Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Medical Assistant: Online Medical Assistant Classes

St. Augustine Medical Assistant School offers online training classes for studnets entering the medical assistant profession. Medical assistants are multi-skilled health professionals who perform a wide range of roles in physicians offices, clinics, and other healthcare settings. They are proficient in a multitude of administrative and clinical tasks. Medical assistants are widely employed by doctors as vital members of the healthcare delivery team.
Our Medical Assisting program includes courses in anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, medical law and ethics, medical insurance and coding, pharmacology, and medical office procedures.

Medical Assistant: Online Medical Assistant Classes

St. Augustine Medical Assistant School offers online training classes for studnets entering the medical assistant profession. Medical assistants are multi-skilled health professionals who perform a wide range of roles in physicians offices, clinics, and other healthcare settings. They are proficient in a multitude of administrative and clinical tasks. Medical assistants are widely employed by doctors as vital members of the healthcare delivery team.
Our Medical Assisting program includes courses in anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, medical law and ethics, medical insurance and coding, pharmacology, and medical office procedures.

Friday, July 14, 2006

Medical Assistant FAQa

FAQs on Medical Assisting
For your convenience, here are answers to frequently asked questions regarding the medical assisting profession.
Q. What responsibilities can be included in a medical assistant's job description?
A. Duties vary from office to office depending on location, size and specialty.
Administrative duties may include...
Using computer applications
Answering telephones
Greeting patients
Updating and filing patient medical records
Coding and filling out insurance forms
Scheduling appointments
Arranging for hospital admissions and laboratory services
Handling correspondence, billing and bookkeeping Clinical duties vary by state, but may include...
Taking medical histories
Explaining treatment procedures to patients
Preparing patients for examination
Assisting the physician during the exam
Collecting and preparing laboratory specimens
Performing basic laboratory tests
Instructing patients about medication and special diets
Preparing and administering medications as directed by a physician
Authorizing prescription refills as directed
Drawing blood
Taking electrocardiograms
Removing sutures and changing dressings

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

The Medical Assistant

Nature of Medical Assistants Job:

Medical assistants perform administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health practitioners running smoothly. They should not be confused with physician assistants, who examine, diagnose, and treat patients under the direct supervision of a physician.

The duties of medical assistants vary from office to office, depending on the location and size of the practice and the practitioner’s specialty. In small practices, medical assistants usually are generalists, handling both administrative and clinical duties and reporting directly to an office manager, physician, or other health practitioner. Those in large practices tend to specialize in a particular area, under the supervision of department administrators.

Medical assistants perform many administrative duties, including answering telephones, greeting patients, updating and filing patients’ medical records, filling out insurance forms, handling correspondence, scheduling appointments, arranging for hospital admission and laboratory services, and handling billing and bookkeeping.

Clinical duties of a medical assistant vary according to State law and include taking medical histories and recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing patients for examination, and assisting the physician during the examination.

Medical assistants collect and prepare laboratory specimens or perform basic laboratory tests on the premises, dispose of contaminated supplies, and sterilize medical instruments. They instruct patients about medications and special diets, prepare and administer medications as directed by a physician, authorize drug refills as directed, telephone prescriptions to a pharmacy, draw blood, prepare patients for x rays, take electrocardiograms, remove sutures, and change dressings.

Medical assistants also may arrange examining room instruments and equipment, purchase and maintain supplies and equipment, and keep waiting and examining rooms neat and clean.

Medical Assistant distance education programs are now helping to train medical assistants for successful and very rewarding careers in the healthcare profession.

Medical Assistant Blogs

Medical Assistant Blogs:
Additional Blog information about medical assistant careers and training is also available at: http://medicalassistantblog.blogspot.com

Click here to return to St. Augustine Medical Assistant School Online.

Medical Assistant

Top: Health: Professions: Medical Assistant

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Medical Assistant Emploment

The health care industry consists of the following nine segments:
Hospitals. Hospitals provide complete medical care, ranging from diagnostic services, to surgery, to continuous nursing care. Some hospitals specialize in treatment of the mentally ill, cancer patients, or children. Hospital-based care may be on an inpatient (overnight) or outpatient basis. The mix of workers needed varies, depending on the size, geographic location, goals, philosophy, funding, organization, and management style of the institution. As hospitals work to improve efficiency, care continues to shift from an inpatient to outpatient basis whenever possible. Many hospitals have expanded into long-term and home health care services, providing a wide range of care for the communities they serve.
Nursing and residential care facilities. Nursing care facilities provide inpatient nursing, rehabilitation, and health-related personal care to those who need continuous nursing care, but do not require hospital services. Nursing aides provide the vast majority of direct care. Other facilities, such as convalescent homes, help patients who need less assistance. Residential care facilities provide around-the-clock social and personal care to children, the elderly, and others who have limited ability to care for themselves. Workers care for residents of assisted-living facilities, alcohol and drug rehabilitation centers, group homes, and halfway houses. Nursing and medical care, however, are not the main functions of establishments
Offices of physicians. About 37 percent of all health care establishments fall into this industry segment. Physicians and surgeons practice privately or in groups of practitioners who have the same or different specialties. Many Physicians and surgeons prefer to join group practices because they afford backup coverage, reduce overhead expenses, and facilitate consultation with peers. Physicians and surgeons are increasingly working as salaried employees of group medical practices, clinics, or integrated health systems. Most medical assistants work in doctors offices.
Offices of dentists. About 1 out of every 5 health care establishments is a dentist’s office. Most employ only a few workers, who provide general or specialized dental care, including dental surgery.
Home health care services. Skilled nursing or medical care is sometimes provided in the home, under a physician’s supervision. Home health care services are provided mainly to the elderly. The development of in-home medical technologies, substantial cost savings, and patients’ preference for care in the home have helped change this once-small segment of the industry into one of the fastest growing parts of the economy.
Offices of other health practitioners. This segment of the industry includes the offices of chiropractors, optometrists, podiatrists, occupational and physical therapists, psychologists, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, dietitians, and other health practitioners. Demand for the services of this segment is related to the ability of patients to pay, either directly or through health insurance. Hospitals and nursing facilities may contract out for these services. This segment also includes the offices of practitioners of alternative medicine, such as acupuncturists, homeopaths, hypnotherapists, and naturopaths.
Outpatient care centers. The diverse establishments in this group include kidney dialysis centers, outpatient mental health and substance abuse centers, health maintenance organization medical centers, and freestanding ambulatory surgical and emergency centers.
Other ambulatory health care services. This relatively small industry segment includes ambulance and helicopter transport services, blood and organ banks, and other ambulatory health care services, such as pacemaker monitoring services and smoking cessation programs.
Medical and diagnostic laboratories. Medical and diagnostic laboratories provide analytic or diagnostic services to the medical profession or directly to patients following a physician’s prescription. Workers may analyze blood, take x rays and computerized tomography scans, or perform other clinical tests. Medical and diagnostic laboratories provide the fewest number of jobs in the health care industry.
In the rapidly changing health care industry, technological advances have made many new procedures and methods of diagnosis and treatment possible. Clinical developments, such as organ transplants, less invasive surgical techniques, skin grafts, and gene therapy for cancer treatment, continue to increase the longevity and improve the quality of life of many Americans. Advances in medical technology also have improved the survival rates of trauma victims and the severely ill, who need extensive care from therapists and social workers as well as other support personnel.
In addition, advances in information technology continue to improve patient care and worker efficiency with devices such as hand-held computers that record notes on each patient. Information on vital signs and orders for tests are transferred electronically to a main database; this process eliminates the need for paper and reduces recordkeeping errors.
Cost containment also is shaping the health care industry, as shown by the growing emphasis on providing services on an outpatient, ambulatory basis; limiting unnecessary or low-priority services; and stressing preventive care, which reduces the potential cost of undiagnosed, untreated medical conditions. Enrollment in managed care programs—predominantly preferred provider organizations, health maintenance organizations, and hybrid plans such as point-of-service programs—continues to grow. These prepaid plans provide comprehensive coverage to members and control health insurance costs by emphasizing preventive care. Cost effectiveness also is improved with the increased use of integrated delivery systems, which combine two or more segments of the industry to increase efficiency through the streamlining of functions, primarily financial and managerial. These changes will continue to reshape not only the nature of the health care workforce, but also the manner in which health care is provided.

Medical Assistant Links:
Medical Assistant Education
Medical Assistant School

Health Care: Jobs: Medical Assistant

Heathcare: Jobs: Medical Assistant
As the largest industry in 2004, health care provided 13.5 million jobs—13.1 million jobs for wage and salary workers and about 411,000 jobs for the self-employed.
8 out of 20 occupations projected to grow the fastest are in health care.
More new wage and salary jobs—about 19 percent, or 3.6 million—created between 2004 and 2014 will be in health care than in any other industry.
Most workers have jobs that require less than 4 years of college education, but health diagnosing and treating practitioners are among the most educated workers. Combining medical technology and the human touch, the health care industry administers care around the clock, responding to the needs of millions of people—from newborns to the critically ill. Also working in the healthcare system are medical assistant that work in medical offices and other settings.
About 545,000 establishments make up the health care industry; they vary greatly in terms of size, staffing patterns, and organizational structures. About 76 percent of health care establishments are offices of physicians, dentists, or other health practitioners. Although hospitals constitute only 2 percent of all health care establishments, they employ 40 percent of all workers.

Sunday, July 09, 2006

Medical Assistant Employment

Medical Assistant Employment
In 2002, there were about 365,000 medical assistants in the United States. Almost 60% of medical assistants work in physicians offices. About 14% work in private or public hospitals. 10% work in the offices of other health practitioners. The remainder worked in outpatient care centers, public and private educational services, other ambulatory healthcare services, state and local government agencies, medical and diagnostic laboratories, nursing care facilities, and employment services.

Medical Assistant Job Outlook
The need for medical assistants is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations over most of the next decade. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it is projected to be the fastest growing of all occupations through 2012. Job growth will be driven by the growth of the healthcare industry. Job prospects will be best for individuals with formal training, certification, and experience.

Medical Assistant Career

Become A Medical Assistant
This article provides an overview of medical assistant careers and the requirements to become a medical assistant. This article will outline medical assistant job duties, salary levels, and employment prospects, as well as discuss the career's necessary skills, training, educational requirements, and certification requirements.
Medical Assistant Job Duties
Medical assistants perform routine administrative and clinical tasks in the offices of medical practitioners. Their duties will vary depending on the size, type, and location of a medical practice. In smaller practices, medical assistants tend to be generalists with both clinical and administrative duties, reporting either to an office administrator or physician. In larger practices, medical assistants tend to specialize and report to a supervisor or department administrator. The administrative duties of a medical assistant may include:
Answering telephones
Greeting patients
Updating and filing patient's medical records
Filling out insurance forms
Correspondence
Scheduling appointments
Arranging for hospital admission
Handling billing and bookkeeping
The clinical duties of a medical assistant vary according to individual state law. Clinical duties can include:
Taking medical histories
Recording vital signs
Explaining treatment procedures or instructing patients about medications and special diets
Preparing patients for examination
Assisting the physician during the examinations
Collecting and preparing laboratory specimens
Performing basic laboratory tests on the premises
Disposing of contaminated supplies
Sterilizing medical instruments
Preparing and administering medications as directed by a physician
Authorizing drug refills as directed
Telephoning prescriptions to a pharmacy
Drawing blood
Preparing patients for x rays
Taking electrocardiograms
Removing sutures
Changing dressings
Arrange examining-room instruments and equipment
Maintaining supplies and equipment
Medical assistants should not be confused with physicians assistants, who typically have broader clinical duties. Some medical assistants in specialist's offices may have additional specialized clinical duties.
Medical assistants typically work a 40-hour work week. Some work nights and weekends. Some work part-time.
Medical Assistant Job Skills
Medical assistant skills include:
Courteous and pleasant manner to effectively deal with the public and to be able to put patients at ease
Manual dexterity and visual acuity to perform certain clinical duties
Strong attention to detail to perform clinical duties accurately and efficiently
Excellent verbal communication skills to be able to explain physician's instructions
Strong ethical and confidentiality standards because of confidential patient medical information that they handle
Good organizational skills to effectively deal with patient records and other administrative tasks
Medical Assistant Income
Salaries for medical assistants vary depending on experience, skill level, and location. As of 2002, salaries for medical assistants were around $23,940, with the top 10% earning more than $34,130. Earnings for medical assistants vary by industry segment with the median annual incomes for the industries employing the largest number of medical assistants being:

General medical and surgical hospitals
$24,460
Physicians offices
$24,260
Outpatient care centers
$23,980
Other health care services
$23,440
Offices of other practitioners
$21,620

Also, see related careers such as: Nursing Assistant

Friday, July 07, 2006

Medical Assistant Education

Medical Assistant education and medical assistant classes are available online at the St. Augustine Medical Assistant School. Medical assistants perform administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health practitioners running smoothly. They should not be confused with physician assistants, who examine, diagnose, and treat patients under the direct supervision of a physician.

Medical assistants may be able to advance to office manager. They may qualify for a variety of administrative support occupations or may teach medical assisting. With additional education, some enter other health occupations, such as nursing and medical technology.

Medical Assistant Employment:
Medical assistants held about 387,000 jobs in 2004. About 6 out of 10 worked in offices of physicians; about 14 percent worked in public and private hospitals, including inpatient and outpatient facilities; and 11 percent worked in offices of other health practitioners, such as chiropractors, optometrists, and podiatrists. The rest worked mostly in outpatient care centers, public and private educational services, other ambulatory health care services, State and local government agencies, employment services, medical and diagnostic laboratories, and nursing care facilities.

Sunday, July 02, 2006