An exciting aspect of working in the healthcare sector is anticipating and adapting to new trends in medical practice and patient care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, with a shortage of medical practitioners and so many patients experiencing illness across the United States, new patterns and workflows for patient care were developed. With on-the-job training as encounter specialists, medical assistants were able to increase patient flow and help physicians with tasks. Prism Career Institute trains medical assistants at our campuses in Philadelphia, PA, and in West Atlantic City and Cherry Hill, NJ. Students learn how to adapt to new challenges at work in our medical assistant program.
What Is the Encounter Specialist Model?
Medical assistants have always been important members of the healthcare team. As medical assistant jobs change to reflect new patient care models, these health professionals rely on their training, with a firm foundation of medical skills and knowledge.
The encounter specialist medical assistant can reduce the workload of physicians, nurses, technicians, and other members of the medical staff through their ability to work closely with team members and to competently take on vital tasks. In turn, trusting these responsibilities to medical assistants frees the medical practitioners to see more patients and avoid burnout. Encounter specialists assist the whole medical practice in several ways, including:
Improving Patient Flow
Showing the patient to the exam room, taking vitals, and otherwise helping prepare for the examination is part of the usual workload of many medical assistants. Encounter specialists may also stay during the appointment as a scribe to document the visit in the electronic medical record.
After the medical practitioner leaves, these encounter specialist medical assistants review healthcare instructions with the patient, providing any additional education that may be required, and sharing handouts if necessary. When a second medical assistant is available to start this process with a different patient, it allows doctors to have more appointments during the day without increasing their responsibilities for charting and other paperwork.
Facilitating Telehealth Appointments
Through familiarity with the technology employed in telehealth appointments, encounter specialist medical assistants provide much-needed assistance to patients and medical staff. This model continues to adapt but can include sending the patient a link for the video appointment, engaging with language interpretation services when needed, and helping the patient navigate the necessary technology for the appointment.
In this way, medical practitioners are not spending time on these types of technical problems. In addition, the encounter specialist can ask preliminary questions for the medical record, help the patient relax before the visit, and take note of any new complaints.
Medical Assistants Adapt to New Demands
As medical assistants adapt to new duties added to their daily workloads, employer demand and medical assistant career paths continue to accelerate. Medical practitioners have more patients to take care of, and there is limited space in hospitals and emergency rooms. Physician practices, public health clinics, and other patient care facilities need well-trained medical assistants to add efficiencies to the process. They also need compassionate team members who will help take care of patients with kindness and concern. The encounter specialist role is central to both needs.
Prism Career Institute Keeps Pace With New Trends
With a focus on teamwork, new techniques, and up-to-date electronic medical record technology, Prism Career Institute provides outstanding training for medical assistants. Our experienced faculty offers students superior instruction and course content. Our career services team provides support for students pursuing medical assistant career opportunities, including help with interview skills and networking resources. At Prism Career Institute, students get the foundation of knowledge and skills they need for adaptability as they proceed with their careers.
Find Quality Training for Medical Assistants at Prism Career Institute
Healthcare occupations experience near-constant change, including modified job roles and new technology systems. In other words, healthcare workers who graduate from high-quality educational training programs are at an advantage. As demand continues to grow for medical assistants, specialized roles, such as encounter specialist, may become more common.
For a student-centered medical assistant program taught by caring instructors, turn to Prism Career Institute. Our medical assistant program is available at all three campus locations in Philadelphia, PA, and Egg Hill Township and Cherry Hill, NJ. For more information, contact us today.