Legal and Ethical Boundaries for Practicing Medical Assistants
Legal and Ethical Boundaries for the Practice of Medical Assisting
Tami Toumberlin
October 26, 2012
The meaning of the AAMA Code of Ethics sets forth principles of ethical and moral conduct as they relate to the medical profession and particular practice of medical assisting. My understanding is that there are rules for the medical assistant and they need to be followed to not face prosecution. There are certain steps that have to be followed in order to obtain certification. Certification indicates that a candidate has met the education and experience standards of the AAMA and achieved a satisfactory test result. There are steps that have to be passed in order for the certification. First you have to successfully complete the certification exam. To continue to be certified you have to show evidence of 60 hours of continuing education in five years or retake the exam every five years. The AAMA sponsors workshops, seminars, and national conferences to remain current in their field. Being a MA means different areas have to be learned in the scope of practice. The three different areas are General, Clinical, and Administrative skills are very important to learn how to do their job. Included in the General skills are Communication, Legal Concepts, Instruction, and Operational Functions. Examples of general skills include, but are not limited to, A) functioning as a health care advocate to meet individual’s needs. B) Perform inventory of supplies and equipment and C) serve as patient advocate professional and health coach in a team approach in healthcare. (www.aama-ntl.org) The next area is Clinical Skills. Examples of clinical skills include, but are not limited to, A) collect and process specimens. B) Maintain medication and immunization records, and C) perform sterilization techniques. These skills will be very helpful so as not to cause many mistakes. And this is the area that gives you the most hands-on experience. (www.aama-ntl.org)
Tami Toumberlin
October 26, 2012
The meaning of the AAMA Code of Ethics sets forth principles of ethical and moral conduct as they relate to the medical profession and particular practice of medical assisting. My understanding is that there are rules for the medical assistant and they need to be followed to not face prosecution. There are certain steps that have to be followed in order to obtain certification. Certification indicates that a candidate has met the education and experience standards of the AAMA and achieved a satisfactory test result. There are steps that have to be passed in order for the certification. First you have to successfully complete the certification exam. To continue to be certified you have to show evidence of 60 hours of continuing education in five years or retake the exam every five years. The AAMA sponsors workshops, seminars, and national conferences to remain current in their field. Being a MA means different areas have to be learned in the scope of practice. The three different areas are General, Clinical, and Administrative skills are very important to learn how to do their job. Included in the General skills are Communication, Legal Concepts, Instruction, and Operational Functions. Examples of general skills include, but are not limited to, A) functioning as a health care advocate to meet individual’s needs. B) Perform inventory of supplies and equipment and C) serve as patient advocate professional and health coach in a team approach in healthcare. (www.aama-ntl.org) The next area is Clinical Skills. Examples of clinical skills include, but are not limited to, A) collect and process specimens. B) Maintain medication and immunization records, and C) perform sterilization techniques. These skills will be very helpful so as not to cause many mistakes. And this is the area that gives you the most hands-on experience. (www.aama-ntl.org)