What Kind of Work Do Medical Assistants Do?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the need for medical assistants will increase by 35 percent over the next 2 decades, resulting in the creation of 148,000 new jobs. Those that work in the health care field as a medical assistant perform a variety of tasks to assist with patient care and office administration.
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Administrative Work
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Medical assistants are responsible for a number of administrative duties, such as answering phones, scheduling appointments, calling in prescriptions and refills, updating patient records and making arrangements for diagnostic testing or surgical procedures.
Setup
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Before a patient's appointment, the medical assistant is responsible for preparing the room by laying out instruments, replacing patient gowns and changing the paper coverings on examination tables. Throughout the day, the medical assistant cleans and sterilizes used instruments and may be responsible for washing linens.
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Primary Patient Work
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Medical assistants typically greet patients and escort them to the examination room. Once there, they check their vital signs, including height and weight, body temperature, pulse rate and respiration.
Other Patient Work
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Medical assistants work alongside the physician if she is performing any type of in-office procedure or complicated examination. In some states, medical assistants may be certified to give injections, take blood and perform X-rays, hearing and vision tests, or EKGs.
Education
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Medical assistants are often responsible for educating patients about a new diagnosis, medicationor upcoming procedure.
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