Medical/Clerical Assisting Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is Medical/Clerical Assisting?

Medical and clerical assisting are two essential roles found in the field of health care. Both provide vital services to help ensure smooth operations in a variety of settings, including hospitals, doctors’ offices, and other healthcare facilities. While there are similarities between these jobs, they also have distinct differences that make them unique.Medical assistants perform a variety of duties related to patient care. These can include measuring vital signs such as blood pressure and temperature; drawing blood for laboratory tests; preparing patients for exams or procedures; performing routine lab tests such as urinalysis or pregnancy testing; administering medications; sterilizing equipment; maintaining medical records and filing insurance forms; arranging for hospital admissions or laboratory services if needed; educating patients about their treatments and medications; providing emotional support during challenging times, and more. In some states, medical assistants may be able to assist physicians with certain tasks like performing injections or taking X-rays under direct supervision from a doctor. Clerical assistants work behind the scenes at health care organizations by handling administrative tasks that are necessary for the successful operation of any business office setting. They may answer inquiries from patients over the phone or via email regarding appointments, billing issues, test results, etc.; update patient information into databases or electronic health records (EHRs); prepare letters sent out by the practice to patients regarding visits or bills due; review incoming mail/correspondence related to accounts receivable and payable matters; maintain appointment calendars using scheduling software programs like EClinicalWorks® ; order office supplies when needed; transcribe dictated reports received from Physicians/Providers prior to sending them offsite for billing purposes using ICD-10 coding standards set forth by CMS regulations ; create spreadsheets summarizing patient data on various topics such as disease prevalence within specific demographics ; coordinate activities with external vendors contracted by the facility , among other responsibilities . Although both medical and clerical assisting offer rewarding career paths in healthcare settings medical assisting requiring more technical knowledge while clerical assisting relies more heavily on organizational skills they each require different sets of qualifications depending on where one works , making it important for interested individuals to research what is required before embarking upon either profession .