As a medical assistant, you wear many different hats. From taking patient vital signs to sterilizing equipment, it’s important to have the right skills and knowledge to do each task correctly. But being a medical assistant isn’t just about taking patient medical info or giving injections, it’s also about making sure that the patient is well taken care of and happy. Here are 4 things a modern medical assistant can do to help patients have a better experience during and after the visit.
1. Be respectful and friendly. Whether you’re working emergency at a hospital or front desk at an office, it’s important to remember that you are the face of the practice. Medical assistants are often the ones who spend the most time with a patient during their visit, so do your best to create a rapport, respect their privacy, and make sure they’re comfortable whenever possible.
2. Follow up with patients. Since you are the one who spent the most time with the patient, try and make a follow-up call the day of or the day after their appointment. This gives the patient a chance to ask any questions that weren’t voiced during the appointment.
3. Anticipate the needs of the patient. Go the extra mile and make sure the magazines in the waiting area are up to date or check to make sure that the temperature in the office is comfortable.
4. Offer resources and information. You could even print out a list of your favorite resources for the patient to research on their own.
At the end of the day, it’s about the patients. And if yours walk out the door with a smile every time they visit, you know you’ve done your job to the fullest.
Learn more about earning your medical assisting diploma or degree by visiting ArizonaCollege.edu.
Information in this blog post is accurate as of March 23, 2012.