Do you remember the time when you went to the doctor’s office?
The medical administrative assistant (MAA) was probably your first contact. These welcoming individuals check you in for your appointment and greet you. The medical administration team is in charge of many other things that help keep the medical office running smoothly, including checking in patients.
Past research predicts that the number of people working as medical administrative assistant will grow at a rate that is significantly faster than the national average in the coming years. Given the position’s relatively short educational requirements, it is ideal for individuals looking to break into the expanding healthcare industry.
However, the question remains: What precisely does an MAA do? Come along with us as we examine the friendly faces behind the check-in desk in deep detail.
What exactly is a Medical Assistant?
Who doesn’t like to have someone assisting throughout the busy day?
And if it is about the medical field, then the workload is definite.
To lessen the workload, medical assistants are the only solution for all administrative and clinical issues.
Medical office assistants, also known as medical office specialists, patient coordinators, or medical assistants or basically carry out the tasks required to keep a healthcare facility running smoothly.
These professionals may be in charge of anything from administrative to clinical tasks, assisting in the delivery of the best possible healthcare experience. A medical office assistant is almost always the first person to greet patients when they enter a clinic or private practice.
What tasks does a Medical Assistant perform?
A medical assistant will be responsible for various tasks, for example, scheduling appointments, taking messages, and answering calls. They will be the patient’s first point of contact in the first place.
Medical records for patients will also be your responsibility as a medical assistant. This includes entering new information, updating information already there, and keeping track of treatments and test results. You might even be able to help nurses, and doctor’s care for patients in some cases.
As an administrative assistant, you will be liable to ensure the medical office tasks run smoothly. The office would quickly become chaotic without you.
A lot of duties come under the MAA, and a few are listed below.
Medical office assistants, for instance, can assist patients when they arrive by:
- Taking vitals
- Helping them check-in
- Recording medical history information and contact details
- Measuring weight and height
- Escorting them to the examination room
Amidst assisting patients, medical office assistants execute a variety of jobs, such as:
- Cleaning and sanitizing examination areas
- Cleaning and sanitizing equipment
- Scheduling appointments
- Transcribing records and scanning files and
- Receiving and sorting mail, inventory, etc.
- Billing patients and accepting payments
- Responding to emails
What are Medical Administrative Assistants’ most important skills?
Some of the essential skills for MAA include the following:
- Proficient communication skills: Medical assistants must effectively communicate with patients, their families, physicians, and other medical professionals. They must correctly interpret messages, answer questions, and explain policies and procedures.
- Good organizational skills: Medical assistants must be able to keep knowledge of a lot of information, like appointment times, insurance information, and medical records. For them to perform their duties effectively, they need to be able to maintain order.
- Strong computer skills: Because they will be using computers for various tasks like scheduling appointments, keeping records, and billing insurance companies, medical administrative assistant must be comfortable using computers.
- Paying attention to the small things: MAA must be able to pay close attention to the little things to spot mistakes and ensure that all information is correct.
- Ability to multitask: MAA frequently have multiple responsibilities at once, so they must be able to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
- Interpersonal skills: Medical administrative assistant must communicate effectively with patients and other medical professionals.
- Computer skills: MAA will frequently be required to enter data and use various software programs, so they must be able to use computers effectively.
- Knowledge of the medical field: To do their jobs well, medical administrative assistant must be familiar with basic medical terms and procedures.
Wrapping up
Administrative tasks are vast in range, which can increase the workload of a doctor’s assistant. To comply with such issues, they can choose a virtual assistant who can record all medical information of the patient and the clinic.
A virtual assistant can take care of many administrative responsibilities, including responding to emails, scheduling appointments, keeping an eye on databases, and updating CRMs.
Don’t forget to connect with a medical assistant service provider and hire a skilled virtual assistant to run your healthcare business effectively.