Medical Assisting

Front Office

Back Office

The Patient

Diagnostic Procedures

Relate the concepts of professionalism and career readiness to the delivery of quality patient care. Demonstrate all of the following professional characteristics in a classroom lab setting:

Describe professional workplace etiquette as it relates to greeting, escorting, responding to, and instructing patients. Explain the process of collecting new and updated information from patients. Create and perform role-plays to demonstrate professional workplace etiquette and information gathering concepts.

Investigate the expectations a medical office has for a CCMA in the front office related to:

Design a comprehensive on-boarding session for a new employee that explains the multiple sources of reimbursement in healthcare services including a glossary of terms. Report on the following areas:

Analyze specific laws and ethical issues that impact professional practice such as confidentiality, informed consent, and patient self-determination. Summarize the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), in particular those aspects related to maintaining confidentiality, patient rights, patient safety, and other ethical/legal directives governing medical treatment. Citing specific textual evidence to support analysis, debate these issues in an oral or written format.

Differentiate between the common members of the patient care team summarizing the individual roles and the interrelatedness of the team members as it relates to quality patient care. Prepare an informative artifact to explain the concept of team-based care to a patient.

Examine policies and procedures related to diagnostic equipment safety, quality control monitoring, and evaluation. Synthesize information into a digital or written presentation to instruct appropriate staff on the importance of safety practices and the implementation of quality control processes according to policy.

Using guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in a clinical setting, devise a workplace information sheet on the levels of infection control. Demonstrate mastery of concepts and skills related to:

Summarize the elements of containment regarding, fire safety, chemical hazards, electrical safety, mechanical safety, general lab safety, accidental exposure, and disaster preparedness. Demonstrate these elements in all classroom lab activities and patient care simulations.

Research the medical assistant’s scope of practice regarding medication administration in Tennessee and create a comprehensive list of medication administration routes the medical assistant may use. Demonstrate a working knowledge of the 50 most commonly prescribed medications through the creation of an artifact, role-play, or written scenarios (see “top 200 drugs” at www.rxlist.com).

Demonstrate concepts and skills of the following in a classroom lab setting:

Examine common documentation approaches for medical records such as the SOAP and POMR methods. Explain the importance of documenting all interventions and patient compliance. Using patient scenarios from physician office encounters, practice documentation using correct medical terminology that contains subjective and objective information including patient complaints. Demonstrate how to correct errors in the patient chart.

Outline the gross normal structure and function of all body systems and their interrelationships. Summarize appropriate medical text(s) in order to list signs and symptoms of common diseases and disorders associated with each system.

Differentiate between verbal and nonverbal communication when interacting with patients. Examine specific techniques for effective communication and evaluate how different cultures attach different meanings to communication techniques. Evaluate factors that contribute to effective communication and explain how these factors contribute to the development of quality patient care. Using role-play, demonstrate practices to effectively manage the following:

Outline potential medical emergencies within an office setting, especially those related to anaphylaxis, syncope, shock, Myocardial Infarction (MI), diabetes, and Cardiovascular Accident (CVA). Generate a plan and/or guidelines of care for each of the emergencies listed indicating various staff member responsibilities.

Develop a patient health education plan including health screenings, preventive measures, nutritional needs, and community support systems. Differentiate content based on growth and development stages. Include citations from at least three professional texts.

Explain principles of and successfully perform skills of a phlebotomist, incorporating rubrics from National HOSA, textbooks, or clinical standards of practice. Define the following common laboratory values, both normal and abnormal, and provide the reasoning for why the test should be obtained:

Analyze the medical assistant’s role in the physician office laboratory (POL) and create a chart that links the role with CLIA regulations for the POL. Compare and contrast bacterial cultures and rapid testing summarizing the pros and cons of each. Demonstrate the following:

Create an artifact to help patients understand urinalysis results and the most common disorders detected. Include an explanation of different methods of urine collection such as clean-catch midstream and catheterization. In the classroom lab demonstrate the following:

Description of physical characteristics of urine (color, odor, appearance)

Evaluate principles of and successfully perform skills related to basic ophthalmic examination including the concepts surrounding measurement of visual acuity with associated equipment incorporating rubrics from textbooks or clinical standards of practice.

Create an infographic to identify gross heart anatomy and physiology and related cardiac conduction and circulatory pathways. Assess lead placements and correlate their relationship to the conduction system through the use of a diagram or model.

Analyze the P,Q,R,S,T complex and its correlation to the cardiac cycle. Chart a mock representation of these waves on an electrocardiogram. Create algorithms to differentiate between critical and non-critical cardiac rhythms on rhythm strips and/or 12 lead EKGs.

Accurately perform the steps of obtaining a 12-lead EKG utilizing rubrics from textbooks, National HOSA guidelines, or clinical standards of practice. Include the following areas:

Investigate cardiac diagnostic procedures both in-hospital and out-patient and identify the equipment required for these services.

Honesty and integrity

Reliability and punctuality

Appropriate communication skills

Cooperation and teamwork

Initiative and adaptability

Reception room environment

Scheduling guidelines

Written communication and transmission of information through facsimile/scanner/patient portal/social media

Medical record preparation and related legal concepts

Handling vendors/business associates

Use and maintenance of business equipment

Medical billing and coding

Office supply inventory

Research to compare and contrast the differences in expectations among solo practices, group practices, and employed physician practices.

Capitation

Medicare

TennCare

Prospective payment systems

Relative Value Resource Based systems (RVRB)

Case mix

MS-DRGs

Healthcare insurance

Accountable care organizations.

Asepsis

Universal Precautions

Sanitation

Disinfection

Surgical scrub

Sterilization

Patient positioning

Transfers and ambulation (including injury prevention and body mechanics concepts)

O2 assessment and administration (including fire safety measures)

BLS (Basic Life Support)

Assisting with common office procedures such as eye and ear irrigation, dressing change, suture/staple removal, etc. (including infection control measures)

Vital sign measurement

Preparing and administering oral and parenteral medications

Common communication barriers

Cultural differences

Patients with special needs

Patients exhibiting various defense mechanisms

Patients with terminal illnesses

Complete Blood Count

Complete Metabolic Panel

Fasting Lipid Panel

Hgb A1C

Identification of the parts and use of the microscope

Proper handling and specimen preservation

Preparation of a specimen

Microscope slide set-up

Proper labeling of specimen

Operation of centrifuge and incubator

Collection of fecal and sputum specimens

Compare and contrast bacterial cultures and rapid testing summarizing the pros and cons of each. Demonstrate the following:

Throat swab for culture

Wound culture

Inoculation of a culture plate

Use of a reagent strip to identify abnormalities

Ability to set up a wet mount for microscopic analysis

Performance of a urine pregnancy test

Skin preparation

Proper lead placement

EKG machine data input

Patient positioning to decrease somatic tremor or wandering baseline

Recognizing current interference and artifact

Recording the EKG

Holter monitor (24-48 hour)

Stress test

Event monitor (30 days)