Certification/Recertification Examination Content Outline

job candidate 3. Working as a team member to achieve goals a.<br><br> Member responsibility b. Promoting competent patient care c. Utilizing principles o- group dynamics E.<br><br> Communication 1. Adapting communication accord- ing to an individual 9s needs a. Blind b.<br><br> Dea- c. Elderly d. Children e.<br><br> Seriously ill -. Mentally impaired g. Illiterate h.<br><br> Non-English-speaking i. Anxious j. Angry/distraught k.<br><br> Culturally di--erent 2. Recognizing and responding to ver- bal and nonverbal communication a. Body language b.<br><br> Listening skills c. Eye contact d. Barriers to communication e.<br><br> Identi-ying needs o- others 3. Pro-essional communication and behavior a. Pro-essional situations (1) Tact (2) Diplomacy (3) Courtesy (4) Responsibility/integrity b.<br><br> Therapeutic relationships (1) Impartial behavior (2) Empathy/sympathy (3) Understanding emotional behavior 4. Patient interviewing techniques a. Types o- questions (1) Exploratory (2) Open-ended (3) Direct b.<br><br> Evaluating e--ectiveness (1) Observation (2) Active listening (3) Feedback c. Legal restrictions 5. Receiving, organizing, prioritizing, and transmitting in-ormation a.<br><br> Modalities -or incoming and outgoing data (e.g., mail, -ax, telephone, computer) b. Prioritizing incoming and outgoing data (e.g., importance, urgency, recipient availability) 6. Telephone techniques a.<br><br> Incoming calls management criteria (1) Screening (2) Maintaining con dentiality (3) Gathering data (4) Multiple-line competency (5) Trans-erring appropriate calls (6) Identi-ying caller, o- ce, and sel- (7) Taking messages (8) Ending calls b. Monitoring special calls (1) Problem calls (e.g., unidenti- ed caller, angry patient, -amily member) (2) Emergency calls 7. Fundamental writing skills a.<br><br> Sentence structure b. Grammar c. Punctuation F.<br><br> Medicolegal guidelines and requirements 1. Licenses a. Medical practice acts b.<br><br> Revocation/suspension o- license (1) Criminal/unpro-essional conduct (2) Pro-essional/personal incapacity 2. Legislation a. Advanced directives b.<br><br> Anatomical gi-ts c. Reportable incidences CMA (AAMA) Certifcation/Recertifcation Examination Content Outline ( ) (1) Public health statutes (e.g., communicable diseases, vital statistics, substance abuse/ chemical dependency, abuse against persons) (2) Wounds o- violence d. Occupational Sa-ety and Health Act (OSHA) e.<br><br> Food and Drug Administration (FDA) -. Clinical Laboratory Improve- ment Act (CLIA 988) g. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) h.<br><br> Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) 3. Documentation/reporting a. Sources o- in-ormation b.<br><br> Drug En-orcement Administra- tion (DEA) c. Internal Revenue Service (e.g., personnel -orms) d. Employment laws e.<br><br> Personal injury occurrences -. Workers 9 compensation g. Medical records (1) Patient activity (2) Patient care (3) Patient con dentiality (4) Ownership h.<br><br> Personnel records (1) Per-ormance evaluation (2) Privacy 4. Releasing medical in-ormation a. Consent (1) Patient written authorization (2) Federal codes (a) Right to privacy (b) Drug and alcohol reha- bilitation records (c) Public health and wel-are disclosures (d) HIV-related issues (e) Subpoena duces tecum b.<br><br> Rescinding authorization -or release 5. Physician-patient relationship a. Contract (1) Legal obligations (2) Consequences -or non- compliance b.<br><br> Responsibility and rights (1) Patient (2) Physician (3) Medical assistant c. Guidelines -or third-party agreements d. Pro-essional liability (1) Current standard o- care (2) Current legal standards (3) In-ormed consent e.<br><br> Arbitration agreements -. A- rmative de-enses (1) Statute o- limitations (2) Comparative/contributory negligence (3) Assumption o- risk g. Termination o- medical care (1) Establishing policy (2) Elements -or withdrawal (3) Patient noti cation and documentation h.<br><br> Medicolegal terms and doctrines 6. Maintaining confdentiality a. Agent o- physician (1) Patient rights (2) Releasing patient in-orma- tion b.<br><br> Intentional tort (1) Invasion o- privacy (2) Slander and libel 7. Per-orming within ethical boundaries a. Ethical standards (1) AAMA Code o- Ethics (2) AMA Code o- Ethics b.<br><br> Patient rights c. Current issues in medical bioethics II. G 3Q Administrative G.<br><br> Data entry 1. Keyboard -undamentals and -unctions a. Alpha, numeric, and symbol keys b.<br><br> Tabulation 2. Formats a. Letters b.<br><br> Memos c. Reports d. Envelopes e.<br><br> Chart notes 3. Proo-reading a. Proo-reader 9s marks b.<br><br> Making corrections -rom rough dra-t H. Equipment 1. Equipment operation a.<br><br> Calculator b. Photocopier c. Computer d.<br><br> Fax machine e. Telephone services and -eatures -. Scanners 2.<br><br> Maintenance and repairs a. Contents o- instruction manual b. Routine maintenance (1) Agreements (2) Warranty (3) Repair service 3.<br><br> Protection and sa-ety I. Computer concepts 1. Computer components a.<br><br> Terminology b. Central processing unit (CPU), monitor, keyboard c. Printer d.<br><br> Disk drive e. Storage devices (e.g., hard drives, magnetic tapes, CD-ROMs, fash drives) -. Operating systems g.<br><br> Basic commands 2. Computer applications a. Word processing b.<br><br> Database (e.g., menu, elds, records, les) c. Spreadsheets, graphics d. Electronic mail e.<br><br> Networks -. Security/password g. Medical management so-tware (1) Patient data (2) Report generation 3.<br><br> Internet services J. Records management 1. Needs, purposes, and terminology o- fling systems a.<br><br> Basic ling systems (1) Alphabetic (2) Numeric/terminal digit (3) Subject b. Special ling systems (1) Color-code (2) Tickler le (3) Electronic data processing les (EDP) (4) Cross-re-erence/master le 2. Filing guidelines a.<br><br> Storing b. Protecting/sa-ekeeping c. Trans-erring 3.<br><br> Medical records (paper/electronic) a. Organization o- patient 9s medical record b. Types (1) Problem-oriented (2) Source-oriented c.<br><br> Collecting in-ormation d. Making corrections e. Retaining and purging (1) Statute o- limitations K.<br><br> Screening and processing mail 1. U.S. Postal Service a.<br><br> Classi cations b. Types o- mail services 2. Postal machine/meter 3.<br><br> Processing incoming mail 4. Preparing outgoing mail a. Labels b.<br><br> Optical character reader (OCR) guidelines L. Scheduling and monitoring appointments 1. Utilizing appointment schedules/ types a.<br><br> Stream b. Wave/modi ed wave c. Open booking d.<br><br> Categorization 2. Appointment guidelines a. Appointment schedule matrix b.<br><br> Legal aspects c. New/established patient d. Patient needs/pre-erence e.<br><br> Physician pre-erence/habits -. Facilities/equipment require- ments 3. Appointment protocol a.<br><br> Follow-up visits (1) Routine (2) Urgent b. Emergency/acutely ill c. Physician re-errals d.<br><br> Cancellations/no-shows e. Physician delay/unavailability -. Outside services (e.g., lab, X-ray, surgery) g.<br><br> Reminders/recalls (1) Appointment cards (2) Phone calls M. Resource in"ormation and community services 1. Patient advocate a.<br><br> Services available b. Appropriate re-errals c. Follow-up N.<br><br> (Currently there are no items for this category) O. Maintaining the o"fce environment 1. Physical environment a.<br><br> Arrangement o- -urniture, equip- ment, and supplies b. Facilities and equipment (1) Maintenance and repair (2) Sa-ety regulations (a) Occupational Sa-ety and Health Act (OSHA) (b) Centers -or Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines (c) Americans with Dis- abilities Act (ADA) (d) Fire regulations (e) Security systems 2. Equipment and supply inventory a.<br><br> Inventory control b. Purchasing 3. Maintaining liability coverage a.<br><br> Types o- coverage b. Recordkeeping 4. Time management a.<br><br> Establishing priorities b. Managing routine duties P. O"fce policies and procedures 1.<br><br> Patient in-ormation booklet 2. Personnel manual 3. Policy and procedures manuals/ protocols Q.<br><br> Practice fnances 1. Bookkeeping principles a. Daily reports, charge slips, receipts, ledgers, etc.<br><br> (1) Charges, payments, and adjustments (2) Identi-ying and correcting errors b. Petty cash 2. Coding systems a.<br><br> Types (1) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) (2) International Classi cation o- Diseases, Clinical Modi cations (ICD-CM) (current schedule) (3) Healthcare Financing Common Procedural Coding System (HCPCS Level II) b. Relationship between procedure and diagnosis codes 3. Third-party billing a.<br><br> Types (1) Capitated plans (2) Commercial carriers (3) Government plans (a) Medicare (b) Medicaid (c) Tricare (d) CHAMPVA (4) Prepaid HMO, PPO, POS (5) Workers 9 compensation b. Processing claims (1) Manual and electronic preparation o- claims (2) Tracing claims (3) Sequence o- ling (e.g., primary vs. secondary) (4) Reconciling payments/rejec- tions (5) Inquiry and appeal process c.<br><br> Applying managed care policies and procedures (1) Re-errals (2) Precerti cation d. Fee schedules (1) Methods -or establishing -ees (a) Relative Value Studies (b) Resource-based Relative Value Scale (RBRVS) (c) Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) (2) Contracted -ees 4. Accounting and banking procedures a.<br><br> Accounts receivable (1) Billing procedures (a) Itemization (b) Billing cycles (2) Aging/collection procedures (a) Collection agencies (b) Consumer protection acts b. Accounts payable (1) Ordering goods and services (2) Monitoring invoices (3) Tracking merchandise c. Banking procedures (1) processing accounts receivable (2) preparing bank deposit 5.<br><br> Employee payroll a. Calculating wages b. Payroll -orms III.<br><br> R 3Z Clinical R. Principles o" in"ection control 1. Principles o- asepsis 2.<br><br> Aseptic technique a. Medical asepsis (1) Handwashing (2) Sanitization (3) Chemical disin-ection b. Surgical asepsis (1) Scrubbing (2) Gowning (3) Gloving (4) Surgical assisting (5) Preparing equipment (6) Preparing items -or auto- clave (7) Per-orming sterilization techniques 3.<br><br> Disposal o- biohazardous material 4. Standard precautions S. Treatment area 1.<br><br> Principles o- equipment operation a. Autoclave/sterilizer b. Cast equipment/materials c.<br><br> Electrocardiograph d. Examination tables e. Microscope -.<br><br> Ophthalmoscope/otoscope/ stethoscope g. Oxygen h. Physical therapy modalities i.<br><br> Endoscopes j. Scales k. Sphygmomanometers l.<br><br> Spirometer m. Thermometers n. Nebulizers o.<br><br> Mobility assistive devices p. Oximeter 2. Restocking supplies 3.<br><br> Preparing/maintaining treatment areas 4. Sa-ety precautions T. Patient preparation and assisting the physician 1.<br><br> Vital signs a. Per-orming b. Recording 2.<br><br> Examinations a. Types b. Body positions c.<br><br> Body mechanics 3. Procedures a. Instruments, supplies, and equipment b.<br><br> Explanation and instructions 4. Patient education a. Health maintenance and disease prevention b.<br><br> Use and care o- patient equipment (e.g., wheelchair, crutches) c. Instruction -or procedure preparation d. Patient administered medications U.<br><br> Patient history interview 1. Components o- patient history a. Personal data b.<br><br> Chie- complaint c. Past, present, -amily, and social history d. Review o- systems 2.<br><br> Documentation guidelines V. Collecting and processing specimens; diagnostic testing 1. Methods o- collection a.<br><br> Blood (1) Vein (2) Capillary b. Urine c. Stool d.<br><br> Sputum e. Cultures (1) Throat (2) Vaginal (3) Wounds (4) Urine (5) Blood 2. Processing specimens a.<br><br> Centers -or Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines b. Proper labeling c. Contamination d.<br><br> Specimen preservation e. Recordkeeping 3. Quality control 4.<br><br> Per-orming selected tests a. Urinalysis (1) Physical (2) Chemical (3) Microscopic b. Hematology (1) Hematocrit (2) Hemoglobin (3) Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (4) Automated cell counts (a) Red blood cell (RBC) (b) White blood cell (WBC) (c) Platelet (5) Coagulation testing c.<br><br> Blood chemistry (1) Glucose (2) Kidney -unction tests (3) Liver -unction tests (4) Lipid pro le (5) Hemoglobin A1c d. Immunology (1) Mono test (2) Strep test (3) C-reactive protein (CRP) (4) Pregnancy testing e. Microbiology (1) Theory/terminology (a) Bacteria i.<br><br> Gr am staining (b) Virus (c) Fungus (d) Parasites (e) Protozoa -. Tuberculosis testing g. Guaiac testing 5.<br><br> Electrocardiography (EKG/ECG) 6. Vision testing 7. Hearing testing 8.<br><br> Respiratory testing a. Pulmonary -unction b. Spirometry c.<br><br> Pulse oximetry d. Nebulizer treatment 9. Medical imaging a.<br><br> Sa-ety principles b. Patient preparation c. Patient instruction W.<br><br> Preparing and administering medications (For the 50 most commonly used medications, see the cTop 200 Drugs d at www.rxlist.com) 1. Pharmacology a. Classes o- drugs b.<br><br> Drug -orms c. Drug action/uses d. Side e--ects/adverse reactions e.<br><br> Emergency use -. Substance abuse 2. Preparing and administering oral and parenteral medications a.<br><br> Calculation o- dosage b. Routes o- administration c. Types o- injections d.<br><br> Injection sites 3. Prescriptions a. Sa-ekeeping b.<br><br> Medication recordkeeping c. Controlled substance guidelines 4. Immunizations a.<br><br> Childhood b. Adult vaccines c. Storage d.<br><br> Recordkeeping X. Emergencies 1. Preplanned action a.<br><br> Policies and procedures b. Legal implications and action documentation c. Equipment (1) Crash cart (2) Automated external de brillator 2.<br><br> Assessment and triage 3. Emergency preparedness Y. First aid 1.<br><br> Identi-ying and responding to: a. Bleeding/pressure points b. Burns c.<br><br> Cardiac and respiratory arrest/ CPR d. Choking/Heimlich maneuver e. Diabetic coma/insulin shock -.<br><br> Fractures g. Poisoning h. Seizures i.<br><br> Shock j. Stroke k. Syncope l.<br><br> Wounds Z. Nutrition 1. Basic principles a.<br><br> Dietary guidelines b. Food nutrients (e.g., vitamins, minerals) 2. Special needs a.<br><br> Diets b. Restrictions Prepared by the AAMA Certi 2ying Board website: www.aama-ntl.org 04/10 220

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