Maximize Your Healthcare Provider's Time: The Ultimate Guide to virtual Scribe Services

According to recent statistics, there are over 100,000 medical scribes in the United States. This means that for every 9 healthcare providers, such as doctors and primary care physicians, there is only 1 medical scribe. The need for medical scribes is projected to increase in the upcoming years due to the heavy workload of healthcare providers.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, only a small number of doctors and primary care physicians used virtual medical scribes. However, the pandemic has changed the situation. In this article, we will explore all of the available options for medical scribes. You will gain knowledge about the duties of a medical scribe, their responsibilities, and the process of locating a suitable medical scribe service.

The Role of a Medical Scribe in Healthcare

A medical scribe is a type of personal assistant who helps primary care physicians and doctors with administrative tasks. The main responsibilities of a medical scribe include:

• Documenting information in electronic health records (EHRs) and electronic medical records (EMRs)
• Recording all interactions between the physician and patient
• Gathering information before the patient's visit
• Working closely with the physician to provide efficient patient care
• Handling other administrative duties.

What Does a Medical Scribe Do?

The purpose of hiring a medical scribe is to ensure that a doctor or primary care physician can focus on the patient’s care rather than taking care of the clerical tasks. A medical scribe can perform a variety of duties. Here is a brief explanation of what a medical scribe can do.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Scribe During Patient Interactions"

A Medical Scribe works one-on-one with the primary care physician. The medical scribe patiently listens to the conversation between a doctor and the patient and makes clinical notes of it and records it in the system. In cases where privacy is concerned, a medical scribe separately makes notes as dictated by the doctor.

Electronic Health Record Documentation by a Medical Scribe

The implementation of the EHR/EMR in the US healthcare system has resulted in a great deal of clerical work for physicians. EHR is the digital health record of a patient’s medical history and it is the responsibility of the healthcare provider to maintain the digital record. A medical scribe performs documentation in the EHR/EMR.

Assisting with Administrative Tasks

A virtual scribe services can also help the physician or doctor manage administrative tasks such as gathering information for the patient visit, scheduling appointments, making phone calls, preparing patients for the visit, and managing back office tasks.

Options for virtual scribe services

A recent study published in PubMed Central found that doctors spend a lot of time on EHR and desk work. One solution to decrease this workload is to use medical scribes. There are several options for medical scribe services, including hiring an in-house medical scribe, partnering with a medical scribe contract company, using virtual medical scribes, using medical scribe software, or doing it yourself.

Hiring an in-house medical scribe is the most expensive option, as it involves overhead expenses and higher hourly charges. This option is best for doctors who want a personal assistant and have a large workload. A medical scribe contract company is less expensive, but still involves training for new medical scribes every time one leaves. This option is best for clinics that are ready to add another member.

virtual scribe services are the preferred and economical choice, as they don't necessitate a separate office space. They are highly trained professionals who can be easily trained to your customized workflow. A virtual medical scribe is a good option for doctors looking for a cost-effective solution to manage their clerical workload.

Medical scribe software is another cost-effective option, but it comes with limited functionality. This option is best for doctors with a limited clerical workload and looking for a cost-effective solution.

Doing it yourself using EHR software and free online tools is the least expensive option, but it requires the doctor to do all the tasks. This option is best for new doctors with a limited number of patients.

To summarize, it is crucial to thoroughly consider all options for medical scribe services in order to make a well-informed choice. Factors to consider include the service provider, responsibilities, cost, challenges, and recommendations.