Which is the initial action by the medical assistant MA when providing patient education?

This Statement of Philosophy is offered as guidance for medical, osteopathic, and podiatric physicians and physician assistants.

With ever-increasing demands on the time and resources of physicians and physician assistants, the role of unregulated healthcare personnel is expanding.  As a result, high quality patient care depends on the contributions of a wide variety of personnel, including medical assistants.  When establishing expectations and limitations for medical assistants in a medical office, the OMB advises that patient safety should be the primary factor.

The physician or physician assistant is responsible for ensuring that the medical assistant is qualified and competent to perform any delegated services.  It is within the physician's or physician assistant's judgment to determine that the medical assistant's education, training, and experience is sufficient to ensure competence in performing the service at the appropriate standard of care.  Performance of delegated services is held to the same standard of care applied to the physician or physician assistant, and the physician or physician assistant is ultimately accountable for the actions of their supervised personnel. 

Unlicensed healthcare personnel must be adequately supervised by a licensed physician or physician assistant.  Examples of supervision include verifying the correct medication and dosage prior to administration of medicine by a medical assistant and being physically present in the facility when services are performed by a medical assistant.

The physician or physician assistant may not allow any unlicensed healthcare personnel to provide care or practice medicine as defined by the Oregon Medical Practice Act. Unlicensed healthcare personnel may not provide independent medical judgment.  It is the physician's or physician assistant's responsibility to determine what does not require medical judgment to perform.  For example, medical assistants should not provide assessments, interpretations, or diagnoses and should not perform invasive procedures.

Physicians and physician assistants should exercise caution when employing a person who has education and training as a healthcare professional but is working as an unlicensed medical assistant.  In this situation, it may be tempting for the physician or physician assistant to delegate (or the medical assistant to perform) duties beyond the scope of unlicensed healthcare personnel.

Medical assistants and other unlicensed healthcare personnel must maintain patient confidentiality to the same standards required of physicians and physician assistants.  Medical assistants must be clearly identified by title when performing duties.  This can be accomplished through wearing a name tag with the designation of “medical assistant" and clearly introducing oneself as a “medical assistant" in oral communications with patients and other professionals.

In order to fulfill its mission to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of Oregonians, the OMB recommends physicians and physician assistant to follow these guidelines and to be mindful of patient safety when delegating services to other healthcare personnel.

– Adopted October 2012

–  Amended July 7, 2022 

M.A.is preparing a patient who has a bilateral below-knee amputation for EKG.which of the following sites should the assistant select for electrode placement.

A medical assistant is faxing a prescription to a patient’s pharmacy.which of the following action should the assistant take

Call the pharmacy to confirm receipt of the faxed prescription

A medical assistant is reinforcing teaching with a patient who is scheduled for a standar 12-lead EKG.which of the following statements should the assistant make

You should refrain from talking during the procedure

Where do cardiac electrical impulses originate in the heart?

Impulses are initiated in the sinotrial node and are then conducted to the antrioventricular node

Which of the following laboratory results should the medical assistant recognize is abnormal

This potassium level is bellow the expected reference range of 3.5 to 5mEq/L.

A medical assistant need to type a professional business letter from the office.Which of the following formats is appropriate

Keep flush with the left margin

A provider has requested a dissenting instrument on a sterile tray that a medical assistant is preparing. Which of the following instruments should the assistant include on the tray?

Scissors are considered cutting and dissecting

A patient ask a medical assistant to explain the difference between a liniment and medicated lotion. Which of the following response should the assistant make?

Liniment contains a higher portion of oil than medicated lotion.

A medical assistant is cleaning an examination nation room after assisting a provider a biopsy. Which of the following action should assistant take?

Hold sharps by the blunt end avoid a needles tick injury

When coding with the ICD-10-CM,where should the medical assistant begin the process of looking up a diagnosis code for breast cancer?

Which of the following routes of administration should a medical assistant use when performing a tuberculin skin test?

A medical assistant is responsible for cleaning the instruments used in a minor surgery. Which of the following is the first step in this process?

A medical assistant is performing an EKG on a patient. Which of the following describes the appropriate placement of the electrodes?

A medical assistant is collecting vital signs from a 6-year-old child. The assistant recognize that which of the following vital signs is outside of the expected reference range for this patient and should be reported to the provider?

A medical assistant is reviewing a patient’s medical history prior to the patient’s appointment. Which of the following laboratory results indicates the need to schedule an extension of the current visit?

Fasting blood glucose 168mg/dL

After a patient leaves an examination room. Which of the following actions should a medical assistant take to the prepare the examination table for the next patient?

Roll up the disposable paper on the table tightly an quickly

Which of the following actions should a medical assistant take when obtaining the length of an infant during a well-child visit?

A medical assistant is assisting a provider with the repair of laceration on a patient’s head. The provider’s prescription for the procedure includes an injection of 10mL of lidocaine with epinephrine. The assistant should recognize that which of the following is the purpose of epinephrine in the local anesthetic?

To reduce bleeding at the site

A patient is seen in an urgent care center for a laceration to the left foot. The provider evaluates the injury, determines satures are not need applies a dressing, and releases the patient. Which of the following levels of examination should a medical assistant use for the procedural coding for this visit?

Problem-focused examination

According to the regulation of controlled substances, which of the following is true of a schedule I drug?

Have no accepted medical use

In which of the following scenarios should a medical assistant chose a CPT modifier?

For special circumstances applied to a procedure performed by the provider

Which of the following is a medical assistant role in pulmonary function test (PFT)?

Coach the patient through the test

A medication container state there is 250mg of medication in each scared tablet. The provider order 375mg. How many tablets should the medical assistant give the patient?

When completing documentation in a patient’s paper record a medical assistant realizes she made an error. Which of the following action should the assistant take?

Draw a line through the error and initial it

A medical assistant is caring for a patient who is 5’7 tall. Which of the following is the patient’s height is centimeters

A medical assistant is preparing to administer a subcutaneous injection for a patient. Which of the following needle size should the assistant choose?

1/2 to 5/8 inch needle, 25 gauge

An adolescent is covered by two insurance policies under her divorce parents who have birthday in May and August and have joint custody. Which policy is the primary policy for the adolescent?

The policy of the parent who has the earliest birth month.

A medical assistant is performing a review of items in a clinic’s inventory. How should the assistant classify dressings and bandages for inventory purpose?

A medical assistant is caring for a patient who has terminal colorectal cancer with a life expectancy of 6 months. The patient state, I don’t know if it’s time to begin hospice care yet. Which of the following statement should the assistant make?

Hospice can help manage your pain and confort during the final months of your life.

In which of the following position should a medical assistant place a healthy patient in preparation for a rectal examination

A medical assistant is writing a piece of professional correspondence to a consulting provider. Which of the following ways should the assistant record the date on the letter?

A medical assistant is speaking with a patient who recently received a terminal diagnosis. The patient I regret not taking better care of myself. Now I won’t be able to accomplish what I wanted to do with my life. The assistant should identify that the patient is in which of the following stage of grief?

A medical assistant is replacing a sharps container in an examination room and receives a small laceration on her arm from the plastic lid. Which of the following type’s of documentation should the assistant complete as a result of this incident?

Which of the following piece of legislation keeps health care staff safe from retaliation by their employers when they report cases of patient neglect and abuse?

Whistleblower Protection Act.

When choosing a diagnosis code a medical assistant should consider which of the following action in order to avoid an insurance denial?

Coding to the highest level of specificity

A medical assistant is preparing to administer a liquid oral medication to a patient. Which of the following methods should the assistant use to ensure the correct dose is delivered?

Pour the medication to the prescribed dose in the medicine cup on a flat surface.

Which of the following statements made by a medical assistant demonstrated an understanding of required patient identification techniques?

I will the patient to state and spell her full name and provide her date of birth before administering vaccines

Which of the following test is granted waived status under clinical laboratory improvement amendment (Celia)

A medical assistant is preparing to dispose of bandages that have been removed from a patient’s open wound. Per OSHA guideline. Which of the following actions should the assistant plan to take?

Place the bandages in red biohazard bag

Which of the following instructions should a medical assistant give to a patient when administering an enteric coated tablet?

Swallow the tablet whole with a glass of water

Medical assistant is administering an injection, and the patient faints. Which of the following action should the assistant take?

Place the patient in a supine position

A medical assistant is assisting with the physical examination of a patient who has scabies. Besides gloves, which of the following pieces of personal protective equipment should the assistant wear.

The medical assistant drops an instrument on the floor while setting up sterile tray for a procedure. He picks up the instrument and place it back on the sterile field. A few days after the procedure, the patient calls the office concerned that the area surrounding the procedure site is infected. Which of the following torts has the assistant committed?

A medical assistant is assisting a patient whose insurance does not cover immunizations. To which of the following community resources should assistant refer the patient

Department of Heath and human services (HHS)

A provider examines an older adult patient who is disabled and has a lesión an her arm. A medical assistant should anticipate a referral for this patient to which of the following ancillary services?

A medical assistant is performing an ear irrigation for an adult patient who has a cerumen impaction. Which of the following steps should the assistant complete prior to administering the irrigation solution?

Pull the pinna of the ear up and back

A medical assistant is preparing to create a report about patients who have a family history of breast cancer. Which of the following types of software allow the assistant to sort, retrieve, and combine information for this report

When performing the palpatory method for obtaining blood pressure, which of the following indicates the level at which the medical assistant should inflate the cuff?

30 mm Hg above the radial cessation

A medical assistant is obtaining a blood pressure measurement from an adult patient. Which of the following actions should the assistant take to ensure an accurate reading

Place the stethoscope’s diaphragm over the patient’s palpated artery

A medical assistant should use which of the following solutions to prepare a patient’s skin prior to the drawing blood cultures?

A medical assistant is caring for a patient who is experiencing chills,nausea,and dizziness. The patient’s face appears pale. The assistant should recognize that the patient is exhibiting manifestations of which of the following medical emergencies?

Which of the following is formal authorization identifies an individual as legally able to make decision on behalf of a patient

Durable power of attorney

A medical assistant is collecting blood samples to measure a patient’s cholesterol levels. Which of the following actions should the assistant take before collecting the patient’s blood?

Make sure the patient did not eat any food for the past 12 hr

A clinic schedule all cardiac patients on Mondays and Wednesday and all oncology patients on Tuesday and Thursdays. Which of the following type of scheduling is the clinic using?

A medical assistant is talking with an older adult patient who has experienced several injuries at home over the past 6 months. The patient lives alone and has no family nearby. Which of the following responses should the assistant make to help ease the patient’s transition to assisted living or long-term care?

It seems like it is no longer safe for you to be at home alone. Let’s talk about other options

A medical assistant is preparing a patient for enema. In which following positions should the assistant place the patient for this procedure?

A medical assistant is reviewing laboratory results that confirm a patient has varicella zoster virus. The assistant should identify that this micro-organism causes which of the following type of infections?

A medical assistant is reinforcing teaching with a patient about pulse oximetry. Which of the following statement should the assistant include in the teaching?

Remove your nail polish before the test

A medical assistant is monitoring an infant patient for microcephaly. Which of the following describes the anthropometric measurement that the assistant should perform?

A medical assistant should identify which of the following as a characteristic of anorexia nervosa?

Which of the following cardiac procedures is withing a medical assistant’s scope of practice and does not require a licensed technician or provider to assistant or perform it?

Holster monitor application

A medical assistant is contacting to schedule a repeat papanicolau test to abnormal results. The assistant should identify that which of the following factors can interference with the test results?

Using an over-the-counter vaginal cream prior to the test

Which of the following parental medication routes should a medical assistant administer for a slow release of medication into the blood stream?

A medical assistant is preparing a patient who has anemia for an axamination by the provider. Which of the following manifestation should the assistant expect to finde

A medical assistant is encouraging a patient to increase her intake of insoluble fiber to herlp prevent constipation and hemorrhoids which of the following food should the assistant recommend as the best source of insoluble fiber?

A medical assistant is collecting a Heath history from an older adult patient who exhibits moderate hearing loss. Which of the following acting should the assistant take?

Remain with the patient’s view to allow lip-reading

A medical assistant works at practice is part of an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) this designation means that the practice’s health care team will focus on improving care for patient who have which of the following type of medical coverage?

According to OSHA guidelines for proper waste disposal. Which of the following should a medical assistant place in a regular waste container

Which of the following statement made by a new medical assistant, regarding an artificial demonstrates a need for further teaching

Electrical interference on the EKG is not caused by cell phones

A medical assistant is testing a patient’s visual acuity using a snellen chart. Which of the following actions should the assistant take?

Make sure the patient does not lean forward during the test

Which of the following is the largest and upper mast section of the brain?

A medical assistant work at urgent care center that uses open hours scheduling. Which of the following describes this form of scheduling?

Patient arrive at their convenience and are seen on a first-come,first-served basis

A medical assistant preparing to file the paper chart for Mary St. Thomas. Where should this file be place when file along with the chart for Mary Perez.Elisabeth Saint,and John A. Thomas?

After Elisabeth Saint and before John A.Thomas

Which of the following position is appropriate for a pelvic examination

Which of the following item include on the CMS-1500 claim form should a medical assistant recognize as indicating the medical necessity of procedure?

A medical assistant should understand that the chain of custody form is used for which of the following?

Ensuring that a specimen is packaged as directed

The patient Bill of Right protects individual from which of the following?

Denial of care due to the patient’s age

Which of the following is a step in the process of skin preparation prior to a surgical procedure?

Clean the surgical site with antiseptic

A medical assistant is transcribing a prescription for a medication that a patient should take before meals. Which of the following abbreviation should the assistant use to indicate when the patient should take the medication?

A medical assistant is entering a new prescription into a patient’s electronic medical record (EMR). While entering the prescription an alert notifying the assistant a medication interaction appears on the screen. Which of the following action should the assistant take?

Consult with the provider before continuing to process the prescription

To provide culturally competent care. Which of the following actions should a medical assistant take first when encountering patient’s?

Examine personal religion and cultural values and believes to identify any biases

A patient tell a medical assistant that his provider office is incompetent, as there is no improvement in his condition. Which of the following is an appropriate response for the assistant to make?

I think that you feel that your treatment is not effective

A medical assistant is preparing to calculate a patient’s heart rate from an EKG tracing. Which of the following methods should the assistant use for this calculation?

Divide 1,500 by the number of small boxes between two R waves

A patient who has vulvovaginal candidiasis ask a medical assistant for more information about her infection. The assistant should begin by explaining that candidiasis is which of the following type of infections

When measurement a patient’s respiratory rate. Which of the following action should a medical assistant take to ensure an accurate reading?

Count the respiration while the patient thing his pulse is being obtained

A medical assistant has just received a derogatory e-mail from a dissatisfied patient. What should the assistant take?

Print the e-mail and make notes about topic to be addressed prior to formulating a response

A medical assistant is checking a patient’s hearing using the Weber test. Which of the following actions should the assistant take?

Ask the patient if he hears the vibration louder in one ear than the other

When removing sutures, why is it important for a medical assistant to place the removed sutures on a gauze pad.

To determine the number of satures remove

A medical assistant is reviewing laboratory requisition. For which of the following patient conditions should the assistant perform a capillary collection rather than a venipuncture?

A medical assistant is transcribing a prescription for magnesium sulfate into a patient’s medical record. Which of the following should the assistant use to document this medication?

A medical assistant is reinforcing instruction with a patient about how to take a bucal tablet. Which of the following instructions should the assistant give the patient?

Place the tablet between your gums and cheek

A medical assistant receives a telephone call from a patient who is hesitant about discussing a new medical concern unless the conversation is with a provider. The assistant should use which of the following techniques to address the patient’s reluctance?

Use a reflective statement to recognize the patient’s concerns

A medical assistant notice that the medical office is not providing (PPE) equipment to their staff. Which of the following regulatory agencies should the assistant contact?

OSHA regulates workplace safety

A prímary care Doctor suspects a patient of fibromyalgia. A medical assistant should expect the provider to refer the patient to which of the following socialist?

A rheumatologist specializes in treating patient who have diseases of the joints muscles and bones

Which of the following cell structures is instrumental in helping the body mobilize and secrete mucus from the respiratory tract?

A medical assistant is collecting data from a patient who has cold sores on his lips. The assistant should identify that which of the following viruses causes this condition?

Several patient arrive at a clinic at the same time requesting care. A medical assistant should recognize that which of the following patient’s chief complaint is the priority for the provider to address?

An adult patient who is experiencing dyspnea and congestion

A medical assistant receives a call from a patient requesting a refill for fentanyl patches for chronic pain. Which of the following actions should the assistant take?

Refer the patient’s request to the provider

The medical assistant is caring for a child who has varicela zoster virus. The assistant should recognize that varicella is transferred through which of the following modes of transmission?

A medical assistant is cording an office visit during which the medical provider reviewed the systems related to the patient chief complaint but did not discuss the patient family or social history. Which of the following procedure code should the assistant use for the visit?

An expanded problem based history in include a patient chief complain

What is the primary reason the Ma would want to provide patient education?

Which should be considered about the patient when the medical assistant provides patient education?

Which should the medical assistant Ma include in a patient teaching session when using the health belief model's principle of perceived severity?

What is the correct order in the patient education process?