Pediatric Medical Assistant Duties
Pediatric medical assistants work with pediatricians providing care to infants, children and teens under the age of 18. There are two positions for pediatric medical assistants in the office – front office and back office. Front office medical assistants are responsible for controlling the flow of patients through the office and collecting co-pays and other forms of payment. Back office medical assistants work directly with patients and the doctor.
Front Office Duties
The front office pediatric medical assistant is the first person most patients come in contact with in an office setting. The front office assistant is responsible for the paperwork side of the practice. Front office duties include:
- Checking in patients.
- Collecting and verifying insurance information.
- Collecting new patient forms.
- Updating patient files.
- Scheduling laboratory tests and appointments.
- Scheduling follow-up appointments.
- Answering office phone calls.
- Setting up phone appointments.
- Verifying appointments with patients by phone.
- Collecting and processing laboratory reports.
Back Office Duties
Patients often spend the most time with back office pediatric medical assistants. Medical assistants take patent vitals, including blood pressure, height, length and weight. Depending on the reason for the visit, the medical assistant may ask the patient for a urine sample.
After vitals are complete, the patient is escorted into an examination room where a brief history is taken. The medical assistant will ask about the reason for the visit and collect symptom information for the patient chart.
If the patient is visiting the doctor for vaccinations, the pediatric medical assistant will visit the room after the doctor talks with the patient and parent. The doctor writes orders for specific vaccinations. Pediatric medical assistants give the patient vaccinations and record the location of injection, lot number, vaccination name and method of injection. This information is then recorded on the patient vaccination record. Between patients, back office medical assistants clean, disinfect and prepare rooms for the next patient.
From time to time, pediatric medical assistants perform special duties to assist the pediatrician. Special duties may include assisting the doctor with circumcisions, rapid strep tests, draw blood and administer medications ordered by the pediatrician.
General Duties Verses Specialized Duties
Pediatric medical assistants work with pediatricians, but they can also work with medical specialists such as pediatric allergists, pediatric cardiologists and pediatric urologists. In specialized settings, medical assistants are required to perform area-specific duties, including medical testing and area-specific medical care.
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