[Medical assistant-a profession in a state of flux].

New treatment strategies and treatment possibilities as well as undertreatment due to the lack of medical specialists especially in rheumatology, necessitate a qualified further training of rheumatological assistant personnel. The increasing independent work of medical and rheumatological assistants expected by physicians with respect to patient management and practice organization, necessitates an intensive cooperation between the two professional groups. The aim is to guarantee the competent treatment of chronically ill patients with rheumatism. Finally, this concept offers the chance of additional professional qualifications for the rheumatological assistant profession and support for rheumatologists in the daily routine. This particularly applies to the engagement at several levels supported by the results of various studies, which indicate tasks that can be delegated to rheumatological assistants and confirm an improvement in the quality of patient care.