| Blood Pressure | | | | make the doctor's and physician assistant's jobs a |
| This is a very important skill that all medical | | | | little easier. So if they will let you weed out what |
| assistants must possess. Blood pressure is one of | | | | doesn't need to be refilled because it's too early, |
| the main things you will do in a clinic along with | | | | too much medicine, or a long time since the last |
| height and weight. Not only will it be a medical | | | | appointment do so. |
| necessity and helps to gauge the patient's health it | | | | New Patient Histories |
| can also be a billing issue. For billing purposes most | | | | You just may be required to do a new patient |
| new patient consults or even self-referrals require | | | | history as a medical assistant if you are |
| a blood pressure to be taken to make the | | | | competent and confident in doing this. A new |
| medical history complete. The blood pressure | | | | patient history consists of taking down all of the |
| process has gotten so easy today. Most offices | | | | patient information provided about their chief |
| use electronic blood pressure machines. But, you | | | | complaint and previous medical history from |
| can't rely on these. Some patients will have you | | | | allergies, education, alcohol consumption, tobacco |
| take their blood pressure two to three times and | | | | usage, medical problems, surgeries, prior injuries |
| still not agree with it, so a manual reading needs | | | | accidents, family medical history and review of |
| to be done. Also you may have a patient with a | | | | systems. You will go over all of the information |
| large arm that may not fit the regular cuff, so | | | | with the patient and then get to the chief |
| you need to get the extra large manual cuff and | | | | complaint of why they are there today. You do all |
| take the reading. | | | | of this so the medical history and medical record |
| | | | is complete. |
| Injections are done in most medical clinics. | | | | Answering Patients Questions |
| Whether it's a flu shot, vaccinations, | | | | As a medical assistant you should be able to |
| immunizations, pain medicine, or steroid. If you | | | | answer simple questions for your patients without |
| attend a medical assistant program you will learn | | | | contacting the PA or doctor. You should be |
| how to do injections. If not, this is something you | | | | competent enough to know whether or not a |
| will have to learn on the job if it is required. I've | | | | patient needs to be worked into the clinic, see a |
| encountered numerous externs who want to | | | | different doctor, go the ER or just schedule an |
| watch me give an injection because it's different | | | | appointment. |
| from practicing in class. It is totally different. In | | | | Coding Charts |
| clinic you may have a person afraid of needles, | | | | Coding charts is one of the easiest things to do. It |
| one who tenses up during the injection and some | | | | basically consists of writing the appointment date, |
| who scream like you are doing surgery on them. | | | | service code, diagnosis code, and doctor's name |
| One neat trick I've learned for IM injections, | | | | or initials somewhere in the chart, usually on a |
| squeeze the spot beforehand, tell the patient to | | | | facesheet. |
| take a deep breath, and then stick. Also talk to | | | | Phone etiquette |
| them while you're pushing the medicine especially | | | | As a medical assistant you will call from patients |
| if it's a rather large injection such as Rocephin. | | | | and many other people. It is your duty to have |
| Prescriptions | | | | proper phone etiquette and be polite when |
| Patients call for prescriptions. There is no way | | | | answering the phone. Nothing will get you fired |
| around it and you'll always have voicemails for | | | | more easily than using poor phone etiquette with |
| them or refill requests coming through the fax | | | | the wrong person. |
| machine. As a medical assistant it is your job to | | | | |