Patient Care

Patient care is very important for the medical assistant. Interacting with patients, making them feel at ease and comfortable, taking vital signs or administering medications as well as explaining medical procedures are all part of patient care.

Workplace and patient surroundings should always be sanitized as bacteria flourishes in hot and damp areas and can cause health problems.

Communication with patients is a large portion of a medical assistant’s job, as the medical assistant will listen to patients concerns, answering questions, and instruct medical procedures or medications.

The medical assistant should always be friendly, well-spoken and well-mannered.

When working in a medical office setting, the medical assistant should always try to make patients feel comfortable.

Any procedures performed, such as taking vital signs, administration of medication or others, should be well explained to the patient.

When working in clinical settings, the medical assistant should as well always explain any procedures and be able to listen to any concerns a patient might have.

Caring for Bedridden/Bed Stricken Patients

• In clinical settings where the patients are required to stay in bed (bedridden or bed stricken), the medical assistant can make patients feel more comfortable by doing a variety of things, depending on the discomfort, including:
• General
  • Support should be provided for back and joints, in order to prevent strain
  • Arms and legs should be in a comfortable position and if needed, supported
  • During bed changes, communication with the patient is important to gain cooperation.
  • Movement should be guided rather than lifting patients

• Other considerations:
  • Offering pillows for support (such as when patient is uncomfortable lying on the side)
  • Bed cradle (to keep weight of upper beds off patients)
  • Air-rings under buttocks (if signs of pressure sore at the base of the spine show)