Medical clerk job description

This post includes 3 parts: duties list, job qualification and job description writing tips for Medical clerk in details. A complete job description concludes Medical clerk key duties/responsibilities, Medical clerk job qualifications (knowledge, education, skills, abilities, experience…KSA model) and other ones such as daily tasks, key activities, key/core competencies, job functions/purpose…

I. List of Medical clerk duties:

1. Effectively deal with individuals who may be ill, irritable, or otherwise hard to please.
2. Alertness to patients requiring immediate treatment.
3. Ensure that each patient treated is eligible for care and has complied with clinic enrollment procedures.
4. Tactfully deal with persons and extending a high degree of customer service to patients, other contractor staff, Subcontractor(s) staff and personnel, and Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC).
5. Initial screening of patients, including veteran eligibility and active enrollment in the VA Primary Care Program.
6. Verify that required appropriate individual has completed CBOC/VA paper work.
7. Schedule and notify patients of follow-up appointments/referrals.
8. Assist in the coordination of supplies/equipment.
9. Ensure patient’s hard-copy medical record, if applicable, is complete following each day’s visit prior to returning medical record to file.
10. Assist in maintaining the Veteran Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VISTA) clinic reminder tracking system current for each enrolled patient.
11. Assist the CBOC Manager in ensuring that all required reports are completed in an accurate and complete fashion.
12. Act as a liaison between contractor and the VAMC.
13. Participate in the ongoing Performance Improvement Program between STG and VAMC.
14. Comply with all Federal, state, local, Joint Commission, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Veteran Affairs, STG and subcontractor safety and operational regulations, directives and standards.
15. Maintain confidentiality of all information and support patients’ privacy, patients’’ rights, and safety.
16. Perform other work-related duties as assigned.

II. List of Medical clerk qualifications

1. Graduate of an accredited high school or equivalent.
2. Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Software and basic computer maneuverability.
3. Knowledge of clinic’s regulations, policies, and procedures to receive visitor and patients, screen phone calls, and answer and/or refer questions.
4. Knowledge of medical terminology and provider’s instructions to complete appropriate request forms/electronic screens, make appointments for special studies, and refer questions.
5. Knowledge of procedures required to requisition supplies and services.
6. Knowledge of the basic concepts of customer services technique related to age-specific population.
7. Demonstrated effective written and verbal communication skills along with proper telephone etiquette.
8. Knowledge of skills to perform all secretarial/clerical support tasks (typing, filing)
9. 6+ months of recent experience working in a Medical Clerk capacity.
10. Must have sufficient front office experience.

III. Tips to write job description

1. Too-long job description:

Looking at a too-long job description can frighten the candidates off and drive the away. A job description, no matter how important the job is, should not be included in more than 3 pages. If one focuses on too many things at a time, he shall definitely lose focus on the main items and get overwhelmed by the remaining; So, keep it concisely.

2. Too-short job description:

While too-long can be a problem, too-short is more a problem. It will ruin the meaning of the job description. A too-short one means it lacks necessary details and therefore, the candidate will not be able to understand while reading it.

3. Listing unnecessary functions or job duties:

Just classifying these into the “others” category will save you a lot of effort and space. On the other hand, the job description will become more dilute and easy to be neglected.

4. Key functions

Not listing key functions as required for the job can be a fatal mistake to a job description.

5. Grammar and spelling

Poor grammar and having spelling errors can ruin the job description, too. Never think that as you are the employer, you may have the right to make grammar or spelling errors while requires other not to. A job description with such errors is easily to be mistaken as a fake or ghost ads; as a result, the candidate will turn away from it.

6. Not specific enough:

Be specific and concise; if you don’t address the specific, then what the job description is for. It is for the candidate to understand just exactly what he needs to do or needs to have. Lacking details can confuse the candidates very well.

7. Not having the job description reviewed by others:

This is also a common mistake. One may be subject to bias, but more than one, especially with the help of those external advisor, the job description can be more perfect.

8. Using buzzwords or abbreviations:

In fact, it is not necessary at all to use such in a job description.

9. Using slang or legal words:

Just use common wording to communicate with others and don’t do anything extraordinarily.

10. Not updating the job description:

The same job may require different duties and responsibilities in different times, so, you cannot use the same job description for 2 different times.