AMCA CMAC STUDY GUIDE
Ethics - Answers - Ethics is the knowledge of what is right conduct versus what is wrong
conduct. There are also choices involved in ethics which may have more to do with
morals. Ethical behavior is never prejudiced or biased. For example, you may have to
make a choice regarding a co-worker or even a patient.
Examples:
A co-worker of yours is consistently late. She often asks you to cover for her when she
is late. She asks you not to tell and she will return the favor if you are ever going to be
late. What would you do?
You suspect a patient is being abused. There are bruises all over their body. The
explanation given regarding those bruises is weak. What should you do? It is your
ethical duty to provide emotional support. If you suspect any type of abuse, share/report
your concerns to the RN immediately.
Laws - Answers - Laws are rules of conduct made by a government body.
Criminal laws are concerned with offenses against the public and civil laws are
concerned with relationships between people.
Tort - Answers - a wrong committed against a person or the person's property. Torts may
be intentional or unintentional.
Negligence - Answers - an unintentional wrong.
Malpractice - Answers - negligence by a professional person (unintentional)
Intentional tort - Answers - acts that are meant to be harmful.
Defamation - Answers - injuring a person's name and reputation by making false
statements to a third person
Libel - Answers - Making false statements in print, writing, or through pictures or
drawings
Slander - Answers - making false statements orally
Invasion of privacy - Answers - violating a person's right not to have his or her private
affairs exposed
Fraud - Answers - Saying or doing something to trick, fool, or deceive a person
Assault - Answers - intentionally attempting or threatening to touch a person's body
without the person's consent
,Battery - Answers - touching a person's body without his or her consent
Informed Consent - Answers - when the person clearly understands what is going to be
done
Abandonment - Answers - when a provider withdraws from the care of a patient without
reasonable notice of discharge
Two types of civil actions - Answers - lack of informed consent and violation of standard
of care
Communication methods - Answers - How you communicate is just as important as
what you communicate. Written communication must always be professional. Charting,
a form of communication, should be as accurate as possible. Medical charts are legal
documents.
Good listeners apply the following skills: - Answers - o Face the person
o Have good eye contact
o Lean toward the person
o Respond to the person
o Paraphrasing - restate the person's message in your own words. An excellent way to
show you are listening.
o Clarifying - lets you make sure that you understand the message.
o Silence - sometimes nothing needs to be said. Silence is a powerful message.
Nonverbal Communication - Answers - 1.) Kinesics - the study of nonverbal
communication
a.) kinesic slip - where verbal and nonverbal messages do not match
2.) Zones of comfort
-intimate space (18 inches or closer)
-personal space (18 in. to 4 ft)
-social space (4 ft to 12 ft)
-public space (12 ft or more)
Phone Etiquette - Answers - When speaking on the phone always identify yourself to
the caller. Convey to the person your undivided attention and willingness to help. Listen
without interrupting, provide reasonable alternatives for the caller and take a clear
concise message in order for the call to be returned. The following steps will ensure
proper telephone etiquette:
Answer the telephone promptly and kindly. Never allow an angry or aggressive caller to
upset you; remain calm and composed. Speak clearly and concisely. Be sure to ask the
caller's permission before placing them on hold
,Understanding a patient's feeling is important. They may be anxious, nervous or even
frightened. Empathy, having an understanding and compassion for what they may be
experiencing, is a good characteristic to have in order to relate to your patients.
Email Communication - Answers - E-mail is a quick and easy way to communicate.
Keep these handy tips in mind when using email to communicate:
• Use a personal name if your system allows it.
• Fill in the subject line to identify your message.
• Do not write a message with upper case as this may be perceived as expressing
anger.
• ALWAYS CHECK WHO THE RECEIVER OF THE EMAIL IS BEFORE YOU CLICK
SEND. This can be quite embarrassing if the email goes to the wrong recipient.
• Use "please" and "thank you".
• Remember, email could be used as a legal document. Never threaten or intimidate
someone; even in jest.
Forms of Charting - Answers - Narrative - written description of patient's visits in
chronological order. No Shows are documented in a patient's chart
SOAP Note Charting - method that tracks subjective, objective, assessment and plan
for a patient's visit.
o Subjective - patient's statements (chief complaint)
o Objective - observations made by the medical assistant, examination findings and vital
signs
o Assessment - doctor's diagnosis
o Plan - health care providers prescribed plan of action
POMR - Problem-Oriented Medical Record Charting - tracks a patient's problems
throughout medical care. Each problem is assigned a number and the number is
referenced when the patient comes in for care.
Flow Charts - visual tools that help track certain information in patient's medical records
like an infant's/child's growth. When charting weight, the patient's weight must be
recorded to the nearest ¼ pound.
Progress Notes - daily chart notes made during patient's visits to document patient
progress with certain conditions.
Patient Information Sheet - contains personal and insurance information
Medical Records - Answers - Medical Records are a written account of a person's
condition and response to treatment and care. There are many parts to a medical
record including:
o Admission sheet
o Nursing history
o Graphic sheet
, o Progress notes
o Flow sheets
o Reporting is the oral account of care and recording is the written account of care and
observations
o Assessment involves collecting information about the person and observation is using
the sense of sight, hearing, touch and smell to collect information.
o Objective Data: is information that is heard, felt or smelled. Subjective data are things
a person tells you about that you cannot observe through your senses.
o Chief complaint - what the patient is there for. This could be a situation where a
medical assistant's signature may be required.
Prefix - Answers - Comes before the root word
Root word - Answers - Relating to specific body parts
Suffix - Answers - comes after the root word
Combining vowel - Answers - Makes the word easier to say
Ventral - Answers - front part of the body
Dorsal - Answers - back part of the body
Anterior - Answers - in front of
Posterior - Answers - toward the back of the body
Medial - Answers - Toward the midline of the body
Lateral - Answers - toward the side of the body
Proximal - Answers - closest to the point of origin
Distal - Answers - away from the point of origin
Frontal plane - Answers - Divides the body into front and back portions.
transverse plane - Answers - divides the body into upper and lower portions
Normal Anatomical Position - Answers - standing, feet together, arms at sides, palms
forward/standing with arms lank and palms forward
Supine position - Answers - lying on back, facing upward
Ethics - Answers - Ethics is the knowledge of what is right conduct versus what is wrong
conduct. There are also choices involved in ethics which may have more to do with
morals. Ethical behavior is never prejudiced or biased. For example, you may have to
make a choice regarding a co-worker or even a patient.
Examples:
A co-worker of yours is consistently late. She often asks you to cover for her when she
is late. She asks you not to tell and she will return the favor if you are ever going to be
late. What would you do?
You suspect a patient is being abused. There are bruises all over their body. The
explanation given regarding those bruises is weak. What should you do? It is your
ethical duty to provide emotional support. If you suspect any type of abuse, share/report
your concerns to the RN immediately.
Laws - Answers - Laws are rules of conduct made by a government body.
Criminal laws are concerned with offenses against the public and civil laws are
concerned with relationships between people.
Tort - Answers - a wrong committed against a person or the person's property. Torts may
be intentional or unintentional.
Negligence - Answers - an unintentional wrong.
Malpractice - Answers - negligence by a professional person (unintentional)
Intentional tort - Answers - acts that are meant to be harmful.
Defamation - Answers - injuring a person's name and reputation by making false
statements to a third person
Libel - Answers - Making false statements in print, writing, or through pictures or
drawings
Slander - Answers - making false statements orally
Invasion of privacy - Answers - violating a person's right not to have his or her private
affairs exposed
Fraud - Answers - Saying or doing something to trick, fool, or deceive a person
Assault - Answers - intentionally attempting or threatening to touch a person's body
without the person's consent
,Battery - Answers - touching a person's body without his or her consent
Informed Consent - Answers - when the person clearly understands what is going to be
done
Abandonment - Answers - when a provider withdraws from the care of a patient without
reasonable notice of discharge
Two types of civil actions - Answers - lack of informed consent and violation of standard
of care
Communication methods - Answers - How you communicate is just as important as
what you communicate. Written communication must always be professional. Charting,
a form of communication, should be as accurate as possible. Medical charts are legal
documents.
Good listeners apply the following skills: - Answers - o Face the person
o Have good eye contact
o Lean toward the person
o Respond to the person
o Paraphrasing - restate the person's message in your own words. An excellent way to
show you are listening.
o Clarifying - lets you make sure that you understand the message.
o Silence - sometimes nothing needs to be said. Silence is a powerful message.
Nonverbal Communication - Answers - 1.) Kinesics - the study of nonverbal
communication
a.) kinesic slip - where verbal and nonverbal messages do not match
2.) Zones of comfort
-intimate space (18 inches or closer)
-personal space (18 in. to 4 ft)
-social space (4 ft to 12 ft)
-public space (12 ft or more)
Phone Etiquette - Answers - When speaking on the phone always identify yourself to
the caller. Convey to the person your undivided attention and willingness to help. Listen
without interrupting, provide reasonable alternatives for the caller and take a clear
concise message in order for the call to be returned. The following steps will ensure
proper telephone etiquette:
Answer the telephone promptly and kindly. Never allow an angry or aggressive caller to
upset you; remain calm and composed. Speak clearly and concisely. Be sure to ask the
caller's permission before placing them on hold
,Understanding a patient's feeling is important. They may be anxious, nervous or even
frightened. Empathy, having an understanding and compassion for what they may be
experiencing, is a good characteristic to have in order to relate to your patients.
Email Communication - Answers - E-mail is a quick and easy way to communicate.
Keep these handy tips in mind when using email to communicate:
• Use a personal name if your system allows it.
• Fill in the subject line to identify your message.
• Do not write a message with upper case as this may be perceived as expressing
anger.
• ALWAYS CHECK WHO THE RECEIVER OF THE EMAIL IS BEFORE YOU CLICK
SEND. This can be quite embarrassing if the email goes to the wrong recipient.
• Use "please" and "thank you".
• Remember, email could be used as a legal document. Never threaten or intimidate
someone; even in jest.
Forms of Charting - Answers - Narrative - written description of patient's visits in
chronological order. No Shows are documented in a patient's chart
SOAP Note Charting - method that tracks subjective, objective, assessment and plan
for a patient's visit.
o Subjective - patient's statements (chief complaint)
o Objective - observations made by the medical assistant, examination findings and vital
signs
o Assessment - doctor's diagnosis
o Plan - health care providers prescribed plan of action
POMR - Problem-Oriented Medical Record Charting - tracks a patient's problems
throughout medical care. Each problem is assigned a number and the number is
referenced when the patient comes in for care.
Flow Charts - visual tools that help track certain information in patient's medical records
like an infant's/child's growth. When charting weight, the patient's weight must be
recorded to the nearest ¼ pound.
Progress Notes - daily chart notes made during patient's visits to document patient
progress with certain conditions.
Patient Information Sheet - contains personal and insurance information
Medical Records - Answers - Medical Records are a written account of a person's
condition and response to treatment and care. There are many parts to a medical
record including:
o Admission sheet
o Nursing history
o Graphic sheet
, o Progress notes
o Flow sheets
o Reporting is the oral account of care and recording is the written account of care and
observations
o Assessment involves collecting information about the person and observation is using
the sense of sight, hearing, touch and smell to collect information.
o Objective Data: is information that is heard, felt or smelled. Subjective data are things
a person tells you about that you cannot observe through your senses.
o Chief complaint - what the patient is there for. This could be a situation where a
medical assistant's signature may be required.
Prefix - Answers - Comes before the root word
Root word - Answers - Relating to specific body parts
Suffix - Answers - comes after the root word
Combining vowel - Answers - Makes the word easier to say
Ventral - Answers - front part of the body
Dorsal - Answers - back part of the body
Anterior - Answers - in front of
Posterior - Answers - toward the back of the body
Medial - Answers - Toward the midline of the body
Lateral - Answers - toward the side of the body
Proximal - Answers - closest to the point of origin
Distal - Answers - away from the point of origin
Frontal plane - Answers - Divides the body into front and back portions.
transverse plane - Answers - divides the body into upper and lower portions
Normal Anatomical Position - Answers - standing, feet together, arms at sides, palms
forward/standing with arms lank and palms forward
Supine position - Answers - lying on back, facing upward
