What Are the Duties of a Medical Office Specialist?

The duties of a medical office specialist can vary depending upon the setting or specialty. For example, working in a hospital would most likely have different duties and policies than a private doctor's office.

Scheduling

Medical office specialists usually handle patient scheduling for appointments, X-rays, laboratory tests, or other medical procedures. Additionally, they answer phone calls from patients or other medical professionals. They pass the messages on to the doctor or nurse and return calls if necessary.

Bookkeeping

Most medical office specialists are in charge of keeping records. Some medical office specialists use special software to handle billing while others do it by hand. They may order supplies, deal directly with insurance companies and collect payments from patients.

Clerical

Clerical duties might include typing correspondence letters. Some medical office specialists transcribe patient records and put it into an electronic format.

Records

Maintaining and organizing patient records is a vital role in a medical office specialist's job. They must adhere to patient privacy laws.

Greeting

Greeting patients as they come in is another duty. At that time they collect insurance information and inform the nurse or doctor that the patient has arrived. New patients may require additional time such has having them complete a questionnaire. Often, the medical office specialist escorts the patient to the examination room.