Common Planner
K–12 Standards

Medical Assisting (2026)

Other Idaho CTE sets

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND LEADERSHIP

  • 1.1

    Student Leadership in Career Technical Student Organizations (CTSO) and Professional Associations

    1. 1.1.1

      Explore the role of professional organizations and/or associations in the Medical Assisting industry.

    2. 1.1.2

      Define the values, roles, and opportunities provided through career technical student organizations.

    3. 1.1.3

      Engage in career exploration and leadership development.

THE MEDICAL ASSISTING PROFESSION

  • 2.1

    Roles and Responsibilities and Credentialing

    1. 2.1.1

      Describe the duties and responsibilities (e.g., liaison between the health care team and the patient, patient navigator) of a medical assistant.

    2. 2.1.2

      Describe personal and professional qualities of successful medical assistants.

    3. 2.1.3

      Describe the scope of practice for medical assistants based on state/location and facility (e.g., inpatient, ambulatory).

    4. 2.1.4

      Describe the educational requirements for becoming a medical assistant.

    5. 2.1.5

      Describe requirements for maintaining certification and registration.

    6. 2.1.6

      Describe employment opportunities and related requirements for medical assistants.

  • 2.2

    Health Care Team

    1. 2.2.1

      Identify professional organizations associated with medical assisting.

    2. 2.2.2

      Describe roles in the health care team and the role of the medical assistant within it.

    3. 2.2.3

      Describe quality assurance standards and procedures throughout administrative and clinical settings.

PROFESSIONALISM FOR MEDICAL ASSISTING

  • 3.1

    Communication

    1. 3.1.1

      Describe communication strategies for relaying information between patients and providers.

    2. 3.1.2

      Identify barriers and solutions to overcome communication barriers.

    3. 3.1.3

      Describe conflict-management techniques and conflict-resolution strategies.

    4. 3.1.4

      Facilitate patient compliance (e.g., follow-up).

  • 3.2

    Special Patient Populations and Sensitivity

    1. 3.2.1

      Identify physical, mental, cognitive, and social needs of patients that can affect the delivery of health care.

    2. 3.2.2

      Modify communication with patients and caregivers, based on special considerations (e.g., pediatric, geriatric, accessibility�hearing, vision, cognitive impairment).

    3. 3.2.3

      Define types of special patient populations.

    4. 3.2.4

      Describe the need for cultural sensitivity.

    5. 3.2.5

      Identify accommodations for patients with special needs.

    6. 3.2.6

      Identify issues (e.g., language, age, socio-economic, cognitive) that may impede patient health literacy.

FUNDAMENTALS OF HEALTH CARE AND BASIC SCIENCE

  • 4.1

    Medical Terminology

    1. 4.1.1

      Interpret the common word elements (i.e., prefix, suffix) used in medical terms.

    2. 4.1.2

      4.1.2 Define vocabulary related to body systems.

    3. 4.1.3

      Define vocabulary related to medical procedures.

    4. 4.1.4

      Interpret medical terminology from standard abbreviations, including the Joint Commission�s �Do Not Use� abbreviations list.

  • 4.2

    The Human Body

    1. 4.2.1

      Describe the structures and functions of major body systems.

    2. 4.2.2

      Identify signs, symptoms, and etiology of common disorders and injuries.

  • 4.3

    Law and Ethics

    1. 4.3.1

      Identify federal and state laws governing health care as it pertains to the scope of practice of a medical assistant (e.g., Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act [HIPAA], Affordable Care Act [ACA], Human Error Root Cause Analysis [HERCA], Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act [HITECH], Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act [CARES], Controlled Substances Act [CSA]).

    2. 4.3.2

      Describe the importance of adhering to HIPAA regulations in patient care.

    3. 4.3.3

      Describe medical directives (e.g., advanced directives, living will, Physician�s Orders for Scope of Treatment [POST], health care proxy, medical order for life sustaining treatment) guiding patient care and limitations.

    4. 4.3.4

      Differentiate between personal and professional ethics.

    5. 4.3.5

      Describe requirements for mandatory reporting, including signs and symptoms of abuse, triggers for reporting, and reporting agencies.

    6. 4.3.6

      Describe legal requirements regarding reportable violations or incidents.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

  • 5.1

    Digital Literacy

    1. 5.1.1

      Describe technology-based methods for providing health care and health information (e.g., telehealth, virtual, patient portals).

    2. 5.1.2

      Describe standards for appropriate use of social networking and media (i.e., responsible digital citizenship) in the medical field.

    3. 5.1.3

      Describe safety and security best practices guiding information technology use.

  • 5.2

    Clerical Functions

    1. 5.2.1

      Demonstrate professional telephone techniques and interpersonal skills.

    2. 5.2.2

      Schedule and monitor patient appointments, using electronic and paper-based systems.

    3. 5.2.3

      Complete or update a patient registration, based on urgency/acuity and insurance coverage.

    4. 5.2.4

      Identify the components of a patient�s health record.

  • 5.3

    Billing and Coding

    1. 5.3.1

      Define basic insurance terminology.

    2. 5.3.2

      Interpret basic coding terminology.

    3. 5.3.3

      Describe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) billing and documentation requirements (e.g., charge capturing).

    4. 5.3.4

      Complete billing, claims, processing, and prior authorization transactions.

    5. 5.3.5

      Prepare patient charges and the related claim form.

    6. 5.3.6

      Describe the process for handling balance sheets, day sheets, and ledger sheets.

CLINICAL PROCEDURES

  • 6.1

    Patient Documentation

    1. 6.1.1

      Complete a medical intake (e.g., social, family, patient identifiers, past medical history [PMH], screening).

    2. 6.1.2

      Differentiate between paper chart and Electronic Medical/Health Record (EMR/EHR).

    3. 6.1.3

      Demonstrate accurate and legal documentation in medical records.

  • 6.2

    Patient Care

    1. 6.2.1

      Identify the normal range of each vital sign.

    2. 6.2.2

      Obtain vital signs.

    3. 6.2.3

      Document vital signs.

    4. 6.2.4

      Assist provider with general and specialty physical examination.

    5. 6.2.5

      Compare complementary and alternative medicine.

    6. 6.2.6

      Prepare a patient for procedures, including providing patient education.

    7. 6.2.7

      Describe dietary needs related to diseases and conditions (e.g., diabetes, kidney disease, eating disorders, celiac disease).

    8. 6.2.8

      Identify public health resources.

  • 6.3

    Psychological and Behavioral Health

    1. 6.3.1

      Identify signs and symptoms of common mental health conditions (e.g., anxiety, depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD], Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD]).

    2. 6.3.2

      Identify environmental and socio-economic stressors.

    3. 6.3.3

      Describe procedures for handling a patient emergency.

    4. 6.3.4

      Describe the end-of-life process and stages of grief.

    5. 6.3.5

      Describe Maslow�s Hierarchy of Needs and stages of human development.

  • 6.4

    Point-of-Care Testing

    1. 6.4.1

      Describe procedures for collecting non-blood specimens.

    2. 6.4.2

      Describe the Clinical Lab Improvement Act (CLIA) and the role of the Commission on Office Laboratory Accreditation (COLA).

    3. 6.4.3

      Describe the procedures for performing CLIA/COLA-waived testing.

    4. 6.4.4

      Describe the procedures for reporting in-range and out-of-range laboratory and test values.

    5. 6.4.5

      Describe the procedures for matching and labeling specimen to patient and completed requisition.

    6. 6.4.6

      Describe the procedures for processing, handling, and transporting collected specimens.

    7. 6.4.7

      Describe the procedures for vision and hearing testing.

    8. 6.4.8

      Describe the procedures for respiratory testing.

    9. 6.4.9

      Identify common testing errors leading to testing discrepancies and inaccurate results.

  • 6.5

    Venipuncture and Capillary

    1. 6.5.1

      Verify an order.

    2. 6.5.2

      Select site and supplies.

    3. 6.5.3

      Determine order of draw.

    4. 6.5.4

      Describe procedures for newborn screening.

    5. 6.5.5

      Process specimens for laboratory.

    6. 6.5.6

      Identify common adverse reactions to venipuncture and standard responses.

  • 6.6

    First Aid and Safety

    1. 6.6.1

      Demonstrate universal precautions in the practice of first aid.

    2. 6.6.2

      Demonstrate the technique for performing Basic Life Support for the Health Care Provider Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/Automated External Defibrillator (CPR/AED).

    3. 6.6.3

      Demonstrate basic first aid on an adult, child, and infant.

    4. 6.6.4

      Describe the emergency action plan function and components (e.g., pull � aim � squeeze � sweep [PASS] fire extinguisher technique, fire drill, AED, crash cart, emergency medications).

    5. 6.6.5

      Describe signs and symptoms related to urgent and emergency situations (e.g., diabetic shock, heat stroke, allergic reactions, choking, syncope, seizure).

    6. 6.6.6

      Describe treatment for common injuries (e.g., bandaging, ice, elevation).

    7. 6.6.7

      Describe the importance of adhering to regulations and guidelines when treating common injuries (e.g., animal bites, lacerations, abrasions, fractures, sprains, burns).

  • 6.7

    Electrocardiogram (EKG/ECG) and Cardiovascular Testing

    1. 6.7.1

      Identify types of electro-leads.

    2. 6.7.2

      Identify anatomical electrode placement.

    3. 6.7.3

      Perform EKG/ECG test.

    4. 6.7.4

      Describe normal results.

    5. 6.7.5

      Describe common artifacts and how to address them.

PHARMACOLOGY

  • 7.1

    Fundamentals of Pharmacology

    1. 7.1.1

      Identify common drug classifications (e.g., diuretics, hypoglycemics, analgesics, over-the- counter) and indications for commonly prescribed medications.

    2. 7.1.2

      Differentiate between side effects and adverse effects and between indications and counter-indications.

    3. 7.1.3

      Identify forms of medications (e.g., tablet, patch, capsule, injectable).

    4. 7.1.4

      Compare pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.

    5. 7.1.5

      Identify patient rights of medication administration.

EMERGENCY AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS

  • 8.1

    Medical Office Safety and Compliance

    1. 8.1.1

      Identify Center for Disease Control (CDC) regulations, including bloodborne pathogen standards.

    2. 8.1.2

      Interpret the information included on safety data sheets (SDS) and instructions for use (IFU).

    3. 8.1.3

      Describe Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations as they apply to the workplace.

    4. 8.1.4

      Identify federal, state, and local laboratory regulations and safety procedures.

  • 8.2

    Infection Control

    1. 8.2.1

      Demonstrate handwashing and sanitizing procedures.

    2. 8.2.2

      Demonstrate using personal protective equipment (PPE), including donning and doffing.

    3. 8.2.3

      Describe the chain of infection, including aseptic and infection control measures.

    4. 8.2.4

      Differentiate between surgical and medical aseptic procedures.

    5. 8.2.5

      Compare standard, universal, and transmission precautions.

    6. 8.2.6

      Describe procedures for biohazard (i.e., sharps) and waste disposal.

Frequently asked questions

What grade levels do these standards cover?
Grade 12
Where can I read the official document?
Medical Assisting Standards 2026

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