PMA And Health Care
Medical assistants must take a more holistic approach when looking for certified medical assistant jobs, Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Abu Bakar Suleiman said. He said they must have a caring attitude and improve their ability to communicate with patients.
The holistic approach should incorporate both psychological and social aspects of certified medical assistant jobs, he added. "As they sometimes need to interact a lot with the patient, they should also give serious attention to improving their communication skills," he said when opening a three-day Malaysian Medical Assistants Academic Convention themed Update in Cardiology for Medical Assistants at Mar Vista Resort.
Dr Abu Bakar said medical assistants must also bear in mind that treatment for patients did not end when the patients left the hospital. He said after-care treatment or continuity of care' was equally important.
"Ideally, we must remember to treat everyone the same way as we would like to be treated. The excuse that one is busy or suffering from stress is not acceptable as professionalism means total commitment. "Furthermore, in this line of work, discipline and ethics must be of paramount importance," he added. It was a job for people with high morals as only those with such qualities could gain the trust of their patients, he said. He said professionalism could be enhanced if they were to faithfully abide by the Practices Guidelines and the Code of Conduct. Dr Abu Bakar also urged medical assistants to continue to hone their skills through constant training. "They should also aim for higher level skills like treating and caring
for patients undergoing trauma or neurosurgery, haemodialysis and cardiothoracic treatments," he said, adding that they should look to physician's assistants in the United States as examples to emulate. Dr Abu Bakar said such a target was in line with the Health Ministry's vision to make Malaysians healthy through a health system that was efficient, fair, affordable and up-to-date. The portable Personal Medical Assistant(SM) (PMA), about the size of a video cassette, will save lives, help reduce the nation's skyrocketing healthcare costs, and improve the health of patients. Three different models of the device will be produced for managed care organizations, clinical drug trials investigators, healthcare providers, pharmacists, and consumers. The first model, which can dispense up to ten different medications, will be demonstrated at the National Managed Health Care Congress at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
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