How does a medical assistant practice infection control?

Medical assistants are taught the procedures and skills necessary for infection control as part of their training, so they are equipped to handle this process. As frontline staff who receive patients, a medical assistant's first step to infection control is to take a patient's medical history and check vital signs, such as temperature. This helps a medical assistant determine which patients are likely to have an infectious medical condition. When they encounter such patients, medical assistants separate those patients from others who might be infected by them, and they require those patients to take precautions, such as wearing a mask and sanitizing their hands. Between patients, medical assistants help prevent the transfer of infections by washing their own hands and sanitizing the patient areas or ensuring that others sanitize those areas. Sometimes, it is the medical assistant's job to monitor their workplace and ensure that all staff practice infection control and keep the work areas sanitized. Infection control can be a demanding job, especially in challenging times, such as a pandemic. But medical assistants are specifically trained to handle this challenge, and they often are healthcare's first line of defense against the spread of infection.

For more information about being a medical assistant, check out this article: Certified Medical Assistant Jobs: Duties and Requirements