ISCO 08 Code 3256  Medical assistants

Lead Statement

Medical assistants perform basic clinical and administrative tasks to support patient care under the direct supervision of a medical practitioner or other health professional.

Task statement

Tasks include:

• interviewing and observing patients to obtain medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height;
• showing  patients to examination rooms and preparing them for examination;
• preparing and administering medications as directed by a physician;
• collecting blood, tissue or other laboratory specimens, logging the specimens, and prepare them for testing;
• explaining  treatment procedures, medications, diets and physicians' instructions to patients;
• helping medical doctors and other health professionals to examine and treat patients, handing them instruments and materials or performing such tasks as giving injections and removing sutures;
• authorizing drug refills and providing prescription information to pharmacies;
• preparing treatment rooms for patient examinations, keeping the rooms neat and clean;
• cleaning and sterilizing instruments and disposing of contaminated supplies;
• recording patients' medical history, vital statistics and information such as test results, medical condition and procedure codes in medical records;
• arranging and scheduling appointments and preparing documentation required for billing, reporting and insurance purposes.

Included occupations

• Clinical assistant
• Medical assistant
• Ophthalmic assistant

Excluded occupations

• Clinical officer - 2240
• Medical prosthetic technician - 3214
• Dental assistant - 3251
• Physiotherapy assistant - 3255
• Medical imaging assistant - 5321? 5329?

Comments

ISCO 88 Code(s) 3221 part

(NCvB; Maart 2010)