CMAC case studies
CMAC · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Clinical Medical Assistant Certification (CMAC) is a credential for allied health professionals who support physicians and other providers in ambulatory care settings. Clinical medical assistants take patient histories, record vital signs, prepare patients and equipment for examinations, collect and handle specimens, assist with minor procedures, administer medications under supervision, and keep the clinical record accurate and complete. The CMAC case studies are 5 cases and about 3,885 words.
1Unannounced Chest Pain While the Physician Is Off-Site
A medical assistant is the only clinical staff member in a three-room family practice at 9:15 a.m. The physician is at the hospital until about 11:30, and reception has four patients waiting for 9:30 appointments.
749 words, about 4 min2Needlestick From a Source Patient With Unknown Status, Friday at 4:40 p.m.
on a Friday, a medical assistant is performing a venipuncture on a 34-year-old new patient. No outside laboratory results are in the chart, and while the tubes are being labeled the patient mentions he was incarcerated until four months ago.
761 words, about 4 min3Medication Reconciliation Reveals a Triple Interaction Twenty-Five Minutes Before the Visit
A 72-year-old woman arrives for a routine follow-up with a grocery bag of medications, and the medical assistant performs medication reconciliation before the physician comes in. The chart lists warfarin 5 mg daily, INR 2.6 one month ago, and metoprolol.
743 words, about 4 min4A Parent Demands a Minor's Records, Then a Subpoena Arrives
The office receives a phone call from the mother of a 16-year-old patient. The daughter was seen nine days ago, and the encounter included a pregnancy test and treatment for a sexually transmitted infection.
802 words, about 4 min5A Critical Potassium Result After the Last Patient Has Gone
on a Thursday, the reference laboratory calls the office with critical values: potassium 6.9 mmol/L and sodium 128 mmol/L on a specimen drawn at 4:10 p.m. from a 61-year-old man with chronic kidney disease who takes lisinopril and spironolactone.
830 words, about 4 min