Professionals in Health

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Professionals in Health

• Health career roles and educational requirements

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Physicians

• Involved with the treatment and prevention of
  human disease. Primary role is diagnosing human
  disease and formulating a treatment plan.

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Physician Classifications

• MD Doctor of Medicine- general practitioners or
  specialists. Focus medicine and/or surgical
  treatments
• DO Doctor of Osteopathy- most are general
  practitioners. Focus musculoskeletal system.
• Both require 4 yrs premed, 4 yrs med, 3 yrs
  residency.

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Physician Specialties

• Family Physician- involved with care of the total
  patient. Handles most illnesses.
• General Practitioner- similar to family
  practitioner. Title usually for DOs.
• Neurologists- Treats disorders of the central
  nervous system (brain and spinal cord)

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Physician Specialists continued

• Gynecologists- Health care and treatment of
  reproductive system of women.
• Obstetricians- work with women throughout
  pregnancy, delivery, and care after delivery.

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Physician Specialists continued

• Pathologists- study characteristics, causes and
  progression of disease. Order and perform lab
  tests, autopsies, run blood banks, etc.
• Emergency Medicine- Treat acute illnesses and
  emergencies

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Physician Specialists continued

• Allergists- treat conditions and illnesses caused
  by allergies or related to immune system
• Otolaryngologists- Ear, nose and throat (ENT) and
  the treatment of diseases involving the ear, nose
  or throat. Perform related surgeries.

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Physician Specialists continued

• Surgeons- operates to treat disease, repair
  injuries or correct deformities, and to improve
  general health
• Psychiatrists- Assist patient in the recovery of
  mental illness

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Physician Specialists continued

• Radiologists- diagnose and treat illness by use
  of X ray and radioactive materials.
• Pediatricians- care for children from birth
  through adolescence.

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Physician Specialists continued

• Ophthalmologists- treat disease and injuries of
  the eye. Prescribe corrective lenses and perform
  surgery.
• Dermatologists-Treat infections, growths and
  injury to the skin.

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Physician Specialists continued

• Anesthesiologists- Use drugs and gases to render
  patients unconscious during surgery. Assist
  patients with pain management.
• Cardiologists- Treat heart disease

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Dental

• Dentists- Diagnose and treat problems with teeth
  and tissues of the mouth. Either DDS (Doctor of
  Dental Surgery) or DMD (Doctor of Medical
  Dentistry)

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Dentists- Education and Specialties

• Education 4 yrs predental, 4 yrs dental
• General Practitioners- handle wide variety of
  dental needs
• Orthodontists- straighten teeth

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Dental Specialties continued

• Oral Maxillofacial Surgeons- operate on mouth and
  jaws
• Pediatric Dentists- Dentists for children
• Periodontists- Treat gums

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Dental Specialists continued

• Prosthodontists- make artificial teeth or
  dentures
• Endodontists- perform root canals

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Dental Hygienists

• Provide preventive dental care. Teach patients
  to have good oral hygiene. Scale and polish
  teeth, explain relationship between diet, smoking
  and oral health.
• Education- 2 yrs

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Dental Assistants

• Works with the dentist while the dentist is
  examining and treating the patient.
• Make patients comfortable in the chair
• Prepare them for treatment
• Obtain dental records
• Hand dentists the instruments and materials

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Dental Assistants continued

• Make impressions
• Take radiographs
• Give oral health instruction
• Prepare instruments for sterilization
• Use suction to keep mouth clean during exams and
  treatments
• Education- 1 year

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Dental Technologist

• Makes dental prosthetics as prescribed by a
  dentist
• Such as Crowns and Bridges, Orthodontic
  appliances, Full Dentures and Partial Dentures
  and Ceramics

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Registered Nurses

• Care for sick and injured
• Help people stay well
• Concerned with the whole person
• Provide physical, mental and emotional needs

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Registered Nurses continued

• Observe, record and assess symptoms, reactions
  and progress
• Administer medications
• Assist in convalescence and rehabilitation
• Instruct patients and families in proper care
• Help individuals and groups take steps to improve
  health

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4 Levels of Education for Registered Nurses

• A.D.N- Associates degree in nursing. 2 year
  degree
• BSN- Bachelor of Science degree in nursing- 4
  year degree

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4 Levels continued

• MSN- Master of Science Degree in nursing.
  Focuses on practice, management, education-
  usually 2 years
• Ph.D.- Doctorate- focus on research, education,
  or administration- usually 2 years

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Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN)

• Care for the sick, injured, convalescing,
  handicapped
• Under the direction of an RN or physician.
• Take and record vital signs,
• Change dressings

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LPN continued

• Administer medications
• Change dressings
• Insert catheters
• Education- 1 year

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Pharmacists

• Advise health professionals and the public on
  proper selection and use of medications

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Pharmacists continued

• Dispense drugs prescribed by physicians
• Education- 6 years for doctorate in pharmacy-
  PharmD

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Dieticians (Nutritionists)

• Apply basic principles of nutrition to food
  selection and meal preparations.

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Dieticians (Nutritionists) continued

• Counsel individuals and groups
• Setup and supervise food service systems for
  institutions, such as schools, hospitals etc.
• Promote sound eating habits through education and
  research
• Education-4 years

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Dietary Technicians

• Works as a member of the food services health
  team and under the direction of a dietician.
• Supervise and support staff
• Monitor cost and quality
• Counsels and develops nutritional plans
• Education- 1 year

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Optometry

• Optometrists- Provides vision care, prescribes
  corrective lenses and dispenses eyewear.
• Education- 4 years preoptometry, 4 years
  optometrics

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Optometry continued

• Ophthalmologists- a physician who specializes in
  medical diagnosis, medical and surgical treatment
  of vision disorders, especially disease and
  injuries to the eye.

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Optometry continued

• Dispensing Opticians- Order the necessary
  ophthalmic lab work, help customer select lens,
  frames, adjust eyeglasses.
• Education-1-2 years

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Physician Assistant

• Evolved in the 1960s due to the shortage of
  physicians at the time.

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Physician Assistant continued

• Provides routine diagnostic, therapeutic and
  preventive health care services under the
  direction of a physician.
• Take medical histories
• Examine
• Order and interpret lab tests and X rays
• Make preliminary diagnoses

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Physician Assistant continued

• Teach patients
• Education- 4 years, then 4 years of additional
  studies

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Speech/Language Pathologists

• Assess and treat persons experiencing speech or
  language problems resulting from total or partial
  hearing loss, brain injury, cerebral palsy, cleft
  palate, voice pathology, mental retardation,
  faulty learning, emotional problems, foreign
  dialects.
• Education- 4 yrs plus masters program

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EMT-Paramedics

• Recognize, assess manage medical emergencies of
  acutely ill or injured persons in the
  pre-hospital setting under the direction of a
  physician.
• Education 1-2 yrs

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Radiography

• Radiologists- physicians who specialize in
  interpretation of radiographs.

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Radiography continued

• Radiographers- produce x ray films of all parts
  of the human body for use in diagnosing medical
  problems. Prepare patient for exam.
• Education 1-2 yrs.

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Sonographers

• Use nonionizing equipment to transmit sound waves
  at high frequencies into the patients body, then
  collect reflected echoes to form an image.

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Sonographer continued

• The image is viewed on the screen, recorded and
  can be printed. It is interpreted by the
  physician
• Education- 1-2yrs

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Social Workers

• Health care social workers are responsible for
  helping patients and families cope with problems
  resulting from severe or long term Illness,
  recovery, and rehab.
• Education-4 yrs plus masters degree

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Psychologists

• Have a doctorate in psychology
• Interview people and administer psychological
  tests.
• Provide counseling and therapy to patients with
  emotional or adjustment problems in a variety of
  settings.
• Education- 8 yrs

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Respiratory Therapists

• Evaluate, treat and care for patients with
  breathing disorders.
• Work under the direction of a physician.
• Education 2 yrs

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Physical Therapists

• Plan, organize and administer treatment to
  restore functional mobility, relieve pain, and
  prevent or limit permanent disability.
• Education- 4yrs plus masters degree.

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Physical Therapy Assistants

• Work under the direction of the physical
  therapist
• Carry out the plan as developed by the physical
  therapist
• Communicate the patient progress toward the goal
• Education- 2 years

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Occupational Therapists

• Treat people with mental, physical, developmental
  or emotional disabilities.
• Help individuals develop or maintain daily living
  skills and to cope with the physical and
  emotional aspects of disability.
• Education-4 yrs

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Occupational Therapy Assistants

• Work under the direction of the occupational
  therapists.
• Carry out the plan developed by the OT
• Communicate the patient progress towards the
  goals
• Education- 2 years

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Electroneurodiagnostic Technologist

• Performs tests measuring the functions of the
  brain including
• EEG
• Evoked potential studies
• Sleep studies
• Brain wave mapping

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Electroneurodiagnostic Technologist continued

• The tests help diagnose neurological diseases
  that assists the physician in establishing the
  extent to brain injuries
• Education- 1-2 yrs

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Surgical Technologists

• Work under the supervision of the surgeon
• Help set up the OR
• May prepare patients for surgery
• Transport patients
• Education 1-2 yrs

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Medical Assistants

• Help physicians examine and treat patients
• Perform routine lab procedures
• Perform business procedures to keep offices
  running smoothly
• Education- 1-2 yrs

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Registered Health Information Administrator
(RHIA)

• Formerly called Medical Record Librarians
• develop systems for documenting, storing and
  retrieving medical information
• Legal and legislative resource
• HIPAA Privacy Rule
• Medicare Billing Guidelines
• Medical Necessity Regulations
• More

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Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT)

• Serve as technical assistants to the RHIA,
  carrying out many technical activities within the
  record.
• Coding for reimbursement
• Abstracting data for research studies
• Cancer
• Birth defects
• Ensure patient privacy
• Release of PHI to authorized individuals

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Health Service Administration

• Plan, organize and coordinate health care
  delivery
• Work in hospitals, nursing homes, home health
  agencies, rehab, HMOs
• Education- 2-4yrs

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MEDICAL CODING

• individuals who collect, analyze and manage
  information
• within the health care industry by transforming
  medical diagnoses and
• procedures into numbers or codes for healthcare
  reimbursement.

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MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION

• Specialists in medical language and health care
• documentation. They interpret and transcribe
  dictation from physicians and other health
• care professionals. They also provide
  documentation analysis for readability,
  correctness
• and sensibility.

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COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE SERVICES

• Group of diverse medical and health care systems
  and practices and products that are not presently
  considered to be part of conventional medicine.
• Individuals involved in this area of healthcare
  may be in alternative medical systems, mind-body
  interventions, biologically-based treatments,
  manipulative and body-based methods, and energy
  therapies.