Medical assistants may not be as educated as doctors are, but they are a resource that the healthcare industry cannot do without. They don’t just assist doctors in carrying out their duties and responsibilities, they are involved in every step of the patient care process.
Connecting with Patients
In any hospital, the doctors are generally stretched thin, making it quite unlikely that they will have enough time to talk and connect with patients. For this reason, the physicians rely heavily on medical assistants who serve as the patient’s primary point of contact on arrival at the hospital.
They document all the necessary information for each patient so that the doctor can make a quick and accurate diagnosis. In instances where a patient may be uncomfortable with certain situations in a hospital, the medical assistant will reassure him, making sure the hospital does not lose business to rival healthcare institutions. Therefore, medical assistants are extremely important for commercial healthcare institutions.
Various Responsibilities
Unlike a doctor who may not have a number of skills outside the medical profession, a medical assistant is required to have multiple certifications that allow them to deal with a wide range of responsibilities. Some of the certifications may include certification in CPR, first aid, medical assisting and phlebotomy. These certifications show potential employers that the medical assistant is knowledgeable in several areas and is bringing hands-on experience to the healthcare organization. In a medical assistant’s daily schedule, you can expect to see them:
• Checking patients in
• Collecting patients’ fluid samples
• Organizing documentation and charts
• Assisting doctors with routine and simple medical procedures
This versatility allows physicians to concentrate on diagnosing and treating patients. In any case, failure to do these tasks will affect the healthcare organization’s ability to operate as patients face neglect and staff struggle to meet the set objectives.
Coordinating the Entire Process
If medical assistants were to walk away from the healthcare industry, a crisis of unimaginable proportions would ensure. They are the glue without which the healthcare sector would face imminent collapse. Medical assistants talk to everybody in the healthcare process: doctors, patients, specialists, insurance companies, and every other person who deals the healthcare industry in one way or another. When patients are worried about the price of medicines, the necessity of certain tests, etc., medical assistants show up and explain to them the reasoning behind such decisions. They will serve to bridge the communication gap between physicians and patients.
Now more than ever, the healthcare industry is recognizing the importance of medical assistants in the healthcare maze. That is why many opportunities have opened up for people with the necessary skills and certifications to make a decent living as medical assistants. VGI Weslaco TX is a school in Texas where you can enroll to pursue a career as a medical assistant. Like most institutions, you can get your associate degree in about two years and an undergraduate in four. Just get started and explore these career opportunities in an industry that is growing at a very high rate.
