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In all the chapters the Case Studies represent situations similar to those that the medical assistant may encounter in daily practice. Students are encouraged to consider the case study as they read each chapter. Medical assistants are considered generalists in most medical environments. The following scenarios describe how the medical assistant functions as a generalist or multiskilled professional. As you review the scenarios, make note of the many duties the medical assistant performs.Scenario 1: Kim is 28 years old. She has been working as a medical assistant for 6 years. She is cur-rently working in a family practice office with two doctors, two other medical assistants, and a medical records clerk. Her role is primarily administrative; she is mainly responsible for phone reception and patient check-in and check-out. A 29-year-old female patient calls complaining of lower back pain. As Kim listens to the patient de-scribe her condition, she determines the severity of the patient's discomfort and schedules a same-day appointment. When the patient arrives at the office, Kim greets her at the front desk, verifies her address and insurance information, and escorts her to an exam room. After the physician completes the exam, the patient is instructed to see Kim on the way out. Kim reviews the patient's prescriptions and schedules a diagnostic test and laboratory work for the patient at another facility. Kim then collects the patient co-pay and gives the patient a receipt. After the patient leaves, Kim prepares the insurance forms for reimburse-ment and files the patient's chart.Scenario 2: David is 38 years old. He has been working as a medical assistant for 13 years. He currently works as a clinical medical assistant in an urgent care center that specializes in occupational medicine and basic emergency medicine. He is flexible and works a combination of days, afternoons, and weekends. He normally works with two doctors, two nurses, and four other medical assistants during his shift. The center's patients usually arrive on a walk-in basis. A 40-year-old man signs in with the receptionist. She helps the patient complete the necessary forms for the medical chart. After the chart is completed, she places the chart at the clinical station. David reviews the medical chart and makes note that the patient, a truck driver, is here for an occupational physical. He obtains the protocol from the trucking company file and verifies the testing requested by the company. He then escorts the patient to an exam room and interviews the patient regarding his medical history. He explains all the testing that will be completed and escorts the patient to the laboratory. David collects a urine drug screen, following precise directions, and collects a blood specimen. David then performs an auditory and visual screening and escorts the patient back to the exam room. The patient is given a gown with instructions on how to put it on. After a few minutes, David obtains an EKG on the patient. The patient is now ready for the physical part of the exam, which is performed by the doctor. David verifies the informa-tion again and gives the chart to the doctor. After the doctor is finished with the exam, David returns to the patient, explains how the physical is reported to his employer, and escorts him to the x-ray technician for a chest x-ray. After the patient leaves, David completes the paperwork, submits the laboratory work to an outside reference lab, and submits the x-ray to be read by a radiologist. As you read this chapter, think about the following questions: 1. How are the two jobs different?2. How are the two jobs the same? 3. How do these two medical assistants function as multiskilled health-care professionals? |