Medical Assisting Today—Why Credentialing Matters

Medical assisting is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the United States today. Rapid growth in the demand for health care makes this profession a great choice for people who want to get into the medical field. The greatest demand will be for medical assistants who have formal education and relevant, professional credentials in the field.

Medical assistants are trained to assist in physician practices, clinics, and other health care facilities by performing both administrative and clinical duties. A medical assistant’s role is flexible, yet the best option for employment is to complete formal training and seek credentials that validate his or her knowledge and expertise. Most physicians and other employers prefer to hire medical assistants who have graduated from an approved or accredited program of study. These programs range from diploma programs lasting approximately a year to associate degree programs lasting two years. The sites for training include vocational and technical schools as well as community colleges and universities. While formal training is not mandatory, it is highly recommended and it is required to become credentialed as either a certified medical assistant or a registered medical assistant. Programs of study for medical assistants generally cover the following topics:

• Anatomy and physiology
• Medical terminology
• Record keeping
• Insurance processing and billing/coding of claims
• Laboratory testing and specimen procurement
• Clinical and diagnostic procedures
• Pharmacology
• Office practices and procedures
• Medical law and ethics
• First aid and emergency care
• Pharmacology
• Nutrition
• Electronic medical records

An accredited educational program also includes a practicum experience in an ambulatory care setting.

Medical assistants work to keep the offices of health care professionals running smoothly and serve the needs of the patients. Currently:

• About 59% of medical assistants work in physicians’ offices
• About 15% work in state, local, or private hospital environments
• About 10% work in offices of other health care practitioners such as nurse practitioners, chiropractors, and podiatrists
• About 7% work in outpatient care centers

Though no states currently license or individually regulate medical assistant practice, duties may vary on a state-by-state basis. Some states do require special training for certain duties to be performed by the medical assistant. Some common duties of medical assistants include:

• Acquiring health and medical history information from patients
• Obtaining vital signs, including temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure
• Preparing patients for examinations and tests
• Assisting physicians with examinations, treatments, and procedures
• Performing venipuncture and capillary puncture
• Collecting and preparing laboratory specimens
• Performing basic office-based laboratory tests
• Sterilizing, sanitizing, and preparing medical equipment
• Providing patient instruction on diet, medications, preparation for tests, and other health information
• Performing electrocardiograms
• Purchasing and maintaining inventory of supplies and office equipment
• Scheduling appointments and facilitating referrals
• Assisting with pharmacy orders and refills as directed by the physician
• Managing patient phone contacts and computerized patient management systems
• Preparing billing, coding, and insurance claims
• Managing mail and correspondence for the office
• Administering medications via injection or nonparenteral routes
• Documenting in the electronic medical record

CAAHEP Standards and MAERB Core Curriculum

Programmatic accreditation is a means of validating the knowledge a medical assistant is expected to possess and the skills they are able to perform. The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) owns the standards for programs accredited through their organization. The core curriculum expected to be completed as part of the accredited program is defined by the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB). The MAERB core curriculum is noted in Appendix B of the following link: https://www.caahep.org/CAAHEP/media/CAAHEP-Documents/MedicalAssistingStandards.pdf.

Disclaimer: Inclusion of this core curriculum does not constitute any form of endorsement of this book by the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB) or the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).