CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam cheat sheet

CMA (AAMA) recertification is required every 5 years and may be met through continuing education or re-examination.

Four core ethical principles: autonomy (patient self-rule), beneficence (do good), nonmaleficence (avoid harm), and justice (fair distribution of care).

HIPAA permits PHI disclosure without patient authorization for treatment, payment, and health care operations; other uses generally require authorization.

Valid informed consent requires capacity, voluntariness, disclosure of diagnosis, procedure, risks, benefits, alternatives, and the right to refuse.

The communication cycle is sender → message → channel → receiver → feedback; noise or barriers can distort any step.

Therapeutic communication includes open-ended questions, active listening, reflection, clarification, and summarizing; medical jargon and false reassurance are barriers.

Professional boundaries prohibit personal or romantic relationships with patients and disclosure of PHI on social media.

The standard of care is the level a reasonably competent medical assistant with similar training would meet in similar circumstances.

Mandatory reporting laws typically require reporting suspected child abuse, elder abuse, and specified communicable diseases to designated authorities.

The provider owns the physical medical record; the patient has a HIPAA right to inspect and receive copies, with reasonable cost-based fees permitted.

SOAP note structure: Subjective (patient report), Objective (exam/data), Assessment (impression/diagnosis), Plan (treatment/follow-up).

ICD-10-CM codes diagnoses and reasons for encounter; CPT codes procedures and services; HCPCS Level II covers supplies, drugs, and non-CPT services.

Claim flow: registration → insurance verification → coding → claim submission → payment posting → denial management → appeal.

An EOB shows allowed amount, payer payment, patient responsibility, and denial reason; it is not a patient bill.

Deductible is paid before plan payment; copayment is a fixed dollar amount; coinsurance is a percentage of allowed charges after deductible.

A clean claim contains complete, accurate, consistent data and requires no payer investigation before processing.

Days in A/R = total accounts receivable ÷ average daily charges; lower values generally indicate faster collection.

Scheduling methods include wave, open-access, cluster, and matrix; double-booking and unrealistic slot lengths increase wait times and errors.

Adult resting vital signs: heart rate 60–100/min, respiratory rate 12–20/min, oral temperature about 97.0–99.5°F (36.1–37.5°C), SpO2 ≥95%, BP <120/<80 mmHg.

Hand hygiene: alcohol rub 20 seconds until dry; soap and water 20 seconds with friction; perform before and after patient contact and after glove removal.

PPE donning order: gown, mask/respirator, goggles/face shield, gloves; removal is gloves, goggles, gown, mask, then hand hygiene.

Sterile field rule: sterile items must remain above waist level and within sight; a 1-inch border around a sterile drape is considered nonsterile.

IM injection sites: ventrogluteal preferred for adults, vastus lateralis for infants; deltoid for small volumes; dorsogluteal avoided due to sciatic nerve risk.

Needle gauge: larger number = smaller diameter; IM often 20–23G, 1–1.5 inch; subcutaneous often 25–27G, 3/8–5/8 inch.

Medication rights: patient, drug, dose, route, time, reason, documentation, and education; verify allergies before administration.

Autoclave standard cycle: 121°C (250°F) at 15 psi for 15 minutes; sterilization destroys all microorganisms including spores.

CLSI order of draw: blood culture, light blue, red/gold, green, lavender, gray; invert additive tubes gently and follow facility policy.