Medical Assistant Diploma Curriculum

In this course, you’ll develop the necessary skills to ensure your success in the program. You'll learn how you can improve your study skills, so you're able to use a number of tools that will help you to be successful. You'll then learn about the healthcare professions involved in the United States healthcare system. You'll learn about their common tasks, where they typically work, and how each role contributes to the patient experience. You'll then discover the hard and soft skills required across different healthcare professional roles. The course ends with an overview of the United States healthcare system. You'll examine the different levels of patient care, the differences between public and private healthcare, how facilities bill for services, and how laws and regulations govern healthcare practices.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Identify skills needed to be a confident and independent online learner
• Explain the standard knowledge and skills required in healthcare careers 

This course will familiarize you with various body systems including medical terms, structure, function, diseases, disorders, and treatments. You’ll also learn drug delivery systems, drug administration routes, drug classifications, and commonly used medications for various organ system disorders.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Define medical terms and regions and structures of the body by analyzing medical terms
• Identify the anatomy, physiology, diseases, and treatments of the cardiovascular and hematologic systems
• Identify the anatomy, physiology, diseases, and treatments of the respiratory and endocrine systems
• Identify the anatomy, physiology, diseases, and treatments of the gastrointestinal, urinary, and reproductive systems

This course is a continuation of Body Systems and Medical Terminology 1. You’ll continue to learn about various body systems, drug delivery systems, drug administration routes, drug classifications, and commonly used medications for various organ system disorders. You’ll also learn basic medication calculations, storage, how to assist patients with administration, and proper documentation.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Identify the anatomy, physiology, and diseases and treatments of the integumentary and musculoskeletal systems
• Identify the anatomy, physiology, and diseases and treatments of the sensory and nervous systems
• Identify the anatomy, physiology, and diseases and treatments of the immune system

This course describes healthcare professionals who can identify the four subdivisions of pharmacology and different drug classifications, including vitamins and minerals. Pathology and Pharmacology will also prepare you to explain the causes of infectious disease and techniques used to stop its spread. Finally, you’ll review the basic etiology of common diseases and conditions.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Describe four subdivisions of pharmacology: pharma codynamics, pharmacokinetics, pharmaco-therapeutics, and toxicology
• Identify different drug classifications, including vitamins and minerals, which a patient may take for a variety of health conditions
• Explain causes of infection, disease, and techniques used to stop the spread of infectious disease
• Explain basic etiology of common diseases and conditions

This course is designed to help you understand the reimbursement process and the various methodologies involved. You’ll be introduced to billing cycles and how health information technology is used in medical offices, and learn about basic accounting transaction terminology and apply this information to enter patient charges and payments.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Describe the contents of the Electronic Health Record, application of SimChart for the Medical Office, and security, privacy, and confidentiality associated with medical records
• Explain the administrative and clinical roles in the medical office and functions within the EHR that are utilized routinely in these roles
• Describe the billing and reimbursement process and the use of both patient portals and personal health records in continuity of patient care
• Complete simulated health records in SimCharts

This course introduces the reimbursement process and the various methodologies involved, such as fee-for-service and episode-of-care methodologies. The course also covers important information regarding payment systems, fee schedules, chargemasters, coding, and the internal audit process. The course also explains the fundamentals of health insurance and types of health insurance.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Discuss various reimbursement methodologies and payment systems
• Define health insurance

In this course, you'll begin with an overview of coding concepts, terms, and procedures. You’ll review the features of the ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS manuals. You'll learn to code diagnoses in the ICD-10-CM and use the chapter-specific coding guidelines to code diseases and conditions with specific and unique rules. You’ll also learn about general coding guidelines for inpatient and outpatient procedures and physician office coding using CPT, HCPCS Level I, and HCPCS Level II procedure coding.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Explain how to use the ICD-10-CM to assign codes for medical diagnoses
• Identify the purpose of the ICD-10-PCS and how it’s used
• Outline the procedure for assigning codes from the E/M and Anesthesia sections of CPT
• Outline the types of services and procedures described in the CPT
• Explain the types of procedures coded in the hemic, lymphatic, digestive, reproductive, and urogenital systems
• Describe the procedures coded in the endocrine, nervous, ocular, auditory, radiology, pathology, and medicine sections of the CPT
• Assign CPT and HCPCS codes for physician procedures and services

In this course, you’ll learn how law affects healthcare practitioners, the origin of law that affects medical professionals, the basics of the process of litigation and its alternatives, the common-law basis for the confidentiality of healthcare information, and the laws regulating healthcare information collected and maintained by government agencies.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Interpret civil and criminal laws related to healthcare
• Assess ethical issues healthcare professionals face today
• Analyze confidentiality laws and regulations

This course, Clinical Procedures Theory, will provide you with the theoretical principles and clinical skills that are essential to working as a medical assistant. These tasks range from greeting patients and getting information from them to administering injectable medication and teaching patients about special procedures and their plan of care. An applied learning approach to the role of the medical assistant is threaded throughout each unit of the textbook. The specific tasks assigned to you as a medical assistant depends upon many different factors, including the following:

• The laws of the state in which you work
• The policies that apply in the medical setting in which you work
• The physician or physicians for whom you work
• Your own level of skill and professionalism

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Categorize the concepts of professional communication with safe practice of OSHA standards of infection control
• Analyze therapeutic communication, vital signs, and other skills required for successful patient interactions
• Point out the procedures used when assisting with medication
• Compare the essential diagnostic procedures and the skills needed to perform them
• Categorize the procedures used when analyzing blood and urine
• Prepare a handout for an in-servicing training

This course focuses on clinical lab procedures. The first thing to take care of while working in a clinical lab is safety. The spread of infection and diseases can compromise the specimens and the people who work in the labs. As you plan on taking the responsibilities associated with the healthcare setting, you must understand that discipline is extremely important to analyze and perform the tasks related to labs. This course will not only provide you with tasks to practice your skills in the field, it will also help you understand the effective techniques used to ease the lab processes. Read the lessons carefully and apply the knowledge on completing the tasks assigned in the course to be a successful healthcare professional.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to: 

• Analyze the processes related to infection control, asepsis, and inhalation medication
• Categorize the various lab procedures and the methods related to them
• Apply knowledge of medicine administration by completing a drug calculation exam

The medical assistant externship provides students with hands-on training in a primary care clinic, an urgent care clinic, or a medical practice. The goal of this externship is to provide students with the hands-on experience necessary for developing their skills as a medical assistant. Students will practice under the direct supervision of a certified medical assistant, nurse, physician assistant, or medical doctor. This externship consists of 160 hours of clinical experience. Students are required to complete and submit weekly timesheets signed by their externship preceptor.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Demonstrate the skills and abilities required of a medical assistant through an externship experience