Job Report Medical Assistants Back to Index Job Report Medical Assistants Nature of the Work Medical assistants help physicians examine and treat patients and perform routine tasks needed to keep the office running smoothly. The duties of a medical assistant may be administrative, clinical, or both.
Medical assistants perform a variety of administrative duties.
They may answer the telephone, greet patients and other callers, record and file patient data and medical records, fill out medical reports and insurance forms, handle correspondence, schedule appointments, and arrange for hospital admission and laboratory services. Along with other office duties, they may transcribe dictation and handle the bookkeeping and billing. Medical secretaries and medical receptionists also perform administrative tasks in medical offices, but, unlike medical assistants, they rarely have clinical duties. Medical assistants employed in hospitals or outpatient facilities, like those who work in practitioners' offices, perform a variety of tasks. For instance, they may assist physicians in emergency departments by providing direct care to patients.