Scope of Practice, and Certification and Licensure of Medical Assistants in the United States

Abstract

Medical assistants (MAs) are an important part of the healthcare workforce. In the United States, the scope of practice and credentials of the MAs are not specifically defined. The inconsistencies in determination of the scope of practice for MAs across the United States necessitated this study. Chapter two, a scoping literature review, focused all on the existing types of literature such as research, theory-based, philosophical, empirical or practice-based, statistical reports, and gray literature, this chapter aimed to utilize quality literature to ascertain the scope of practice for MAs. Chapter three, I used an existence pre- and post-surveys which aimed to examine a training and certification process for MAs in a major southwestern hospital. I used Excel program for my data analysis. Chapter four, an intrinsic case study, studied the MAs' perceptions toward the certification program in a major southwestern hospital. MAXQDA was used for the data analysis. Out of 50 analyzed articles for the scoping review, 22 described the role of MAs and 36 discussed the job description of MAs. Nineteen articles listed the minimum requirements, while four described the required qualities. Only one article identified specific certification requirements and explained the certification process. Furthermore, seven articles identified different state certification requirements and 13 described various impacts of MAs on health outcomes. It was found in the surveys’ results that while MA certification may be viewed favorably, it is debatable whether it improves the MAs’ knowledge and skills. In addition, thematic analysis demonstrated that participants overall believed that certification is valuable, which contributed to the MAs’ willingness to engage in additional education and training. Moreover, it is imperative to maintain the facilitators contributing to the specialists' willingness to improve their professional competence and eliminate the barriers encountered by MAs during education. The research concluded that having qualified MAs can increase the delivery of primary care by reducing patient waiting time, streamlining the flow of patients, enhancing patient satisfaction, and improving care outcomes. Future research should study the evolving role of these specialists in different healthcare settings.