Clinical Corner

By Christina Grimesey, Senior Consultant

History and Physicals

New patient appointments are often time consuming making the physician fall behind with the other patients on his/her schedule. Medical Assistants can play an important part in helping the physician collect the needed information from a new patient.

 

When the patient arrives with a new patient package, it is recommended that the Medical Assistant go over the paper work at the time of rooming the patient. Many patients fail to answer all the questions or do not understand what is being asked of them. Many physicians believe this is a wasted procedure since they have to go over the form again with the patient. However, when the Medical Assistant has spent the 2-3 minutes with the patient before the physician, it actually saves time since the physician does not have to update the form. They can spend their time with focusing on the current problem instead of the past.

 

 It is imperative that there is a well documented history and physical to identify prior problems and areas of concern. Items to identify in addition to medications, surgeries, family histories and prior diagnoses are childhood victimization and abuse. Childhood and adult victimization and abuse can cause systems like depression, substance abuse and psychological problems. Medical Assistants that are trained to start the documentation process can expedite and assist the physician in managing the history and physical forms. This will help increase patient care and the time allotted to each patient without compromising the level of care each patient receives. Whether at a large or small practice, utilizing the training a Medical Assistant received when in school can make the difference in the physicians and the patient’s day.

 

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