Why is the Demand for Medical Assistants Growing?

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For fast-growing careers, healthcare is where it is at. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Medical Assistant will be among the fastest growing occupations through 2016. One reason why this career is growing so quickly is because of the vast array of duties that can be performed in this particular specialty. Most medical assistants work in physicians’ offices. However, they may be trained to do so many different things, so they become invaluable to their employers.

Duties

Medical assistant jobs encompass many specific obligations and may range from changing paper on exam tables to making sure the billing codes are correct. These individuals may be able to fill in many gaps in a practice or particular hospital venues that require energetic, multifaceted professionals of this type.

In the office, the medical assistant may be in charge of patient scheduling. Front-desk work is important because that person is the face of the practice. The way a patient is treated at the desk can set the tone for the relationship with the physician or nurse practitioner. If trust is established in the first interaction, there is a much better chance of a successful relationship between patient and physician.

The medical assistant may be the person who calls the patient’s name at the door to escort him or her to the scale, to take vital signs, to assess the chief complaint then transfer that information via computer or conversation to the physician for treatment. After the physician has decided diagnostic or treatment plans, the medical assistant will be instrumental in the setup of the clinical pathway the patient will follow.

Training and Employment Venues

Medical assistant jobs are also available in specialty areas like orthopedic clinics. Removing and applying casting material is sometimes in the job description of the orthopedic medical assistant. They are often trained in radiological procedures and equipment. Medical assistants may do x-rays, EKGs, phlebotomy and assist with small surgical procedures. Hospitals may also use medical assistants as scribes to ER physicians, triage, and nursing type duties depending on what state laws allow.

Salary

One of the definite downsides to medical assistant jobs is the salary range. For the amount of work done, hours on the feet, and intense stress in this job description, a median salary range of $29,370 just seems inadequate for the responsibility level. Depending on state requirements, malpractice insurance premiums will be a major consideration for these individuals. The individual performing this job description should definitely consider nursing school, which with one to two more years of training could triple the above-mentioned figure, not adding any more liability factor to the game plan. Medical assistants will have the highest burnout factor of most medical professions because of lack of support in office settings and extreme expectations of these motivated individuals.

However, with insurance restrictions and healthcare changes, the less expensive personnel are advantageous for private practices since governmental regulation is more restrictive than it has ever been. Forcing physicians to make expensive purchases like electronic medical records computer programs, specialty “eye wash stations,” certain types of “sitting stools” and other superfluous governmentally regulated equipment means that cuts have to be made somewhere. Salaries of hardworking individuals seem to be the target.