Medical assistants play a valuable role in allied health teams because of their cross-training across the healthcare office. Versatility is key to this role, as medical assistants may assist with clinical duties such as patient triage and instructing patients about medications, or administrative duties like medical billing and arranging hospital admissions.
The difference between medical assistants and physicians’ assistants is that medical assistants work under the direct supervision of doctors, while physicians’ assistants examine, diagnose and treat patients under a contract with a doctor, who need not directly supervise.[Leer en español]