A chiropractic assistant provides the needed support to a chiropractor in carrying out their everyday and regular practices.
This post provides detailed information on the chiropractic assistant job description, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they commonly perform.
It also highlights the major requirements you would be expected to meet to be hired for the chiropractic assistant role by most employers/recruiters.
What Does a Chiropractic Assistant Do?
Chiropractic assistants are an important part of the smooth operation of the chiropractic office. They assist the chiropractor to render quality patient care by taking off peripheral responsibilities from them.
The chiropractic assistant job description entails performing administrative duties and providing an environment to help in hands-on caring for patients.
They play a very critical role in ensuring the practice runs its operations smoothly.
According to The Joint, the duties of a chiropractic assistant majorly include working as a customer service representative for the clinic, and in that role will educate patients on relevant issues such as treatment procedures and insurance information requirements.
Chiropractic assistants are normally directly responsible to the chiropractor(s) with whom they work, or the office manager, contingent upon the practice’s structure.
Typically, chiropractic assistants can be found working mostly in private chiropractic clinics, multidisciplinary health settings, and in hospitals/medical centers offering chiropractic services.
Other opportunities can fall under wellness centers, sports medicine clinics, rehabilitation facilities, and educational institutions that offer chiropractic services.
Although the specific requirements vary between states and employers, the majority of chiropractic assistants have a high school qualification or equivalent.
Many look to further their learning through vocational programs, community colleges, or courses that are particularly for chiropractic assistants, often taken online.
Certification and registration are sometimes required by states, and relevant qualifications are often preferred by employers, for example the Certified Chiropractic Clinical Assistant (CCCA)] from the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards.
A chiropractic assistant could provide support services related to appointments, patient file management, and billing and coding support.
They are also responsible for supporting chiropractors in examining and treating patients, e.g., positioning the patient, hot/cold therapy, and preparing equipment for procedures.
Other duties that make up the chiropractic assistant job description include keeping work area clean and organized, sterilizing instruments, and instructing patients on home care plans, and exercise programs.
In addition to these more specific core responsibilities, other more general tasks of chiropractic assistants may involve conducting the ordering and maintenance of supplies and inventory, answering phones, and greeting patients and all correspondence and filing.
It is also part of their roles to chaperon office duties, marketing, and promotional activities, and to be involved in simple first aid if there are accidents.
The chiropractic assistance profession is vital in delivering effective chiropractic health care in many countries across the globe.
The burgeoning necessity for chiropractic care needs the presence of these professionals to support the chiropractors and take care of efficient patient care delivery.
These contributions help to enhance patient satisfaction, practice productivity, and healthcare delivery.
Most employers look for chiropractic assistants who are effective communicators, detail-oriented, and organized and have an actual interest in patient care.
They prefer candidates with relevant certifications and the knowledge of medical terminologies, and experience in working in health care settings.
Other additional qualifications include experience with EHR systems and medical coding and billing procedures.
The chiropractic profession has long been contentious under the control of member states’ licensing boards and national organizations.
The chiropractic assistant job description entails the following duties, tasks, and responsibilities:
Receive and welcome patients and ensure appointments statuses and the right registration process is followed
Accurately generate and update records for patients, such as medical history and treatment
Administer treatment using physical therapies, such as electrical muscle stimulation, ultrasound, hot/cold packs, or other modalities
Educate patients regarding home exercise programs and specific exercise techniques
Assist with the preparing and maintaining all treatment rooms, including cleanliness and appropriate treatment room and equipment set-up
Sterilize and maintain all instruments and equipment per established guidelines
Under the supervision of a chiropractor, order and maintain an appropriate inventory level of medical and office supplies
Provide some of the general administrative services such as answering phones, making appointments and correspondence
Assist in patient billing and coding practices with proper documentation and compliance with legislations
Inform and educate the patients about chiropractic care and also help to inculcate good health and positive lifestyle choices for full health
Maintain utmost confidentiality of any information related to a patient and his or her medical record
Aid in enforcing office policies and procedures as necessary or required
Work together with other health practitioners, including physical therapists and massage therapists, in the delivery of an all-encompassing treatment approach for the patient
Attend courses and continuing education training programs meant to improve people’s expertise and skill
Perform marketing and promotion activities so that there should be a substantial patient inflow, and people should be aware of the clinic
Keep work area clean and organized as cleaning is part of the standard, safety, and sanitation requirements
Administer first aid in case of an emergency or taking medical samples, insofar as first-aid care is necessary
Monitor and manage the storage and care of pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals, if applicable
Monitor levels and order inventory as necessary for any materials or equipment used
Be an active participant in staff meetings and involved with the practice’s overall improvement strategies
Maintain filed systems in an ordered and complete manner on all records
Must be able to communicate between patients and chiropractic doctors by managing or dealing with any concern of a patient, endearing or answering as necessary
Assist in training and orienting new chiropractic assistants or staff members
Perform any other duties that the chiropractor or practice manager may assign to them.
Chiropractic Assistant Job Description for Resume
If you have worked before as a chiropractic assistant or are presently working in that role and are making a resume or CV for a new job, then you can craft a detailed and effective Professional Experience section for your resume by applying the sample job description provided above.
You can utilize the chiropractic assistant duties and responsibilities presented in the above job description example in expressing what you did or are presently doing as a chiropractic assistant in your resume’s Professional Experience.
This will show to the employer/recruiter that you have been effective working as a chiropractic assistant, which can greatly boost your chances of being hired for the new position that you are seeking, especially if it requires someone with some chiropractic assistant work experience.
Chiropractic Assistant Requirements: Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities for Career Success
The best chiropractic assistants come with an enviable set of skills, knowledge, and abilities that enable them to excel in their job roles.
Here is a list of key areas where a chiropractic assistant must demonstrate competency:
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
The ability to manage time well and organize the office for effective operation
Medical terms and anatomy
Knowledge on chiropractic manipulative techniques, treatments, and modalities
Knowledge of an EHR and medical coding
Attention to detail and maintaining accuracy and records
Ability to perform multiple task at the same time and to effectively prioritize your workload
Be a great customer-friendly person and full of empathy towards patients
Medical ethical practices, confidentiality, and HIPAA regulations
Computer applications and office software
Ability to follow directions and procedures precisely
Stamina: be on legs and able to leg-help patients with positioning and mobility
Good analytic mind and problem solver
Flexible with the situation
Strive for continuous learning and career growth.
Chiropractic Assistant Employment
The number of chiropractic assistant in employment in the United State is over 41,680, with most of them (88.9%) female and 11.1% male. This is according to current survey data at Zippia.
Here is a detailed breakdown of the percentages of chiropractor assistants employed in each industry and company type, according to the Zippia report.
The top industries include healthcare, professional services, retail, education, and manufacturing.
Chiropractor Assistant Employment by Industry
Health Care (41%)
Examples: hospitals, clinics, and private practices.
Professional (9%)
Examples: accounting firms, consulting firms, and law firms.
Retail (8%)
Examples: pharmacies and medical supply stores
Education (5%)
Examples: universities, colleges, and schools
Manufacturing (5%)
Examples: medical device manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies
The majority of chiropractor assistants (85%) work at private companies, while smaller percentages work in the public, education, and government sectors.
Chiropractor Assistant Employment by State
In terms of State employment, California and Florida employ the highest number of chiropractor assistants in the U.S. with 143 and 109 jobs respectively.
Chiropractic Assistant Salary
The average salary for chiropractor assistants in the United States, according to Zippia, is $32,726 per year or $15.73 per hour as of June 2024.
The states that pay the most salaries for chiropractors assistants jobs include:
Connecticut, $45,596
Vermont, $45,006
Hawaii, $42,890
New Mexico, $39,554
New York, $38,239.
Industries that pay the highest salaries to chiropractor assistants in the United States include hospitality ($33,469) and professional ($33,156).
Chiropractic Assistant Job Satisfaction
According to PayScale, the average rating of 3.8 out of 5 for job satisfaction by chiropractic assistants is relatively high.
Most chiropractic assistants enjoy being part of a health team whose activities are focused on ensuring better health for patients.
However, long working hours, having physically demanding tasks, and dealing with annoying patients will most likely reduce their job satisfaction.
Factors that may have an effect on job satisfaction for a chiropractic assistant include the work environment, nature of duties, and compensation.
Conclusion
This is an extensive post detailing with the chiropractic assistant job description, highlighting key duties and responsibilities.
A candidate will be informed while choosing this as their career path, given the understanding of the core functions, skills required, employment prospects, and salary information.
Employers can also use this information to come up with accurate job descriptions, therefore attracting the right people to their chiropractic practice.
It will therefore allow those considering performing the chiropractic assistant’s duties to understand the breadth of activities involved and the responsibilities, along with the opportunities for professional growth and satisfaction.
Armed with the necessary skills, knowledge, and abilities, the chiropractic assistant becomes an integral part of the support provided to the chiropractor and ultimately towards the well-being of patients.
This post also serves useful to employers in understanding the type of experience and qualifications they look for in chiropractic assistants while recruiting them.
This will help create an energetic and committed work group that will help a practice to grow.
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