Medical Assistant Exam Prep

Your All-in-One Guide to the CMA & RMA Exams

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• Publisher: Kaplan Test Prep
• Year: 2022
• ISBN:
  9781506278209
• Topic: Medicina
• Subtopic: Teoría, práctica y referencia médicas

Kaplan's Medical Assistant Exam Prep provides the in-depth content, comprehensive review, and targeted practice you need to pass the Certified Medical Assistant and Registered Medical Assistant exams. Whether you're a first-time test taker or you're studying for recertification, Kaplan's up-to-date content and proven test-taking strategies will help you face the exam with confidence. Kaplan is so certain that Medical Assistant Exam Prep offers all the knowledge you need to pass the exam that we guarantee it: After studying with the book, you'll score higher on your medical assistant exam—or you'll get your money back. Comprehensive Review

• Review of all tested subjects for the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) and Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) exams
• Diagnostic test to help you target areas for score improvement and make the most of your study time
• Full-length practice test with 300 questions
• End-of-chapter quizzes with detailed answer explanations
• Case study–based practice questions to develop your critical thinking skills, now with 2 NEW case studies!
• Updated professional resources with advice for building an electronic portfolio
• New discussions including: Covid-19, pediatric vaccinations, telehealth
• New back-of-book Reference Guide with quick facts at your fingertips: normal vital signs, EKG leads & interpretation, order of draw, and more

Expert Guidance

• Expert advice on building and maintaining professional credentials
• Updated career resources and a guide to the certification process
• We invented test prep—Kaplan (www.kaptest.com) has been helping students for almost 80 years. Our proven strategies have helped legions of students achieve their dreams.
  

| PART ONE |

Basics

Chapter 1: Trends in Medical Assisting

OCCUPATIONAL OUTLOOK

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical assistants are in high demand, and that demand is expected to keep growing. Job growth for medical assistants is attributed to an aging “baby boom” population, a decrease in the average hospital stay time, and an increase in preventive care initiatives. Acute and chronic diseases will result in increased office visits, and health care providers will seek additional medical assistants to perform clinical and administrative duties in order to see more patients.

The following organizations are available for membership and professional support at both the national level and through state chapters:

American Association of Medical Assistants

Website: aama-ntl.org

This association, formed in 1955, strives to improve health care and protect the rights and improve the careers of CMAs.

American Medical Technologists

Website: americanmedtech.org

RMAs also have the opportunity to become involved in state societies. As members of the AMT, RMAs can network, promote their profession, and remain current on medical assisting initiatives.

MEDICAL ASSISTING TODAY: WHY CREDENTIALING MATTERS

Medical assisting is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the United States today. Rapid growth in the demand for health care makes this profession a great choice for people who want to get into the medical field. The greatest demand will be for medical assistants who have formal education and relevant, professional credentials in the field.

Medical assistants are trained to assist in physician practices, clinics, and other health care facilities by performing both administrative and clinical duties. A medical assistant’s role is flexible, yet the best option for employment is to complete formal training and seek credentials that validate the employee’s or job-seeker’s knowledge and expertise. Computerized provider order entry (CPO) is one trend that underscores the importance of credentialing for medical assistants. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has initiatives under way to increase the use of CPO for medication, laboratory, and radiology orders in a medical record. The health care professionals who complete these tasks when directed by a provider must be credentialed or licensed.

Most physicians and other employers prefer to hire medical assistants who have graduated from an approved or accredited program of study. These programs range from diploma programs lasting approximately a year to associate degree programs lasting two years. The sites for training include vocational and technical schools as well as community colleges and universities. While formal training is not mandatory, it is highly recommended and it is required to become credentialed as either a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) or Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) to document specific entries in the electronic health record (EHR).

Programs of study for medical assistants generally cover the following topics:

•Anatomy and physiology

•Medical terminology

•Record keeping

•Insurance processing and billing/coding of claims

•Laboratory testing and specimen procurement

•Clinical and diagnostic procedures

•Pharmacology

•Office practices and procedures

•Medical law and ethics

•First aid and emergency care

•Pharmacology

•Nutrition

•Electronic medical records

An accredited educational program also includes a practicum experience in an ambulatory care setting.

Medical assistants work to keep the offices of health care professionals running smoothly and serve the needs of the patients. At press time, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

•About 57 percent of medical assistants work in physicians’ offices

•About 15 percent work in state, local, or private hospital environments

•About 15 percent work in outpatient care centers

•About 13 percent work in offices of other health care practitioners such as nurse practitioners, chiropractors, and podiatrists

Though no states currently license or individually regulate medical assistant practice, the scope of practice may vary on a state-by-state basis. Some states do require special training for certain duties to be performed by the medical assistant. Some common duties of medical assistants include:

•Acquiring health and medical history information from patients

•Obtaining vital signs, including temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure

•Preparing patients for examinations and tests

•Assisting physicians with examinations, treatments, and procedures

•Performing venipuncture and capillary puncture

•Collecting and preparing laboratory specimens

•Performing basic office-based laboratory tests

•Sterilizing, sanitizing, and preparing medical equipment

•Providing patient instruction on diet, medications, preparation for tests, and other health information

•Performing electrocardiograms

•Purchasing and maintaining inventory of supplies and office equipment

•Scheduling appointments and facilitating referrals

•Assisting with pharmacy orders and refills as directed by the physician

•Managing patient phone contacts and computerized patient management systems

•Preparing billing, coding, and insurance claims

•Managing mail and correspondence for the office

•Administering medications via injection or nonparenteral routes

•Documenting in the electronic medical record

CAAHEP Standards and MAERB Core Curriculum

Programmatic accreditation is a means of validating the knowledge a medical assistant is expected to possess and the skills they are able to perform. The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) owns the standards for programs accredited through their organization. The core curriculum expected to be completed as part of the accredited program is defined by the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB). The MAERB core curriculum is noted in Appendix B of the following link: caahep.org/CAAHEP/media/CAAHEP-Documents/MedicalAssistingStandards.pdf.

Disclaimer: Inclusion of this core curriculum does not constitute any form of endorsement of this book by the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB) or the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).

MEDICARE AND MEDICAID EHR INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

Incorporating electronic records can be costly, and providers may be resistant to implementing them. Recognizing this, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid spearheaded an initiative to provide incentives to health care providers for incorporating electronic medical records. This incentive program was classified as “meaningful use” and consisted of 3 stages, with financial incentives offered for implementation at each stage. The third and final stage was completed in 2014.

Shared health data helps health care systems focus on patient care instead of paperwork. The importance of enhancing the health data exchange among providers led to an overhaul of the meaningful use program in 2019 and a new name: Promoting Interoperability (PI). There are 4 main objectives of PI: e-prescribing, health information exchange, provider-to-patient exchange, and public health and clinical data exchange. These measures also promote an easier process for patients to electronically obtain a copy of the medical records.

TELEHEALTH

Telehealth (also known as telemedicine) is medical practice conducted through electronic communications. Patient encounters are done through audio and video interactions by computer or telephone. In early 2020, the use of telehealth increased dramatically, largely due to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. Telehealth helped provide ongoing health care while limiting in-person health care visits. It thus prevented the spread of COVID-19, protecting vulnerable populations and health care workers alike from unnecessary exposure to the virus.

The expansion of telehealth led to a waiver on the limited Medicare reimbursement for providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The extent to which this waiver will become permanent is yet to be determined. CMS has provided a fact sheet with further information on telehealth and reimbursement: cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/calendar-year-cy-2022-medicare-physician-fee-schedule-final-rule

FOCUS ON PROFESSIONALISM

Attire and Personal Presentation

Medical assistants’ appearance should signal a clean, safe environment for patients. Choosing appropriate attire and being well-groomed are extremely important. Guidelines to follow include:

•Wear scrubs that are clean and neatly pressed.

•Wear clean, closed-toed shoes, avoiding flashy colors.

•Keep hair clean, natural-colored, and pulled away from the face.

•Avoid excessive jewelry and strong fragrance.

•Keep nails trim (no long or false fingernails) and use natural or light-colored polish, or no polish.

•Hide visible tattoos.

Communication

Careful attention to the variety of verbal and nonverbal forms of communication that you engage in helps to create an overall positive client experience. Greet patients in a courteous, respectful manner as they arrive to help them feel comfortable. It is important to address patients formally by their title and last name, such as “Mr. Sanchez” or “Ms. Bestock,” and to avoid overly familiar terms such as “Honey” or “Sweetie,” which patients may find disrespectful.

Take care to provide instruction to patients in terms they can understand. Doing so will help patients understand and implement their treatment plan or instructions. When preparing correspondence to providers and/or patients, write formal l...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• About the Editor
• How to Use This Book
• Part One: Basics
• Part Two: Diagnostic Test
• Part Three: CMA/RMA Exam Review
• Part Four: Practice Test
• Part Five: Resources