​​FAQs ABOUT THE MEDICAL OFFICE ASSISTANT

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• Who are the Medical Office Assistants?

Medical Office Assistants are trained members of staff who have completed a diploma in Medical Office Assistance from an accredited college in Canada, and are able to perform a number of tasks including, but not limited to recording and monitoring vital signs, visual acuity tests, urinalysis, medical lab specimen collection and processing, as well as many other medical office tasks.

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Medical Office Assistants work in teams with physicians and nurses to facilitate the scheduling of patients' appointments and the progress of their consultations and procedures.

 

Medical Office Assistants are not receptionists. Only those in possession of a diploma in Medical Office Assistance from an accredited college in Canada or in possession of a diploma in Medical Assistance from an accredited college in the USA may work at CRMC as MOAs. The only exceptions to this rule are Registered Health Care Aides (RHCAs) who possess a certificate in Health Care Aide from an accredited institution, and holders of a college diploma in pharmacy technician or pharmacy assistant with specific skills that are required at CRMC. For more information regarding the minimum requirements and qualifications needed to work as an MOA at CRMC, please scroll to the bottom of this page.

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• What can our Medical Office Assistants do?

  • Schedule and confirm medical appointments

  • Enter and format electronically based medical reports and correspondence

  • Prepare spreadsheets and documents for review

  • Interview patients in order to complete forms, documents and case histories

  • Complete insurance and other claim forms

  • Initiate and maintain confidential medical files and records

  • Prepare draft agendas for meetings and take, transcribe and distribute minutes

  • Prepare financial statements and billing

  • Establish and maintain various internal office administrative support procedures such as document tracking and filing and monthly reporting

  • Order supplies and maintain inventory

  • Determine and establish office procedures and routines

  • May supervise and train other staff in procedures and in use of current software.

  • ​​Take a full patient medical history (HPC, PMH, FM, SH, SxH, RxH, AH);

  • Collect and record vital signs from patients as appropriate;

  • Prepare patients for the medical consultation;

  • Collect and process specimen samples as appropriate;

  • Screen patients for signs of stroke or myocardial infarction according to a pre-approved protocol and screening tool;

  • Prescreen patients for UTI symptoms to triage them to either the pharmacist prescriber or to the Urgent Care Centre when walk-ins are not available in the clinic;

  • Carry out restricted activities under the supervision of a physician when appropriately and specifically trained to do so (as per Section "1a and c" of the Supervision of Restricted Activities - Standard of Practice of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (2017).

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• Is it safe for me to share medical or personal information with a Medical Office Assistant?

Medical Office Assistants are bound by the same confidentiality laws that physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals must abide by.

 

Even though they may sometimes be sitting at a reception, Medical Office Assistants are trained members of staff who have completed a diploma in Medical Office Assistance at an accredited college in Canada.

 

The profession is not yet regulated in Alberta, however, as an additional requirement, and to be able to legally offer POP CoRN services together with the Nurses, CRMC's Medical Office Assistants must either already hold registration with the Alberta Health Care Aide Directory or be enrolled in the Competency Assessment Program leading to professional registration as an HCA. This means that while the MOA profession is not regulated, our MOAs are still regulated members of staff with a code of conduct and legal/professional responsibilities.

 

Therefore, you are safe to share personal or medical information with an MOA when required to do so. Whatever you say to the MOA will remain with the MOA and with the physician or nurse who cares for you. The MOA will keep your information safe at all times and will deal with it in a professional manner as expected of a trained health care member of staff.