Medical Assistants

A Physician Assistant is also known as a P.A. They work under the doctor’s and physician’s supervision. P.A should not in any way be confused with the term ‘medical assistant’. Medical assistants are the ones that perform clerical tasks and also routine clinical tasks. P.As (Physician Assistants) are well-trained and are able to provide health services, therapeutic and diagnostic services. These are the same services that physicians provide. P.As also have other duties such as managerial duties.

Clinical and administrative tasks are performed by a medical assistant and his/her purpose is to make sure that the podiatrists’, physicians’ and chiropractors’ offices are running smoothly. These assistants should not in any way be confused with P.As. Medical Assistants have duties and their duties vary, and this all depends on the practice’s size and the specialty of the practitioner. Medical assistants are also known as generalists when it comes to small practices. They handle both clinical and also administrative duties. They report to a health practitioner, office manager or physician. In larger practices the medical assistants specialize in a certain area and they are supervised by the department administrators.

There were around 387,000 medical assistant jobs in 2004, and 6 out every 10 assistants worked offices with physicians. 14 percent of medical assistants worked in private hospitals and public hospitals. This included outpatient and inpatient facilities. Furthermore, 11 percent worked offices with practitioners, podiatrists, chiropractors, and optometrists. The rest of the medical assistants worked in care centers, private and public educational services, nursing care services, ambulatory services, government agencies, diagnostic and medical laboratories, and employment services.

Medical assisting will become one of the quickest growing occupations by 2008, and this is according to Bureau of Labor in the U.S. Options for employment include administrative medical work or office manager assistant, medical transcriptionist, assistant in medical laboratory and medical coder, phlebotomy technician.

Medical assistants in clinics are able to take on electrocardiography and also lab tests. They also assist physicians with procedures and also administer medications. Medical assistants in administrations take on tasks that business related, and these are medical coding, billing, and also completing claims – mainly insurance.

Clinical and administrative tasks are also taken on by clinic medical assistants, and this is done under the supervision of the physician at hospitals, physician offices and HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations).

Earnings in medical assisting vary when it comes to skill level, experience, and also the geographic location.