While telemedicine technology has been available for years, telehealth appointments have drastically increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reports that telehealth visits increased from about 840,000 in 2019 to over 50 million in 2020. Evidence suggests that medical assistants play a part in the success of these virtual appointments. Prism Career Institute trains medical assistants at its campuses in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Here, we discuss how medical assistants help make telehealth appointments work efficiently.
What Is Telemedicine?
Telemedicine or telehealth is a form of healthcare. Rather than seeing your doctor for an in-person visit, telehealth is a virtual appointment conducted using a computer, tablet, or smartphone. In addition to virtual visits conducted using video chat, some healthcare providers also offer secure platforms for exchanging messages with patients. This is helpful for quick questions that don’t require a separate appointment.
Telehealth services allow patients to receive ongoing care, even when they can’t be seen in person. This has been especially helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic when healthcare providers are trying to limit the number of patients in their waiting room, but still want to provide quality care. The benefits of telehealth include:
- Accessibility: For patients who live in rural areas, getting to and from the doctor might mean they need to take time off work and drive a long distance. A telemedicine appointment allows them to get medical care from the comfort of their home while saving significant time. Telehealth also makes it easier for individuals with mobility restrictions to talk with a doctor.
- Convenience: Individuals who care for their children or elderly parents may have difficulty arranging alternative care when they need to go to the doctor. Telemedicine accommodates patients with caregiving responsibilities by allowing them to arrange a convenient online appointment at a time that works for them.
Of course, not every visit can be conducted remotely. For example, if a patient requires a blood test, they must be seen in person.
Medical Assistant Duties
Medical assistants work in a wide range of healthcare environments, including hospitals, clinics, urgent care centers, and family medical practices. They perform many different administrative and clinical tasks that assist doctors and nursing staff. Medical assistant responsibilities may include:
- Patient care: Medical assistants may take a patient’s medical history, measure their vital signs, and prepare blood samples for laboratory testing.
- Documentation: Medical assistants enter patient information into electronic medical records (EMR) software.
- Patient coordination: A medical assistant may greet patients, sign them in at the front desk, schedule appointments, and send appointment reminders.
- Billing: Medical assistants can help with medical coding and billing, processing patient co-pays, and filing insurance claims.
- Clerical tasks: Some medical assistants answer phones, make copies of patient records and order medical and office supplies.
Supporting Telehealth Services
In addition to helping doctors with in-person appointments, medical assistants also can provide support for telemedicine services. There are many ways a medical assistant can ensure a telehealth appointment is successful, including:
- Emailing appointment reminders to a patient
- Instructing patients on how to use a video call services
- Helping the medical provider log in to the video call
- Providing follow-up instructions to the patient in the form of a phone call, email, or mailing
A report from Kaiser Permanente found that telemedicine appointments were more effective when a medical assistant was involved, especially for patients who were from low socioeconomic backgrounds or needed language interpretation. The report also found that when medical assistants called patients 15 minutes before their appointment start time, they had a better connection rate. The report’s authors inferred that medical assistants helped orient patients to video call technology that may be unfamiliar to them, providing a human connection.
As telemedicine technology continues to expand, medical assistants can offer support to both patients and providers.
Learn More about Medical Assistant Programs
To prepare for a career as a medical assistant, you need a rigorous, skills-focused training program. Students can find a comprehensive medical assistant program at Prism Career Institute, located in Philadelphia, PA, and Cherry Hill and West Atlantic City, NJ. Prism Career Institute is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training and licensed by the PA State Board of Private Licensed Schools and NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development. With experienced instructors, supportive career services, and externship training, students graduate equipped to enter the healthcare field. To learn more and get in touch with our admissions staff, contact us today.