Overview

The Clinical Medical Assistant Master program is designed to prepare students to function as professionals in multiple healthcare settings. Medical assistants with a clinical background perform various clinical tasks including assisting with the administration of medications and with minor procedures, performing an EKG electrocardiogram, obtaining laboratory specimens for testing, educating patients, and other related tasks. Job opportunities are prevalent with physician’s offices, clinics, chiropractor’s offices, hospitals and outpatient facilities.

Access to health information is changing the ways doctors care for patients. With the nation’s healthcare system moving to the electronic medical record, numerous employment opportunities exist for medical assistants, health information systems staff, patient registration professionals and other related positions. Healthcare professionals with the ability to understand, update and maintain the electronic health record are in great demand.

Program Objectives

This course covers the following key areas and topics:

• Clinical responsibilities of the medical office - assisting the physician with patient related care
• Preparing patients for examination and treatment, routine procedures and diagnostic testing
• HIPAA, patient confidentiality, legal aspects of healthcare and regulatory patient care issues
• Recording and taking of vital signs, blood pressure, and other patient care items related to the physician office visit
• Review and administration of medications, allergies & other pharmacology related items
• Laboratory procedures, phlebotomy and the proper techniques required to collect specimens for laboratory analysis
• Cardiology and the proper placement of leads when taking a 12 lead EKG
• Importance of the medical record as a legal document
• The effect of confidential communication laws, the release of information and HIPAA
• Provides a “real life” EHR experience using Med can software to perform health information tasks
• Skills required to use and EHR to manage patient visit information including the examination, assessment notes and treatment plans.
• Importance of data accuracy, consistency, completeness, and security of information