Loyalty

Loyalty is faithfulness or allegiance to a cause, ideal, custom, institution, or product. Loyalty to an employer means that the employee is appreciative of the opportunity provided by the job and supports the company by giving the best effort possible. Many individuals today are interested only in what the employer can provide for them. However, this is an immature approach to take toward a job. When a person is employed by a company, use of skills is exchanged for different types of compensation. Each benefits the other. Often we forget that experience alone is a great benefit from working. Loyalty to the employer is important, and in return the employee should feel a sense of loyalty from the company.

Dependability

One of the most valuable traits of a successful medical assistant is dependability. The physician and supervisors must know that they can depend on the medical assistant to perform all of the assigned duties each day. A medical assistant must follow through when the physician or supervisor gives an order. Be responsible enough to know the job description and what is expected on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Supervisors should be confident that once given a task to do, the medical assistant will carry it out accurately and in a timely manner.

Courtesy

Initiative

Lack of initiative is one of the more common complaints from supervisors about employees. Taking initiative means that the medical assistant looks for opportunities to be of help, assisting others as the workload demands. Instead of waiting to be told to perform a task, the competent medical assistant looks for jobs that need to be completed. Never remain idle. Employees can always find tasks to complete in the medical office. For example, filing is a continual need. Supplies can be inventoried, ordered, or restocked when extra time is available. Cleaning countertops and straightening areas as work is done helps keep the facility tidy. The medical assistant should also keep an eye on the reception area, which may need attention several times during the day.

Flexibility

A medical assistant must be able to adapt to a wide variety of situations. An emergency could occur in the office, and the staff must be flexible enough to adjust the schedule and care for all patients. Being flexible also means that staff members are willing to assist one another in the performance of their duties. No one in the physician’s office should ever say, “That’s not my job.” The patients must come first, and every staff member must be willing to lend a hand where needed. Some medical assistants trade or rotate their duties. If one assistant does not particularly enjoy doing a certain task, perhaps another assistant would be willing to trade tasks. This way, both are more satisfied with their jobs. If the medical assistant is able to adapt to various situations quickly and cheerfully, he or she becomes a valuable asset to the office.

Credibility

Credibility is the perceived competence or character of a person, leading to the belief that the individual can be trusted. Because trust is a vital component of the physician-patient relationship, the credibility of the physician and those who assist in the office should be strong. The information provided to patients must be accurate. Patients expect that the physician and medical assistant instruct them in a manner that enhances their health and provides positive results. A medical assistant must take care in giving any advice to patients, because they view the medical assistant as an agent of the physician. Patients may not distinguish between the medical assistant’s comments and the physician’s orders. Remember that giving anything that could be construed as medical advice is outside the scope of the duties of the medical assistant. To avoid facing charges of practicing medicine without a license, a medical assistant must be sure to suggest only what the physician has authorized.

Confidentiality

The importance of confidentiality in the medical environment cannot be stressed enough. Patients are entitled to privacy where their health is concerned, and they should be confident that medical professionals use information only to care for them. Never reveal any information about any patient to anyone without specific permission to do so. Always verify that the person seeking information has the right to see it and that the patient has signed a consent form allowing a third party to view the record. Casual conversations in hallways, elevators, and break rooms between staff members can be overheard by a family member or friend of the patient. Confidentiality is often breached in these areas of the medical office.

The rules regarding confidentiality extend beyond the medical office. At home, medical assistants should not discuss details about patients with their families and friends. Those outside the medical profession do not understand how vital it is to keep information confidential and may pass along private or damaging facts to others. Medical assistants must make it a rule never to discuss a patient with anyone unless information must be shared for the patient’s care and treatment. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed in part to ensure patient confidentiality. (HIPAA is discussed in more detail in later chapters.)

Attitude