We hope our loved ones never receive a cancer diagnosis. But if they do, it’s comforting to know that they are receiving treatment from a truly caring team of medical professionals. When caring for breast cancer patients, medical assistants can play an important role in that team. Medical assistants work in a variety of healthcare environments, and they perform a number of tasks that assist doctors and nursing staff. Here, Prism Career Institute discusses how medical assistants can help breast cancer patients.
Medical Assisting: A Versatile Role
When a patient is being treated for breast cancer, there are many aspects of their treatment plan that can require the support of a medical assistant. Whether a breast cancer patient is undergoing chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery, they will be interacting with a wide range of medical providers and settings. Medical assistants can work in many aspects of breast cancer care, whether it’s in an oncologist’s office, a surgery center, or a family health practice.
Providing Supportive Care for Breast Cancer Patients
When treating patients with breast cancer, medical assistants may be responsible for providing the following aspects of patient care:
Clinical Duties
Patients being treated for breast cancer will have ongoing appointments with their oncologist and their primary care physician. Medical assistants may support these providers in many ways:
- Laboratory work: Assisting doctors and nurses with collecting and preparing specimens for testing
- Phlebotomy: Taking a sample of a patient’s blood for laboratory testing
- Vital signs: Taking measurements, such as a patient’s temperature, blood pressure, or heart rate
Administrative Duties
Medical offices are often busy places. Staff must be highly organized and professional to ensure that patients receive the best care possible. Medical assistants can help keep their workplaces running smoothly by performing the following tasks:
- Care coordination: Scheduling in-person and telehealth appointments for patients
- Office support: Answering phones, signing in patients, and helping patients complete required paperwork
- Recordkeeping: Maintaining and updating patient medical records
Patient Care
Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be a frightening and emotional experience for a patient. Medical assistants have the opportunity to help patients navigate the healthcare system and understand the various aspects of their treatment plan. By building relationships with their patients, medical assistants can help breast cancer patients feel more empowered and less overwhelmed.
- Patient education: Explaining medical terminology to patients in layman’s terms
- Patient navigation: Walking patients through the steps of surgical procedures and treatment plans
For many medical assistants, helping their patients feel cared for is one of the most rewarding aspects of the job.
Pursue Healthcare Career Training at Prism Career Institute
If you’re looking for gratifying work in the field of breast cancer care, the Medical Assistant program at Prism Career Institute may be a good fit. We can help you identify an education program that best suits your interests and learn more about how medical assistants can help breast cancer patients, as well as patients in other healthcare specialties. Contact Prism Career Institute today or tour our campuses in Cherry Hill and West Atlantic City, NJ.