What is the name of the accrediting body for medical education programs quizlet?

Your specific responsibilities as a medical assistant will probably depend on the location and size of the facility, as well as its medical specialties. Medical assistants work in an administrative, clinical, and/or laboratory capacity. As an administrative medical assistant, you may handle the payroll for the office staff (or supervise a payroll service), obtain equipment and supplies, and serve as the link between the physician and representatives of pharmaceutical and medical supply companies. As a clinical medical assistant, you will be the physician's right arm by maintaining an efficient office, preparing and maintaining medical records, assisting the physician during examinations, and keeping examination rooms in order. Your laboratory duties as a medical assistant may include performing basic laboratory tests and maintenance of laboratory equipment. In small practices, you may handle all duties. In larger practices, you may specialize in a particular duty. As a medical assistant grows in his or her profession, advanced duties may be required. The lists of duties are provided to help you better understand what you will be doing when you practice as a medical assistant.

NAHP (www.nahpusa.com) offers multiple credentials for healthcare professionals. The organization, which has been in existence for 30 years, prides itself in making the process of obtaining a credential an accessible, affordable, and obtainable goal for those individuals who wish to show commitment to their chosen profession. Having multiple credentials with one agency makes maintaining continuing education easier for practicing healthcare professionals. The NAHP offers many credentials, including the Medical Assistant, Phlebotomy Technician, EKG Technician, Coding Specialist, Administrative Health Assistant, Patient Care Technician, Dental Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, and Surgical Technician credentials.

credential is awarded by the Certifying Board of the AAMA. The AAMA's certification examination evaluates mastery of medical assisting competencies based on the Occupational Analysis of the CMA (AAMA), which is available at www.aama-ntl.org/resources/library/OA.pdf. The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) also provides technical assistance in developing the tests.

CMAs (AAMA) must recertify the CMA (AAMA) credential every 5 years. To be recertified as a CMA (AAMA), 60 contact hours must be accumulated during the 5-year period: 10 in the administrative area, 10 in the clinical area, and 10 in the general area, with 30 additional hours in any of the three categories. In addition, 30 of these contact hours must be from an approved AAMA program. The AAMA also requires you to hold a current CPR card.

The recertification mandate requires you to learn about new medical developments through education courses or participation in an examination. Hundreds of continuing education courses are sponsored by local, state, and national AAMA groups. The AAMA also offers self-study courses through its continuing education department.

As of June 1998, only completing students of medical assisting programs accredited by CAAHEP and ABHES are eligible to take the certification examination. The AAMA offers the Candidate's Guide to the Certification Examination to help applicants prepare for the examination. This guide explains the test format and test-taking strategies. It also includes a sample examination with answers and information about study references. Some schools have also incorporated test preparation reviews into their programs. They do this because the credentialing agencies require a certain percentage of students to pass the program in order for the schools to keep their accreditation.

As of January 2009, the CMA (AAMA) examination is computerized. These computerized tests may be taken any time at a designated testing site in your area. You may search the Internet for an application and test review materials. Once you have successfully passed the CMA (AAMA) examination, you have earned the right to add that credential to your name, such as Miguel A. Perez, CMA (AAMA).

The American Medical Technologists (AMT) organization credentials medical assistants as Registered Medical Assistants (RMA) or Certified Medical Assistant Specialists (CMAS). Although this section focuses on the RMA credential, you can find more about the CMAS credential on the AMT website at www.amt1.org.

The AMT sets forth both educational and experiential requirements to earn the RMA (AMT) credential. These include

Graduation from a medical assistant program that is accredited by ABHES or CAAHEP, or is accredited by a regional accrediting commission, by a national accrediting organization approved by the U.S. Department of Education, or by a formal medical services training program of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Alternatively, employment in the medical assisting profession for a minimum of 5 years, no more than 2 years of which may have been as an instructor in the postsecondary medical assistant program.

Passing the AMT examination for RMA (AMT) certification.

RMAs (AMT) must accumulate 30 contact hours for continuing education units (CEU) every 3 years if they were certified after 2006. RMAs (AMT) who were certified before this date are expected to keep abreast of all the changes and practices in their field through educational programs, workshops, or seminars. However, there are no specific continuing education requirements. Once a medical assistant has passed the AMT exam, she has earned the right to add RMA (AMT) to her name: Kaylyn R. Haddix, RMA (AMT).

The RMA (AMT) and CMA (AAMA) qualifying examinations are rigorous. Participation in an accredited program will help you learn what you need to know. The examinations cover several distinct areas of knowledge, including

General medical knowledge, including terminology, anatomy, physiology, behavioral science, medical law, and ethics.

Administrative knowledge, including medical records management, collections, insurance processing, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPAA is a set of government regulations that help ensure continuity and privacy of healthcare, among other things.

Clinical knowledge, including examination room techniques, medication preparation and administration, pharmacology, and specimen collection.

Each certification examination is based on a specific content outline created by the certifying organization. You should research the Internet to gain additional information regarding any of these certifications. Obtaining Certification/Registration Information through the Internet.

Accreditation is the process by which programs are officially authorized. The U.S. Department of Education recognizes two national entities that accredit medical assisting educational programs:

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). CAAHEP works directly with the Medical Assisting Educational Review Board (MAERB) of Medical Assistants Endowments to ensure that all accredited schools provide a competency-based education. CAAHEP accredits medical assisting programs in both public and private postsecondary institutions throughout the United States that prepare individuals for entry into the medical assisting profession.

Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). ABHES accredits private postsecondary institutions and programs that prepare individuals for entry into the medical assisting profession.

Accredited programs must cover the following topics:

Anatomy and physiology

Medical terminology

Medical law and ethics

Psychology

Oral and written communications

Laboratory procedures

Clinical and administrative procedures

High school students may prepare for these courses by studying mathematics, health, biology, keyboarding, office skills, bookkeeping, and information technology. You may obtain current information about accreditation standards for medical assisting programs from the AAMA.

Medical assisting programs must also include a practicum (externship) or work experience. This applied training is for a specified length of time in an ambulatory care setting, such as a physician's office, hospital, or other healthcare facility. Additionally, the AAMA lists its minimum standards for accredited programs. This list of standards ensures that all personnel—administrators and faculty alike—are qualified to perform their jobs. These standards also ensure that financial and physical resources are available at accredited programs.

Graduation from an accredited program helps your career in three ways. First, it shows that you have completed a program that meets nationally accepted standards. Second, it provides recognition of your education by professional peers. Third, it makes you eligible for registration or certification. Students who graduate from an ABHES- or CAAHEP-accredited medical assisting program are eligible to take the CMA (AAMA) or RMA (AMT) immediately.

Volunteering is a rewarding experience. Before you even begin a medical assisting program, you can gain experience in a healthcare profession through volunteer work. As a volunteer, you will get hands-on training and learn what it is like to assist patients who are ill, disabled, or frightened.

You may volunteer as an aide in a hospital, clinic, nursing home, or doctor's office, or as a typist or filing clerk in a medical office or medical record room. Some visiting nurse associations and hospices (home-like medical settings that provide medical care and emotional support to terminally ill patients and their families) also offer volunteer opportunities. These experiences may help you decide if you want to pursue a career as a medical assistant.

The American Red Cross also offers volunteer opportunities for student medical assistants. The Red Cross needs volunteers for its disaster relief programs locally, statewide, nationally, and abroad. As part of a disaster relief team at the site of a hurricane, tornado, storm, flood, earthquake, or fire, volunteers learn first-aid and emergency triage skills. Red Cross volunteers gain valuable work experience that may help them obtain a job.

Because volunteers are not paid, it is usually easy to find work opportunities. Just because you are not paid for volunteer work, however, does not mean the experience is not useful for meeting your career goals.

Include information about any volunteer work on your résumé—a computer-generated document that summarizes your employment and educational history. Be sure to note specific duties, responsibilities, and skills you developed during the volunteer experience. Refer to the Preparing for the World of Work chapter for examples of résumés.

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