The tasks authorized in statute vary depending on whether a medical assistant is certified, registered, a phlebotomist, or a hemodialysis technician. A medical assistant may perform authorized tasks only under the delegation and supervision of a health care practitioner. The tasks authorized in statute vary depending on whether a medical assistant is certified, registered, a phlebotomist, or a hemodialysis technician.
Medical assistants may not independently perform any tasks listed in their scope of practice in RCW 18.360.050. This puts the responsibility for the tasks they perform on both the medical assistant as well as the delegating health care practitioner.
Before delegating any duty to a medical assistant, health care practitioners must determine to the best of their ability whether the delegation meets the requirements of RCW 18.360.060. Based on this law, health care practitioners may be disciplined if they delegate a duty that does not meet the delegation requirements to a medical assistant. Below is the list of requirements for delegation:
RCW 18.360.060 Delegation—Health care practitioner duties.
1. Prior to delegation of any of the functions in RCW 18.360.050, a health care practitioner shall determine to the best of his or her ability each of the following:
a. That the task is within that health care practitioner's scope of licensure or authority;
b. That the task is indicated for the patient;
c. The appropriate level of supervision;
d. That no law prohibits the delegation;
e. That the person to whom the task will be delegated is competent to perform that task; and
f. That the task itself is one that should be appropriately delegated when considering the following factors:
i. That the task can be performed without requiring the exercise of judgment based on clinical knowledge;
ii. That results of the task are reasonably predictable;
iii. That the task can be performed without a need for complex observations or critical decisions;
iv. That the task can be performed without repeated clinical assessments; and
v. (A) For a medical assistant other than a medical assistant-hemodialysis technician, that the task, if performed improperly, would not present life-threatening consequences or the danger of immediate and serious harm to the patient; and
(B) For a medical assistant-hemodialysis technician, that the task, if performed improperly, is not likely to present life-threatening consequences or the danger of immediate and serious harm to the patient.
2. Nothing in this section prohibits the use of protocols that do not involve clinical judgment and do not involve the administration of medications, other than vaccines.