Every medical assistant needs a good working knowledge of Anatomy and Physiology and Medical Terminology
Medical Assistant Certification Exam Content Outline: The exam candidate's navigation tool for study, the outline lists, by topic category, the subject matter covered in the exam.
Candidates should reference this Content Outline. View the number and percent of questions on the exam by major content areas.
CMA (AAMA) Certification/Recertification Examination Content Outline I. A–G General A. Psychology
B. Communication
2. Nonverbal Communication
3. Communication Cycle
4. Collection of Data
5. Telephone Techniques
6. Interpersonal Skills
C. Professionalism 1. Professional Behavior
2. Performing as a Team Member
D. Medical Law/Regulatory Guidelines 1. Advance Directives
2. Uniform Anatomical Gift Act
3. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
4. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
5. Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA '88)
6. Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA)
7. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) a. Health insurance portability access and renewal without preexisting conditions b. Coordination of care to prevent duplication of services
8. Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act a. Patient's right to inspect, amend, and restrict access to his/her medical record
9. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) a. Controlled Substances Act of 1970
10. Medical Assistant Scope of Practice a. Consequences of failing to operate within scope
11. Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA)
12. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
13. Consumer Protection Acts a. Fair Debt Collection Practices Act b. Truth in Lending Act of 1968 (Regulation Z)
14. Public Health and Welfare Disclosure
15. Confidentiality
16. Health Care Rights and Responsibilities
17. Medicolegal Terms and Doctrines
18. Categories of Law
E. Medical Ethics
F. Risk Management, Quality Assurance, and Safety
2. Safety Signs, Symbols, Labels
3. Environmental Safety
4. Compliance Reporting
G. Medical Terminology
H. Medical Reception 1. Medical Record Preparation
2. Demographic Data Review a. Identity theft prevention b. Insurance eligibility verification
3. Handling Vendors/Business Associates
4. Reception Room Environment a. Comfort b. Safety c. Sanitation
5. Practice Information Packet a. Office policies b. Patient financial responsibilities
I. Patient Navigator/Advocate 1. Resource Information a. Provide information about community resources b. Facilitate referrals to community resources c. Referral follow-up
J. Medical Business Practices 1. Written Communication a. Letters b. Memos/interoffice communications c. Reports
2. Business Equipment a. Routine maintenance b. Safety precautions
3. Office Supply Inventory a. Inventory control/recordkeeping
4. Electronic Applications
2. Charting Systems a. Problem-oriented medical record (POMR) b. Source-oriented medical record (SOMR)
L. Scheduling Appointments 1. Scheduling Guidelines a. Appointment matrix b. New patient appointments (1) Identify required information c. Established patient appointments (1) Routine (2) Urgent/emergency d. Patient flow (1) Patient needs/preference (2) Physician preference (3) Facility/equipment requirements e. Outside services (e.g., lab, X-ray, surgery, outpatient procedures, hospital admissions)
2. Appointment Protocols a. Legal aspects b. Physician referrals c. Cancellations/no-shows d. Physician delay/unavailability e. Reminders/recall systems (1) Appointment cards (2) Phone calls/text messages/e-mail notifications (3) Tickler file
M. Practice Finances 1. Financial Terminology a. Accounts receivable b. Accounts payable c. Assets d. Liabilities e. Aging of accounts f. Debits g. Credits h. Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) i. Relative Value Units (RVUs)
2. Financial Procedures a. Payment receipts (1) Co-pays b. Data entry (1) Post charges (2) Post payments (3) Post adjustments c. Manage petty cash account d. Financial calculations e. Billing procedures (1) Itemized statements (2) Billing cycles f. Collection procedures (1) Aging of accounts (2) Preplanned payment options (3) Credit arrangements (4) Use of collection agencies
3. Diagnostic and Procedural Coding Applications a. Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) (1) Modifiers (2) Upcoding (3) Bundling of charges b. International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modifications (ICD-CM) (Current schedule) c. Linking procedure and diagnosis codes d. Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS Level II)
4. Third-Party Payers/Insurance a. Types of plans (1) Commercial plans (2) Government plans (a) Medicare (i) Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN) (b) Medicaid (c) TRICARE/CHAMPVA (3) Managed care organizations (MCOs) (a) Managed care requirements (i) Care referrals (ii) Precertification [a] Diagnostic and surgical procedures (iii) Prior authorization [a] Medications (4) Workers' compensation b. Insurance claims (1) Submission (2) Appeals/denials (3) Explanation of benefits (EOB)
III. N-V Clinical N. Anatomy and Physiology 1. Body as a Whole 2. Body Systems Including Normal Structure, Function, and Interrelationships Across the Life Span 3. Pathophysiology and Diseases of Body Systems
O. Infection Control 1. Infectious Agents 2. Modes of Transmission 3. Infection Cycle/Chain of Infection 4. Body's Natural Barriers 5. Medical Asepsis 6. Surgical Asepsis 7. Standard Precautions/Blood-borne Pathogen Standards 8. Biohazard Disposal/Regulated Waste
P. Patient Intake and Documentation of Care 1. Medical Record Documentation
Q. Patient Preparation and Assisting the Provider 1. Vital Signs/Anthropometrics
2. Recognize and Report Age-Specific Normal and Abnormal Vital Signs
3. Examinations a. Methods b. Body positions/draping c. Pediatric exam
4. Procedures
5. Patient Education/Health Coach
6. Wellness/Preventive Care
R. Nutrition
2. Special Dietary Needs
3. Eating Disorders
S. Collecting and Processing Specimens 1. Methods of Collection
2. Prepare, Process, and Examine Specimens
3. Laboratory Quality Control/Quality Assurance
4. Laboratory Panels and Performing Selected Tests a. Urinalysis b. Hematology panel c. Chemistry/metabolic testing d. Immunology
T. Diagnostic Testing
1. Cardiovascular Tests 2. Vision Tests 3. Audiometric/Hearing Tests 4. Allergy Tests 5. Respiratory Tests 6. Distinguish Between Normal/Abnormal Laboratory and Diagnostic Test Results
U. Pharmacology (For the 50 most commonly used medications, see the "Top 200 Drugs" at www.rxlist.com)
1. Medications
2. Preparing and Administering Oral and Parenteral Medications a. Dosage b. Routes of administration c. Injection site d. Medication packaging e. Six Rights of Medication Administration (1) Right patient, right drug, right route, right time, right dose, right documentation
3. Prescriptions 4. Medication Recordkeeping 5. Immunizations
V. Emergency Management/Basic First Aid 1. Assessment and Screening 2. Identification and Response to Emergencies 3. Office Emergency Readiness
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