrated medical assistant certificants. Some posted right after taking the medical assistant certification exam where they stated that they were totally stumped over the amount of medical coding questions in the exam. The questions were multiple choice and asked about specific numeric codes, or modifiers, for a given specific diagnoses or procedures. Now, ask any medical assistant to cite a specific code without any reference book/manual; he/she would be hard-pressed to give the right one, since there are so many, not to mention specific modifiers.

Agnes told us:Hi, I just took the RMA exam today and I have to tell you that from the 206 questions none of them were in the AMT study book. I passed the test so I feel very lucky because it was very difficult. I was very disappointed because I felt the RMA test was not fair; they focused too much on the administrative area and I felt like it has nothing to do with the MA profession.

We also heard from a physical therapy instructor who teaches the basics of medical coding and billing as it pertains to PT because the majority of his students do their own billing and coding. One question this has raised is why do medical assistant students have to learn medical coding and billing and why is is such an extensive part of the medical assistant certification exams? Rather, shouldn't students who want to learn about it sign up for medical coding and billing classes?

Should Medical Assistants Learn Coding and Billing?

We can see where medical assistants (MA) need to have an idea of medical practice financial management, such as banking deposits, accounting and bookkeeping, dishonored check processing, payroll - and even that is nowadays often outsourced. Nevertheless, in any profession you should get a picture of how the whole kit and caboodle functions to make it run.

In our opinion, as far as medical assistant students being introduced to the billing and collections process in GENERAL is okay--only to give them a well-rounded understanding of the practice and how things work. This way, they can better address patient questions and communicate with the medical billing and coding staff efficiently should certain issues arise.

However, as far as actual billing and coding responsibilities in my role as a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA),  I was NEVER involved in the actual billing and coding process, neither were any of my medical assistant colleagues, with the exception of one medical office manager, who had worked her way up through the ranks as a medical assistant in a small single-physician office.

Many believe medical assistant programs who focus too much and dive too deep into the medical coding and billing process as part of their teaching curruculum are wasting their time. Most medical assistant students feel this time would be better spent drawing up injections, or drawing blood.