A virtual medical scribe is someone who writes down what a doctor and patient say and does during an appointment. You don’t need a college degree to be a medical scribe, but you usually do need to be certified. Like a courtroom stenographer, a medical scribe writes down everything that happens during the visit.
As an alternative to traditional medical scribes, virtual scribes are becoming more and more popular. Instead of going to the patient’s location with the clinician, virtual scribes listen in via video conferencing or the phone from a different place. This has a number of benefits over traditional medical scribes, such as a lower price, a greater sense of privacy, and more options for how the service can be used.
The Advantages of a Virtual Medical Scribe
Medical scribes can do a variety of things. Some people call them “medical assistants,” while others call them “documentation assistants,” and sometimes others call them “typists.” During clinical visits, they are professionals who write down important information as it is being said. Here are some of the many ways a virtual medical scribe can help your practice:
Increased patient-doctor satisfaction – Less time is spent on paperwork by doctors during patient visits. So, spending more time talking with patients makes them happier. Who doesn’t want to work somewhere that provides them high satisfaction?
Better teamwork – MedVA trains professionals to be ready for the high demand of EHR and EMR work in a wide range of ways. With the help of technology and the professional work of the virtual medical scribe, the doctor can make the healthcare system at their practice work better as a team
More patients – More people are being seen in the clinic because medical scribes are being used, due to a better experience with their doctor. Physicians will go in this direction if they want to be more effective and efficient
Increased privacy for patients – Virtual scribes listen to the patient’s visit from a place other than the exam room. This lets the patient and clinician be alone in the exam room and gives the patient a better sense of privacy, which is especially helpful for people who don’t like having a third set of eyes and ears in the room. When a patient feels more comfortable, they tend to be more open and honest about their health concerns. This makes it easier to get an accurate diagnosis and, in the long run, improves the patient’s health
Flexibility – Since virtual scribes can work from anywhere, they are a great choice for medical practices in remote or rural areas where it is hard to find scribes who can work on-site. They also provide services when you need them, even if you offer late weekday hours or weekend hours at your practice
No need for training – Even though each clinician may need to teach virtual scribes about their own habits and care style, most of the hard work has already been done. Virtual scribes know how to take clinical notes, how to work with clinicians, and how to use electronic health records (EHRs) and the workflows that go with them
Fewer employees to onboard – Using a hired virtual medical scribe service is also very helpful because it requires less staff. To make sure your EHR rollout goes smoothly, you’ll need to teach almost all of your employees how to use it. Instead, you could hire a Virtual Medical Scribe to translate complicated medical jargon into language that everyone on the team can understand. This would save you time and effort in the long run
Gives peace of mind – So doctors can spend more time directly caring for patients, they have a “virtual medical scribe” take care of their electronic medical records and clinical charting remotely. During this time, the hired Virtual medical scribe may write down all the important information, and patients will feel better if they know their doctor can give them his or her full attention
EMR experts – Virtual medical scribes know how to use a lot of e-health record systems (EMRs). As an added bonus, a virtual medical scribe who already knows the practice’s EMR may be able to help train new staff, which means new doctors can learn more efficiently
Accurate and thorough patient charts – No need to worry about updating charts after seeing a patient and possibly forgetting to document something, your virtual medical scribe is ready to ensure accurate chart keeping. MedVA’s virtual medical scribes are licensed and trained to help you fill out each patient’s chart quickly and thoroughly
Why Physicians Prefer Virtual Medical Scribes
You went to school to become a doctor, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, and so on, so you could help people. Documentation is important for the health care process and for making sure that bills are correct. Still, nobody likes to spend their time writing up paperwork and virtual scribes can help
At the end of each visit, the provider can look over the notes from the visit. This way, they can make changes while the visit is still fresh in their minds and check that the medical record is correct.
Are Virtual Medical Scribes Worth It?
The simple answer is yes! Since they are not in the exam room, virtual scribes are less of a bother. Patients feel at ease during physical exams and don’t feel shy or worried about talking about their private lives. This improves the accuracy of the diagnosis, which leads to better health outcomes.
Are You Ready to Hire a Virtual Medical Scribe?
In the end, there are many reasons why you might want to use a virtual scribe. For many practices, virtual scribes are a better choice than traditional medical scribes because of the overall cost, the flexibility of service, and the focus on the patient.
Reach out to MedVA today and get started with your Virtual Medical Scribe.