Intro to Allied Health Professions

The rapidly changing health care environment requires health care providers to rely more heavily on assistive personnel. As a result, medical assistants (MAs) have become an important part of the health care team. No matter the setting, these multifunctional team members provide valuable services and support. Medical assistants are employed in a variety of settings from pediatric to chiropractic offices. No matter how varied the roles or duties of the medical assistant, the essential skills and personal qualities required of all good medical assistants are similar. As a well-trained, multi-skilled health care professional, the medical assistant fulfills many roles in the allied health field, where the everyday challenges are balanced by opportunities for advancement, personal growth, and satisfaction. Professional organizations that oversee or regulate the education, training, and certification of medical assistants are also discussed in this chapter, as well as current career opportunities and the future of the medical assisting field.

History of Medical Assisting: 

Historically, medical assistants were trained on the job by a physician. They became skilled through the day-to-day education and training provided in the medical office. Because of increasing responsibilities and liability issues, most physician offices and clinics today will employ only individuals who have received some type of formal training. Many physicians became familiar with the clinical skills of nurses while working closely with nurses in the hospital setting, so, as the need for formally trained staff arose, they chose to hire registered nurses to work in their offices. However, when a shortage of nursing personnel occurred, they had to look elsewhere for professionally trained office personnel who were specifically trained to perform both the administrative and the clinical responsibilities of a medical office. Physicians began to hire medical assistants. The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) was formed as a national professional organization in 1955 after previously being the Kansas Medical Assistant Society.