A medical assistant, also known as a "clinical assistant" or healthcare assistant in the USA
is an
allied health professional
Allied health professions are health care professions distinct from optometry, dentistry, nursing, medicine, and pharmacy. They provide a range of diagnostic, technical, therapeutic, and support services in connection with health care.
Definitio ...
who supports the work of
physicians
A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...
,
nurse practitioners,
physician assistants and other health professionals, usually in a clinic setting. Medical assistants can become certified through an accredited program.
[BLS]
Medical assistants
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Medical assistants perform routine tasks and procedures in a medical clinic.
A "medical assistant" may be certified or registered, or may be a loosely defined group (covering related occupational titles such as "medical office assistant", "clinical assistant", "assistant medical officer", or "ophthalmic assistant"). The occupation should not be confused with
physician assistant
A physician assistant or physician associate (PA) is a type of Mid-level practitioner, mid-level health care provider. In North America PAs may diagnose illnesses, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and may serve as a pri ...
s, who are licensed professionals trained to practice medicine and perform surgical procedures in collaboration with a physician.
Overview
Medical assistants perform routine clinical and administrative duties under the direct supervision of a
physician or other health care professional. 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, performing some quasi-
secretarial duties, and handling billing and
book keeping
Bookkeeping is the recording of financial transactions, and is part of the process of accounting in business and other organizations. It involves preparing source documents for all transactions, operations, and other events of a business. ...
. Duties vary according to laws of the jurisdiction and may include taking medical histories and recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing patients for examination, and assisting during diagnostic examinations. 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, authorize drug refills as directed, telephone prescriptions to a pharmacy,
draw blood, prepare patients for
X-rays, take
electrocardiograms, remove sutures, and change dressings. They also facilitate communication between the patient and other health care professionals.
Some jurisdictions allow medical assistants to perform more advanced procedures, such as giving
injections or taking X-rays, after passing a test or taking a course.
According to the
International Standard Classification of Occupations, medical assistants normally require formal training in health services provision for competent performance in their jobs. Formal education usually occurs in post secondary institutions such as
vocational schools,
technical institutes,
community colleges,