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Explore a Career as an Administrative Medical Assistant, a Fundamentals course that I will be teaching entirely online. I have prepared this document to help make your online educational experience as positive and enjoyable as possible. It contains contact information, a description of our course delivery system, course mechanics, and a course schedule.
How to get Started:
This course is conducted through an online classroom. You will need to go to this classroom to obtain your lessons, work through tutorials, take quizzes, complete assignments, participate in discussions with your fellow students, and ask questions of your instructor. As soon as the registration office verifies receipt of your payment, you will be able to participate. Here's how it works:
- Wait until after 12:00 a.m. (Pacific Time) on the start date for this course.
- After the course begins, go to
https://www.ed2go.com/tunxis/. The Online Classroom is open 24 hours a day and seven days a week, so please feel free to log in to your classroom at any time of day that is convenient for you.
- Once on the website, click the Login link at the top right of the page.
- Finally, log in with the username and password you provided us at the beginning of this orientation procedure. You should then be able to enter the online classroom and begin your studies.
Course Description
Learn what it takes to have a successful career as an administrative medical assistant in the exciting and high-demand world of healthcare.
In this course, you will master the basics of scheduling patients' appointments, surgeries, and hospital admissions. In addition, you will discover how to create, maintain, and file medical charts. You will also find out how to verify patients' insurance, create encounter forms (charge tickets), post charges, obtain pre-authorizations from insurers, and schedule return visits.
After that, go behind the scenes as you learn how to apply diagnostic and procedure codes to patients' accounts and bill their insurance companies. Next, explore additional accounts receivable tasks including posting payments and adjustments, billing secondary insurance, and following up on unpaid insurance claims. You will also learn what a day sheet is, why it's important, and how to keep track of all your patient accounts on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis.
Finally, delve into the basics of keeping a medical office running smoothly—from ordering supplies to scheduling staff meetings and making travel arrangements.
If you're organized, a "people person," and interested in a secure job in the healthcare field, a career as an administrative medical assistant may be just what you're looking for. This course will set you on the path to that career and help you determine which aspect of medical information management, such as patient contact or billing and coding, suits you best.
Course Requirements
Requirements:
Hardware Requirements:
- This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.
Software Requirements:
- PC: Windows 8 or later.
- Mac: macOS 12 or later.
- Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
- Adobe Acrobat Reader.
- Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.
Other:
- Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.
Instructional Material Requirements:
The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.
Course Mechanics
I will make two lessons available to you every week for six weeks. You do not have to be present when a lesson is released, but you'll need to complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
Once all 12 lessons have been released, I will give you a two-week grace period to complete your studies and take the final exam. This means that you have a total of eight weeks to complete this course. If you're thinking of taking another course after this one, you can avoid overlap by starting that course exactly two months after this one begins.
Lessons are released by 12:00am (Pacific Time) on Wednesdays and Fridays. To access your lessons, simply visit the online classroom (as described in the "Getting Started" section), and then click the lesson title you wish to visit.
Once the class access ends, I won't be able to send you the lessons. If you would like to keep the lessons for future reference, I suggest using the print lesson feature in the classroom.
Each time you complete a lesson, you will also be asked to complete a brief multiple-choice quiz. I expect you to complete each quiz within two weeks from the date that the corresponding lesson was made available. I realize that you are busy, and don't want you to worry if you can't complete a few of the quizzes on time due to illness, vacation, or other commitments. Once I release a lesson and quiz, I will make sure it is available to you as long as the classroom is open.
The interactive multiple-choice quizzes are designed to test your comprehension of the course material. When you complete a quiz, you will receive an instant analysis of your work.
This analysis will include a brief explanation of any errors you may have made. If you are not satisfied with your performance, you are welcome to re-take the quiz until you feel that you have mastered the quiz objectives.
Note: If you ever want to see a progress report showing your performance on the quizzes over time, simply return to
https://www.ed2go.com/tunxis/
and click Login or Account at the top right of the page. Once logged in, click the Report tab under the course title.
Some of your lessons will also be accompanied by an assignment. The assignments are designed to help you expand your understanding of the material taught in this course. Assignments are typically more detailed and may take a bit more time to work through than quizzes.
I expect you to complete each assignment within two weeks from the date that the corresponding lesson was made available. Unlike the quizzes, your assignments will not be evaluated. Assignments are designed primarily for your enrichment. You have the sole responsibility for evaluating your performance on each assignment. If you have questions about an assignment, please feel free to use the Discussion Areas to discuss your assignments with your fellow students and me.
When you work through an assignment, you will be gaining practical first-hand experience with the new skills taught in this course. Your performance on the final exam will depend in no small part on your mastery of the assignments.
The course will conclude with a final exam, which will test your comprehension of the material covered in this class. You must complete the final exam within two weeks from your receipt of lesson 12. Please review your selections before submitting. You may only submit your final exam answers once. Your performance on the final exam is the only factor we will consider when determining your eligibility for a certificate of completion. Although your quiz and assignments will not count toward your eligibility for a certificate, I do recommend that you try to complete each quiz and assignment to the best of your abilities. Doing so will leave you better prepared to pass the final exam.
When you finish your studies, please note that our classroom log-out process is fully automated. We will log you out of the classroom automatically whenever you close your browser or shut down your computer.
Questions
This course can be highly interactive, but the level of that interactivity is controlled by you. Since I can't see that puzzled look on your face, it's going to be up to you to ask questions when you get stuck.
I expect to get many interesting questions from you and your fellow students. I want to make sure that you and your classmates benefit from these often illuminating queries.
Therefore, I would like to request that you avoid e-mailing your questions to me. Instead, I have created 12 Discussion Areas in the online classroom (one Discussion Area for each lesson). To reach these Discussion Areas, all you will need to do is wait for the course to begin, go to the online classroom, select the lesson you're working on, and click the Discussion Area tile.
Your Discussion Area questions will serve as a challenge for your fellow students. Someone is bound to have an answer for you. Likewise, you should be able to find questions in the Discussion Area that you can answer. The Discussion Area will be open to you and your classmates 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Please try to visit the Discussion Area at least every other day while the course is in session, and don't be afraid to participate!
I firmly believe that the best way to learn a new skill is to teach it to others. We will all benefit by helping one another understand this complex material.
Because I don't want to see any unanswered questions, I (or one of my very capable teaching assistants) will be monitoring the Discussion Area at least every other day (excluding weekends and holidays). If you ask a relevant question, but fail to get a correct answer (or any answer whatsoever) from your classmates, then we will try our hardest to answer the question for you.
Please understand that the Discussion Area is reserved for conversations about the material in your lessons. While it is perfectly acceptable for you to employ a bit of friendly banter as you converse with your fellow students and instructors, I must ask you to always remember to stay on topic.
It is not appropriate to use the Discussion Area to sell goods or services, complain about something, or talk about subjects that are not specific to the lesson at hand, for example. Such off-topic conversations waste people's time and detract from the learning experience for all involved. I reserve the right to immediately delete any message without comment if I feel that it does not pertain directly to the material I am trying to teach.
I will also delete any messages containing language that I feel is derogatory, controversial, insulting, or otherwise inappropriate for my classroom.
Reminder
A legitimate organization would never send you an unsolicited e-mail that contains an attachment or asks for personal information. If you ever receive an unsolicited e-mail that contains an attachment or asks for personal information, delete the e-mail immediately.
When to Write my Course Administrator
As I mentioned earlier, the course Discussion Area is reserved solely for discussion of the material in your lessons.
Please do not use the course Discussion Areas for compliments, complaints, technical support, or other personal matters. Instead, please send such messages directly to my course administrator.
To contact the course administrator, scroll to the very bottom of any page within the classroom and look for the Support link.
Please understand that it may take my course administrator two or sometimes three business days to respond to e-mail, so provide plenty of time for a response.
If you need an extension, forgot your password, want a progress report, want to register for another course, or need help when you're not in my classroom, you can contact Student Support using the Help link under Resources in the footer of any page at
https://www.ed2go.com/tunxis/.
Syllabus
Note: This course will run for six weeks. Two lessons will be released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when each lesson is released. Instead, you can take up to two weeks to complete each lesson after it is released.
Important: In order to keep this material as up-to-date and informative as possible, I reserve the right to make changes to the course content, description, and syllabus at any time and without warning.
A new session of each course we offer starts on the second or third Wednesday of every month. You may enroll in more than one course at a time. If you are enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.
Week 1
The Medical Office and Administrative Medical Assistant
Wednesday
Looking for a fun, challenging job that's always in demand? If so, AMA (administrative medical assisting) may be just the field for you! In this lesson, you'll look at the exciting job opportunities for AMAs, the variety of careers they can choose from, and the different settings where they can work.
Ethics, the Law, and HIPAA
Friday
The law and medicine go hand-in-hand, so this lesson will teach you the laws that you'll need to know if you become an AMA. The lesson will cover everything from contracts to malpractice and will also delve into HIPAA (a federal act that affects everyone in the health care field).
Week 2
Computers and Office Equipment
Wednesday
In this lesson, you'll explore the office equipment and computer hardware that you're likely to use as an AMA. In addition, you will delve into software—both standard office programs and the specialized software used in the field of medical information management.
Filing Processes and Equipment
Friday
If you think filing is a bore, this lesson will change your mind. You will discover what the rainbow of colored stickers on a medical file means, and you will even practice creating a patient chart yourself. You will also find out why medical offices love lateral files, and you will master the tricky rules of alphabetizing. (Yes, it's more challenging than it looks!)
Week 3
Records Management
Wednesday
Now that you're an expert on the outside of a patient chart, it's time to look inside. In this lesson, you will find out which forms go in a medical record and just where to put each one. In addition, you will learn about two styles of note-taking: SOAP and CHEDDAR. Finally, you will delve into the topic of medical record audits and find out the legal way to correct a patient's chart.
Appointment Scheduling, Check-In, and Check-Out
Friday
It's time to introduce the star of the show: the patient. You will learn everything about a patient encounter. This lesson will focus on the phone skills you can use to make appointments, handle questions, and soothe angry callers. Next, flip open the appointment book and explore the tricks for scheduling patients easily and efficiently. Finally, you'll follow a patient's visit from start to finish, and see how many tasks an AMA does during that appointment.
Week 4
Reception Area Tasks and Communication Skills
Wednesday
This lesson will start in the waiting room, where you will learn more about the tasks a receptionist handles—from opening and closing a medical office to keeping the reception area ship-shape. After that, understand barriers to communicating effectively with patients, and you will discover ways to overcome them. The lesson will conclude with a fun and creative jobs that AMAs do: creating informational brochures and teaching aids.
Medical Insurance Basics
Friday
Medicare, Medicaid, managed care, commercial insurance—what does it all mean? In this lesson, you will find out! First, you will learn the meaning of terms like managed care, capitation, and fee-for-service. Next, you'll explore government programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Workers' Compensation, and TRICARE. By the time you're done, you will have a good feel for the many types of insurance an AMA handles every day.
Week 5
The Medical Insurance Claim Form
Wednesday
Have you ever studied an insurance claim form? If so, you know it contains dozens of mysterious questions and checkboxes. As part of this lesson, you will come face-to-face with one of these claim forms and learn how to conquer it. By the end of the lesson, you will know how to fill in each field of the CMS-1500 claim form. In fact, you will even get to try it yourself!
Diagnostic Coding
Friday
Medical coding is a hot field for AMAs, so it's a great specialty if you're looking for job security. In this lesson, you will take a quick look at diagnostic coding and see why it's both fun and challenging. Explore the ICD-10-CM, talk about the detective work involved in abstracting a diagnostic statement, and explore the steps of coding a diagnosis.
Week 6
Procedural Coding
Wednesday
This lesson will finish up your tour of medical coding with an overview of procedural coding. First, you will learn all about a manual called the CPT and discover how to use it to code everything from surgeries to X-rays to acupuncture. After that, you will examine a second manual called the HCPCS ("hix-pix"), which contains codes for ambulances, root canals, and much more. This lesson will also delve into anesthesia coding, a tricky but rewarding sub-specialty.
The Business Office
Friday
The final lesson will conclude with a visit to the business office and focuses on how AMAs keep track of the money coming in and going out. In addition, you will learn about inventory control and supply ordering—two crucial jobs that help keep a medical office running smoothly. Finally, you'll explore payroll management and investigate several jobs that fall under the umbrella of human resources.
Instructor
Carline Dalgleish
Carline Dalgleish has worked in medical office administration for over 30 years. She holds a bachelor's degree in Business Information Systems, a master's degree in Leadership, and a post-baccalaureate certificate in Health Information Management. She is a Registered Health Information Administrator and an AHIMA Approved ICD-10-CM/PCS Trainer. Dalgleish is the author of an ICD-10 coding system and also owns her own consulting firm, AnnGrant Educational Services.