Career Diploma in
Medical Office Assisting (Certified)

Kinds of medical specialists; staff responsibilities in a medical practice; running the front office; scheduling appointments; taking vital signs; using a computer; patient confidentiality.

Easy ways to understand word roots, prefixes and suffixes, plus common medical words and terms; analyzing word parts to determine their meanings; singular and plural forms; why learning medical terminology is important.

An overview of the major medical insurance plans; completing insurance claim forms correctly; familiarizing yourself with codes for medical procedures and diagnoses from the CPT and ICD-9-CM manuals.

The chain of infection; precautions regarding human tissue, blood, and fluids; reducing disease transmission; sanitation and sterilization; common diseases and tests.

In this lesson, you will learn about laws, ethics, and the standards in place that protect patients as well as health care workers. You will learn about the various types of malpractice, what a patient must do to prove that malpractice has occurred, and how, as a health care worker, you can protect your employer and yourself.

As you study this lesson, you will learn effective techniques that will help you communicate professionally with patients, families, and coworkers in the health-care setting.

This lesson covers the selection, use, and maintenance of office equipment. It also outlines the components of a computer as well as how to select and maintain them.

This lesson will help you learn to manage your business correspondence efficiently and professionally. You will also learn many of the techniques that medical assistants use to manage supplies.

The purpose of this lesson is to introduce you to the types of medical records and the procedures for maintaining them, and to the different payment and collection methods used in a medical office. This lesson also covers the business and management of the medical front office.

In this lesson, you will learn proper techniques to use with the medical office telephone system. You will also learn about another potential task as a medical assistant—setting up and maintaining an efficient schedule.

In this lesson, you will learn how to set the stage for a successful interaction between the patient and the doctor and other medical staff. This lesson also stresses the importance of encouraging all patients to practice healthy habits and behaviors, and teaching them how to accomplish this goal.

In this lesson, you will learn about the types of health care insurance that patients are likely to have, how payers set the charges they pay for providers’ services, and how to submit complete and accurate claims. You will also learn the basics of medical coding, which converts the medical terms used to document supplies and services provided to a patient into code numbers selected from standardized coding resources.

In this lesson, you will learn about some of the business and financial duties that may be required of an administrative medical assistant, including billing to third-party payers (insurance carriers) and patients, collecting payments, accounting, and bookkeeping.

You will discusses how disease is transmitted and specific steps to take to prevent its transmission. You will learn techniques for controlling the spread of disease via medical instruments and equipment. You will also learn how to recognize signs and symptoms of common infectious diseases. You will learn about blood-borne pathogens (i.e., HIV and hepatitis, among others) and how you can take precautions to protect yourself, your coworkers, and your patients from becoming infected.

The purpose of this lesson is to familiarize you with the organization of the human body and the structures and functions of the skeletal, integumentary, and muscular systems.

The purpose of this lesson is to familiarize you with the nervous, circulatory, and immune systems.

The purpose of this lesson is to familiarize you with the structure and function of the respiratory, digestive, and endocrine systems.

The purpose of this lesson is to familiarize you with the structures and functions of the “special” senses (smell, taste, vision, hearing, and equilibrium). The special senses are those that have sensory receptors in the head. This lesson also covers the urinary and the reproductive systems.

In this lesson, you will learn a broad spectrum of clinical skills beginning with the initial patient interview and including a range of medical examinations from the taking of vital signs to teaching patients how to promote health and prevent disease.

In this lesson, you will learn about the types of examinations and diagnostic tests used in the specialty medical fields. You will also learn about the medical assistant’s role in collecting and processing specimens and preparing patients for and assisting with in-office clinical and minor surgical procedures.

In this lesson, you will learn to apply cold and heat therapies, teach basic exercises, and demonstrate the use of canes, walkers, crutches, and wheelchairs. You will also learn how to assess the urgency of an emergency situation and appropriately handle any emergency that might arise.

In this lesson, you will study the various types of laboratory equipment and their use. You will also be introduced to current safety legislation applicable to the laboratory setting. Additionally, you will learn about the different forms of microorganisms and how to identify these life forms. Finally, you will learn the role of quality control in ensuring reliable test results.

In this lesson, you will learn the importance of diet in health and the role of the clinical medical assistant in promoting and teaching good nutrition. You will also learn more about the anatomy and physiology of the heart and the respiratory system. In addition, you will be introduced to diagnostic radiology testing and the role a medical assistant might play in preparing patients for these tests.

In this lesson, you will learn about the science of drugs and how to prevent mistakes that can lead to allergic reactions to drugs, harmfull drug interactions, injury, and even death. This lesson will also introduce you to medications frequently adminstered in medical practices, and you will learn the principles of proper drug administration.