| The US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor | | | | insurance forms, and logistical arrangements for |
| Statistics puts out every year very detailed information | | | | hospital admission and lab work. They also perform |
| on jobs in the United States. In their 2008-09 Handbook, | | | | tasks less specific to medical settings, such as |
| the job of medical assistant was included as one of | | | | answering telephones, greeting patients, handling |
| the fastest growing industries in the country. | | | | correspondence, scheduling appointments, and handling |
| There are many administrative and clinical tasks that | | | | billing and bookkeeping. |
| need to be done in order to keep health professionals | | | | Clinical duties depend on what is allowed by State |
| offices running efficiently. Medical assistants are the | | | | Law. Clinical medical assistants may be required to |
| ones who perform these tasks. In contrast, Physician | | | | take a patient's medical history and record certain vital |
| assistants examine, diagnose, and actually treat | | | | signs, explain treatments to patients, prepare a patient |
| patients. | | | | for a medical exam, and assist the physician during an |
| Several factors may affect the specific duties of a | | | | exam. Additionally, it is possible that a medical assistant |
| medical assistant. These factors include the | | | | would collect lab specimens, be responsible for proper |
| practitioner's medicine specialty as well as the location | | | | disposal of contaminated supplies, and sterilize medical |
| and size of the practice. In a small office a medical | | | | equipment used in the office. They might also instruct |
| assistant would have a bigger variety of tasks while | | | | patients about medications and special diets, prepare |
| medical assistants working in a large practice may | | | | and administer medications as directed by a physician, |
| have more specialized job assignments. This is no | | | | authorize drug refills as directed, telephone |
| different than any other administrative position. | | | | prescriptions to a pharmacy, draw blood, prepare |
| Medical assistant duties can be divided into two main | | | | patients for x-rays, take electrocardiograms, remove |
| categories, administrative and clinical. Administrative | | | | sutures, and change dressings. |
| duties include updating and filing medical records, | | | | |