Medical Office Assistant

In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.

The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used. Here is how this occupation has been classified over time:

• 2006 NOC: Medical Secretaries (1243) 
• 2006 NOC-S: Medical Secretaries (B213) 
• 2011 NOC: Medical administrative assistants (1243) 

Duties and responsibilities vary from one type of health-care organization to another, but in general, medical office assistants may perform any or all of the following duties:

• answer the telephone, schedule and confirm medical appointments, greet patients and receive and communicate messages
• use health software and other computer applications to book appointments or prepare reports, invoices, financial statements, letters, case histories and medical records
• interview patients to complete intake forms or other documents, or help patients complete health history forms
• transcribe from handwritten notes, electronic dictation or oral instructions
• complete insurance and other claim forms
• submit billing claims to Alberta Health Services
• process payments, bank documents and accounts receivable
• set up and maintain records management systems, including classifying and coding electronic and hard-copy files
• operate sophisticated office equipment such as voice mail messaging systems, photocopiers, fax machines and document scanners
• keep examination areas clean, orderly and stocked with supplies
• use word processing, spreadsheet, database and presentation software to prepare medical documentation
• perform other clerical and administrative functions as required (for example, order and maintain an inventory of supplies).

In large offices, these duties are divided among several people.

Medical office assistants work in health-care settings. They may work standard office hours or be required to work some evenings and weekends. Much of their shift is spent on their feet, and they are routinely required to lift items weighing up to 10 kilograms. Those who work in hospitals and doctors' offices may regularly be exposed to contagious diseases.

Medical office assistants need the following characteristics:

• the ability to maintain patient confidentiality
• excellent oral and written communication skills
• good organizational and time management skills
• the ability to maintain accuracy while multi-tasking or working under pressure
• a mature attitude toward the human body, wellness and disease processes
• the ability to follow directions closely and accurately
• the ability to establish a professional rapport with and instil confidence in patients
• the ability to deal effectively with the difficult behaviours sometimes exhibited by people in distress
• the ability to work independently or as part of a team.

They should enjoy dealing with people, operating equipment such as computers and photocopiers and compiling and organizing information.

Medical office assistants are employed in:

• doctors' offices
• hospitals
• medical clinics and other health-care settings
• public and private insurance companies
• health software companies.

In large organizations, experienced medical office assistants may move into supervisory positions.

Medical office assistants are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 1243: Medical secretaries. In Alberta, 88% of people employed in this classification work in the Health Care and Social Assistance (PDF) industry.

The employment outlook in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

• trends and events affecting overall employment (especially in the Health Care and Social Assistance industry)
• location in Alberta
• employment turnover (work opportunities generated by people leaving existing positions)
• occupational growth (work opportunities resulting from the creation of new positions that never existed before)
• size of the occupation.

Over 2,400 Albertans are employed in the Medical secretaries occupational group. This group is expected to have an above-average annual growth of 3.9% from 2016 to 2020. As a result, 94 new positions are forecast to be created each year, in addition to job openings created by employment turnover. Note: As medical office assistants form only a part of this larger occupational group, only some of these newly created positions will be for medical office assistants.

Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.