Career Introduction Flashcards
The Guilds (17th century): Definition
Guilds are associations of persons engaged in a common trade or calling for mutual advantage and protection.
1946: Hill-Burton Act
Improvement and construction of hospitals.
1948: World Health Organization (WHO)
Agency under the United Nations that tries to cooperate to control and eradicate the disease worldwide.
1965: Medicaid
Helps pay for the medical care of indigents.
A title under the social security amendments.
1967: Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)
Established guidelines for operating laboratories.
1968: Uniform Anatomical Gift Act
Allows for individuals to decide if they want to be an organ donor.
1970: Controlled Substances Act
Providers must apply for registration and receive a DEA number to administer, prescribe, or dispense drugs.
Specifies proper storage of controlled drugs.
1970: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Originally an act to reduce the incidence of injury, illness, and death in the workplace.
Extended to the health care industry in 1980s to protect workers from blood borne diseases such as AIDS and HIV.
1996: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA)
Limit health administration costs, provide for patient information privacy, and prevent fraud and abuse.
2006: Medicare D
Prescription drug plan to assist in payment of medication costs.
Medicare members are eligible.
Accreditation
Process by which an educational institution or program establishes credibility or legitimacy by complying with predetermined standards.
o Must meet thresholds for exam pass rates, grad rates, and positive placement %.
Medical assisting programs:
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
And
Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)
Administrative Skills
Manage business affairs
* Medical Reception
* Patient navigator
* Medical business practice
* Establishing patient medical records
* Scheduling appointments
* Practice finances
Additional skills
* Medical record preparation
* Demographic data review
* Providing resource information
* Office supply inventory
* Equipment maintenance
* Accounts receivable/payable
* Payment receipts
* Manage petty cash
* CPT/ ICD-CM coding
* Insurance claims
Alternative Therapy: Acupuncture
Consists of using extremely thin sterilized needles, sometimes electrified with low voltage, that are used as an anesthetic or to treat pain.
o Practiced by Koreans, Japanese, and French.
Alternative Therapy: Faith
Patients who receive prayer respond more favorably than those who don’t.
Many practitioners recognize something or someone else was responsible for a patient’s unexpected recovery.
Alternative Therapy: Biofeedback
Use of electronic equipment to learn to control otherwise involuntary bodily functions.
Can have some therapeutic uses.
Alternative Therapy: Hypnosis
Supported by scientific research, unlike the others.
Provides acute or chronic pain relief, stress management, and control of certain phobias, and for other conditions.
Alternative Therapy: Yoga
Discipline of breath control, meditation, and stretching and strengthening exercises that is thought to promote mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.
Increases balance, flexibility, strength, energy, and calmness.
Alternative Therapy: Hand Reflexology
Stimulating points on the hand send impulses to help the muscle relax and increase blood circulation.
Allows for more oxygen and nutrients to enter and promote healing.
Each point on the hand is said to be a map to the corresponding body part.
Alternative Therapy: Naturopathy
Belief that the body has the power to heal itself.
Treatment is based on the correct diet, rest, relaxation, exercise, fresh air, clean water, and sunlight.
Other forms of advice on lifestyle such as herbal products and massage may be suggested.
Alternative Therapy: Visualization and Guided Imagery
Imagery involves all the senses.
The therapy works when a patient visualizes some activity affecting their problem.
Evidence shows that it reduces nausea with chemotherapy, reduces postoperative pain, shortens hospital stays, and reduces anxiety.
Alternative Therapy: Humor
Laughter affects most of the major systems of the body, increasing heart rate and blood pressure and improving muscle tone.
Reduces anxiety.
Increases NK cell activity, lymphocyte proliferation, monocyte migration, and the production of IL-2 and IgA.
Alternative Therapy: Aromatherapy
The use of essential oils for a therapeutic effect.
o Lavender for first aid for burns
o Neroli for anxiety
o Tea tree for antibacterial and antifungal action
Alternative Therapy: Magnet Therapy
Theory that cells possess an electromagnetic field and that disease occurs because of an electromagnetic imbalance.
Alternative Therapy: Massage
Most popular, can be covered by insurance.
Treats stress-related conditions and manipulates the muscles.
Alternative Therapy: Tai Chi
Improves strength, flexibility, and sense of balance.
Reduce frailty and falls in elderly patients.
Proper breathing with the exercises helps integrate the body and mind and enhance the flow of qi and overall health.
Alternative Therapy: Ayurvedic Medicine
Traditional to India
Addresses mental and spiritual well-being and physical health.
Sickness results from energies being out of balance.
Three energies are:
o Vata
o Pitta
o Kapha
Practitioner accesses the proportions of each and comes up with a health plan.
Alternative Therapy: Homeopathy
Is a 200-year-old system of medicine that is based on the law of similars.
o If a dose of a substance can causes a symptom, that same substance in minuscule amounts can cure the symptom.
American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC)
For medical billing and coding
Renewed annually.
36 hours of CEUs are required every two years.
Includes:
o Certified professional coder (CPC)
o Certified professional coder – Hospital outpatient (CPC – H)
o Certified professional coder – Payer (CPC – P)
American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)
Candidates are allowed up to 90 days to take the exam.
Certification valid for 60 months
Can renew by
o Earning 60 hours of continuing education or academic credit or other.
o Retaking the certification exam.
Certification exams provided by NHA along w/ continuing education program development and career and networking services.
Professional organizations provide members with continuing education units that are necessary to retain certification.
American Medical Technologists (AMT)
Certification and membership society
Offers registered medical assistant (RMA) and certified medical administrative specialist (CMAS).
Awards registered medical assistants (for evaluating competence or entry-level MAs) and certified medical administrative specialists (front desk specialists) certifications.
Examinees must recertify every three years by obtaining the required number of CEUs.
Must graduate from a formal medical services training program or be employed in the medical field for 5 out of the last 7 years.
Ancient Civilization: Egypt (3000 BCE)
People of the Nile River had developed a level of medical practice as early as 3000 BCE.
Practitioners were Priests who studied medicine and surgery in the temple medical schools.
Used 1/3rd of medical plants used today.
Tried to use black magic.
Used leeches.
o Helped remove the blood and disease toxins.
o Produced Hirudin which prevented coagulation.
o Currently helps in some procedures where blood is present within the tissues.
Ancient Civilizations: China (3000 BCE)
Began to search for medical reasonings for illness.
The great emperor was known as the father of Chinese medicine and followed the Great Herbal which contained more than a thousand drugs and the art of acupuncture (originally used to drive out demons).
Ancient Civilizations: Greece (2000 BCE)
Said Apollo, the sun god, taught medicine to a centaur who ended up teaching Asklepios, the god of healing.
Priests used massage, bathing, and exercise in treating patients.
o Depended on the power of large yellow nonpoisonous snakes.
o Patients were put into a drug-induced sleep in the temple and the snakes would lick the wounds and Asklepios applied salves (wax-like healing material)
Asklepio’s staff became the origin of the medical symbol, caduceus
Ancient Civilizations: India
First hospitals and nurses.
Extensive use of drugs, including those for anesthesia.
o Helped with the Hindu’s contribution to surgery.
Andreas Vesalius (1514 – 1564)
Residence: Belgium
Wrote one of the most influential anatomy books of all time based on his dissections on corpses he took from the gallows.
Antony Van Leuwenhoek (1632 – 1732)
Residence: Netherlands
Built more than 200 microscopes, allowing him to see red blood cells.
Aristotle (384 BCE – 322 BCE)
Residence: Greece
Philosopher who brought together medicine, biology, botany, and anatomy. His findings were based on animal dissection because human dissection was illegal.
Barber Surgeons
Surgeon practice was limited to the nobility, high clergy, and wealthy merchants.
Barber surgeons however cut hair, practiced bloodletting, opened abscesses (areas that accumulated pus), and occasionally did amputations.
Red and white poles depict the wrapping of bloodstained bandages.
Boundaries of the MA Practice CAN do
Diagnostic test with order
Patient preparation
Patient history
Vital sign
Screener
Chief compliant (convey the concerns of the patient)
Boundaries of the MA Practice CANNOT do
Example, diagnose, or prescribe.
Physical assessing
Diagnostic test without order
Claudius Galen (CE 121 – CE 199)
Residence: Turkey and Rome
Physician, surgeon, and anatomist.
His theories were flawed because he only studied the anatomy of pigs, dogs, and Barbary apes. Believed the body was composed of and regulated by four humor fluids of life: blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile.
Clinical Skills
Application of principles of aseptic technique and infection control
Performance of vital signs
Performance of sterilization and minor surgery procedures
Collection and processing of specimens
Performance of laboratory tests
Administration of medications
Performance of phlebotomy procedures
Performance of patient screenings
Preparation of patients for examination, procedures and treatment
Response to emergencies
Communication Skills
Adapt to different types of patients while using therapeutic responses.
Promote information between provider and patient.
Good interpersonal skills
* Maintaining positive relations
Communication Skills
Adapt to different types of patients while using therapeutic responses.
Promote information between provider and patient.
Good interpersonal skills
* Maintaining positive relations
Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM)
Supplements or treatments that add to the conventional form of medicine.
Physician: Dermatologist
Skin disorders
Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
- Similar educational requirements
- Both are licensed physicians who can use all accepted methods of treatment.
- DOs place emphasis on the body’s musculoskeletal and nervous systems, preventive medicine, holistic patient care, and patient education.
- Can apply some administrative and clinical knowledge and skills
Edward Jenner (1749 – 1823)
Residence: England
Gave the first vaccination to an eight-year-old boy, using the exudate from a cowpox lesion of a dairymaid. He injected the boy with smallpox, and it didn’t develop.
Physician: Endocrinologist
Malfunctions of the glands of internal secretion (hormones).
Physician: Family practitioner
General practice with family unit.
Treats all, even infants.
1930: Food and Drug Administration
Responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.
Gabriel Fahrenheit (1688 – 1736)
Residence: Germany
Introduced the thermometric scale and developed the mercury thermometer.
Physician: Gastroenterologist
Treats the stomach and intestines
General or Family Practice
Sees all kinds of problems and will refer a patient out for more serious unknown cases for a further diagnosis. Usually, will return once problem is remedied or for continued care.
General Skills
Communication
Medical law and Ethics
Administrative
Clinical
Health Care Provider
Individual licensed to examine, diagnose, and prescribe treatment to patients seeking assistance.
Health Care Team: Respiratory Therapist
Perform procedures of treatment that maintain or improve the ventilatory function of the respiratory tract in patients.
Health Care Team: Dietician
Help patients regulate their diet based off their condition.
Health Care Team: EMT
Administer specialized emergency care to victims of acute illness or injury and transport them to a medical facility (recertifies every two years).
Health Care Team: Hospital Registrars
Take patients’ demographic and insurance info upon arrival.
Health Care Team: Laboratory Technician
Performs chemicals microscopic, and bacteriologic tests of blood, tissue, and bodily fluids under the direction of a pathologist, provider, or medical scientist.
Health Care Team: Limited X-ray Machine Operator
Performs radiographs of the chest, extremities, spine, and sinuses in ambulatory settings.
Health Care Team: Medical Biller
Create a billing statement listing all charges the patient has incurred for services rendered and send the bill to the patient, insurance, or company.
Health Care Team: Medical Coder
Use an alphanumeric system to label all the physician’s notes.
o Results in max reimbursement for provider and fewer fees to patient.
Health Care Team: Medical Office Manager
Supervise members of medical office staff, coordinate schedules, perform human resource function, and oversee daily operation of the office.
Health Care Team: Nuclear Medicine Technologists
Administer radiopharmaceuticals to patients and then use a camera to observe how they concentrate in specific organs.
Health Care Team: Occupational Therapists
Help improve basic motor function from injuries resulting from work or life-based activities.
Health Care Team: Pharmacy Technician
Prepare medication and sometimes administer it.
Usually help in duties such as telephone communication, typing, and filing.
Often will educate patients on medications.
Health Care Team: Physical Therapist
Evaluate, diagnose, and treat movement disorders in patients with musculoskeletal injuries and illnesses.
Health Care Team: Radiologic Technician
Perform diagnostic imaging examination, such as radiographs on patients.
Health Care Team: Sonographers
Create images of structures within the body using sound waves instead of x-rays.
Health Care Team: Surgical Technologists
Assist surgeon and surgery team before and after.
Sets up operating room and instruments before surgery and help in the clean up after.
Physician: Hematologist
Treats blood disorders
Hippocrates
460 BCE: Produced an organized method of gaining knowledge through observation.
Expressed the importance of diet and cleanliness.
Discovered courses of certain diseases could be traced by listening to the heart of a patient.
Best known for his code of behavior, the Hippocratic Oath.
o Believed to be written by Pythagoras.
o Requires physicians to uphold specific ethical standards, a practitioner’s rite of passage.
2,000 years later Laennec (French physician) invented the stethoscope.
Residence: Greece
Known as the father of Medicine
Physician: Hospitalist
Helps reduce load of hospital visits for primary care providers
Hospitals
Medical assistants have various roles
(usually specializing in one like phlebotomy)
Licensed Practical Nurse (not provider)
Trained in basic nursing techniques and direct patient care. Practice under and RN or a provider.
Medical School
Combination of medical knowledge from the East and the West produced…
o First medical school at Salerno, Italy around 850 BCE.
Opened to men and women.
Not a church school.
Dissections were rare and mostly not allowed.
Books were scarce so it was orally taught.
Mid-level practitioners
o Nurse practitioners
o Physician assistant (PAs)
o Can examine, order diagnostic tests, and prescribe certain types of medications.
o Some states will allow them to work independently instead of being supervised by a physician.
Multi-provider Clinics
Three or more providers
Usually owned by hospitals, insurance companies, and many types of professions required.
National Health-career Association (NHA)
Includes CCMA and CMAA
Graduate from NHA approved training program
Obtain 10 CEUs every 2 years or retake the exam.
1930: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Had its beginnings as a laboratory researching Cholera and Tuberculosis.
1930 was established under the Department of Health and Human Services.
There are 13 research institutes that work to improve and provide information to healthcare professionals. They support biomedical research in disease prevention.
Works to improve health and provide information to healthcare professionals.
Nineteenth Century: Clara Barton (1821 – 1912)
Residence: United States
Civil War nurse who established the American Red Cross in 1881 and served as the first president.
Nineteenth Century: Louis Pasteur (1822 – 1895)
Residence: France
Discovered microorganisms could be destroyed by heating. He discovered a vaccine to prevent and treat rabies.
Nineteenth Century: Joseph Lister (1827 – 1912)
Residence: England
Realized microbes in the air caused infections after surgery. Created the foundation for medical asepsis (exclusion of microorganisms).
Nineteenth Century: Elizabeth Blackwell (1821 – 1910)
Residence: United States
First woman Physician in the US.
Opened a medical college in New York exclusively for Women.
Nineteenth Century: Wilhelm von roentgen (1845 – 1923)
Residence: Germany
Discovered X-Rays (AKA Roentgen rays).
Nineteenth Century: Florence Nightingale (1820 – 1910)
Residence: England
Established a formal school of nursing at St. Thomas Hospital in London in 1860.
Non-Physician Specialities
Chiropractic
Dentistry
Optometry
Podiatry
Psychology
Non-Physician: Psychologist
Mental health counseling that evaluates emotional problems
Non-Physician: Dentist
Disorders of teeth and gums
Non-Physician: Optometrist
Vision
Non-Physician: Podiatrist
Disorders of the feet
Non-Physician: Chiropractor
Manipulative treatments of disorders originating from misalignment of spine.
Nurse Anesthetist
RN who is certified to administer anesthesia.
Nurse Midwife
RN who specializes in labor and delivery.
Registered nurse (RN) (not a provider)
Completed a course of study at a state approved school of nursing and passed the national council licensure exam (NCLEX – RN).
1966: Medicare
National health insurance for persons over 65 or those who are blind, disabled, or have certain kidney conditions.
Two parts:
o Part A: Covers hospitalization.
o Part B: covers physicians and other medical providers.
2010: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Intended to expand access to health insurance, provide additional consumer protections, and reduce the cost of healthcare.
Partnerships
Two or more providers who share the business.
Two or more medical assistants
Patient-Centered Medical Home
Partnership with permit and patient
Provides assistance with end-of-life issues, acute and chronic illness, and preventive services.
Physician
Usually invest years studying medicine
o 4 years of undergraduate
o 4 years of medical school
o 3-8 years in residency
Must…
o Be of legal age
o Good moral character
o Graduated from approved medical school.
o Completed approved residency program or equivalent.
o Be a resident of the state they are practicing in.
o Submit proof of completion of all three steps of US MLE
o Continuously complete CME units to renew license.
Physician: Allergist
Diagnosing and treating types of allergic reactions
Physician: Anesthesiologist
Gives anesthetics before and during surgery
Physician: Cardiologist
Treating and diagnosing diseases, abnormalities, and disorders of the heart.
Physician: Gynecologist
Female reproductive tract with a strong emphasis on preventive measures
Treats female adolescents and adults
Physician: Infertility Specialist
Pregnancy issues/ issues with conceiving
Treats couples who want kids
Physician: Internalist
Disorders with internal organs
Physician: Interventional Cardiologist
Catheter-based treatment of structural heart diseases
Physician: Nephrologist
Kidney disorders
Physician: Neurologist
Disorders of nervous system
Physician: Nuclear Medical Specialist
Treats using radionuclides
Physician: Obstetrician
Provide direct care to women during pregnancy and after
Treats pregnant patients
Physician: Occupational Medicine Specialist
Disorders caused by chemicals, dust, or gases (occupational circumstances).
Physician: Oncologist
Treats cancers and tumors
Physician: Ophthalmologist
Eye doctor
Physician: Orthopedist
Bone fracture, tendon, muscle, etc.
Physician: Otolaryngologist
Ears Nose and Throat
Physician: Pathologist
Analysis of tissue samples
Physician: Pediatrician
Disorders of children focuses on preventive measures.
Treats infants, kids, and teens.
Physician: Physical Medical Specialist
Physical therapy
Physician: Plastic Surgeon
Improves appearance
Physician: Psychiatrist
Mental health treatment using medication
Physician: Pulmonary Specialties
Chest, lungs, heart, and blood vessels.
Treats adults
Physician: Radiologist
Treat diseases using Roentgen rays (x-ray).
Physician: Sports Medical Specialist
Injuries sustained in athletic events.
Treats all, but usually young adults.
Physician: Surgeon
Treats deformities through operating methods
Physician: Emergency Provider
Treats acute illnesses and traumatic injuries
Physician: Urologist
Treats the urinary system of females and genitourinary system of males.
Professionalism
Properly dealing with others in a sensitive and effective way
Be respectful
Show courtesy
Dignity
Responsibility
Be tactful (know what to do in a given situation)
Have good time management
Reciprocity
Physicians who meet all licensing requirements had an option to be licensed through another state through reciprocity.
Rene Laennec (1781 – 1826)
Residence: France
Invented the stethoscope because he could not hear the heart and lungs of an obese patient.
Revocation
Revoking of license
o Sometimes a board has power to do so or a review committee does.
Occurs if physician is incompetent, accused of a crime, drugs, sexual conduct with patients, unprofessional, income tax evasion, violation of narcotic laws, and more.
Rhazes (CE 860 – CE 932)
Residence: Arab Empire
Distinguished smallpox from measles and was credited with the use of animal gut sutures (surgical threads) to sew wounds.
Solo Practice
Requires administrative and clinical skills.
One provider who makes decisions.
The Arab Empire
Medicine had been passed into the hands of the Christian Church and Arab scholars.
Great knowledge for chemistry led to their major medical contribution in pharmacology.
The Great Diseases
Leprosy was one of the few contagious diseases to be recognized.
Cases of Leprosy decreased with the coming of the Black Death (bubonic plague).
o Described the dark, spotty appearance of the corpse due to hemorrhages beneath the skin.
o Cause: Bacillus grew in fleas and affected black rats.
The Guilds: Surgeons
Inferior to physicians.
Two Classifications:
o Surgeons of the Long Robe
o Barber Surgeons
Only a few had university degrees.
Many were trained largely in hospitals or through apprenticeships.
The Guilds: Apothecaries
Tradesmen that were permitted to treat people with the drugs they made, prescribed, and sold.
Learned through apprenticeships.
The Guilds: Physicians
Most prestigious.
Had university degrees.
Preferred studying, teaching, and debating theories of diseases dealing directly with the sick.
Only upper class.
The Renaissance
People began to escape the church and adopted a new attitude towards the human body.
Michelangelo, Durer, and da Vinci began to practice dissection to depict the human body.
The Roman Empire
Established superior methods of sanitation and water supply.
o Discovered That Disease Was Connected To Filth And Overcrowding.
Drained Marshes To Reduce The Incidence Of Malaria And Instituted Laws To Maintain Public Health.
Built Extensive Underground Sewer Systems And Later Built Private Hospitals.
Time Management Skills
Priority List:
1st: Assisting the provider with emergencies and procedures
2nd: Rooming patients
3rd: Performing procedures and dismissing patients
4th: Working on pending files that have tasks
Learn to say no to low priority requests
Don’t be a perfectionists for tasks that don’t require your best effort.
Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries: Sir Alexander Fleming (1881 – 1964)
Residence: Scotland
While experimenting with bacteria, a mold accidentally drifted onto a culture and prevented the bacteria from growing. Later, this mold as studied and became the beginnings of penicillin.
Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries: Sir Frederick Banting (1891 – 1941)
Residence: Canada
Discovered and isolated insulin in 1921, giving diabetics a more normal life.
Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries: Stanley Cohen (1935–) and Herbert Boyer (1936–)
Residence: United States
Credited with cloning genetically engineered molecules (1973).
This contributed to the development of synthetic insulin that served as a clot dissolving agent for heart attack victims.
Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries: Patrick Steptoe (1913 – 1988) and Dr. Robert Edwards (1925)
Residence: England
World’s first successful in vitro fertilization (joining of sperm and egg in a dish) in 1977 and first test tube baby in 1978.
Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries: A. B. Sabin (1906 – 1993)
Residence: United States
Developed an attenuated oral vaccine for polio.
Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries: C. Walton Lillehei (1918 – 1999)
Residence: United States
Pioneered open-heart surgery.
Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries: George Papanicolau (1883 – 1962)
Residence: United States
Worked at the Strang Clinic diagnosing cervical cancer. His discovery, the pap test, has become routine and has saved the lives of thousands of women.
Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries: Dr. Robert Jarvik (1946 - )
Residence: United States
Designed the first permanently implantable artificial heart, known as the
Jarvik-7.
Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries: Jonas Salk (1914 – 1995)
Residence: United States
Isolated the polio virus and created its first vaccine.
Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries: Marie Curie (1867 – 1934)
Residence: Poland
First world-famous woman scientist. She discovered radium and her work led to the use of radium in the treatment of cancer.
Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries: AbioCor company 2001
Residence: United States
Developed first implantable artificial heart.
Unlike the Jarvik-7, this device has no external wires which helps reduce infection to the recipient.
Urgent Care Centers
Used to treat minor injuries.
Seen in order of arrival.
Health Care Team: Phlebotomist
A healthcare worker whose primary responsibility is to obtain blood samples.
Also processes blood samples.
Health Care Team: Audiologist
Examine diagnose disorders and recommend and fit patients with assistive devices like hearing aids.
Work alongside speech pathologists.
National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT)
Offers national certified medical assistant (NCMA) and national certified medical office assistant (NCMOA) licenses.
Certification valid for 5 years.
Must participate in 14 clock hours of continuing education for renewal
