It’s hard to overstate the importance of the patient-doctor relationship. Patients need to trust their doctors, to communicate effectively with them, and to let them know about their concerns. And doctors have to earn that trust and respond to their patients’ needs to the best of their ability. The good news is that a virtual scribe can significantly improve patient care. Virtual scribes act to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the transcription of key medical data while allowing doctors to focus on providing top-quality care. We’ll explain further here:
What Does a Virtual Scribe Do?
In essence, a virtual scribe does what a “normal” medical scribe would do on-site. That is, medical scribes take down detailed notes during patient-doctor conversations and log patient information into electronic health records (EHRs). Virtual scribes, or documentation assistants, perform these roles from a remote location while under close professional supervision.
Advantages of a Medical Scribe
Many doctors and healthcare facilities now employ medical scribes to assist in the documentation and transcription of medical records. Medical scribes help take important clerical work off of a doctor’s desk so that they can focus more on working with their patients. (Physician burnout is a serious problem.) What’s more, medical scribes cut down on inaccuracies and inconsistencies in EHRs. And they streamline the process of checking in and checking out patients –– while also improving overall patient satisfaction. In summation, scribes can help medical organizations eliminate mistakes in EHRs, reduce stress on their staff, provide better patient care, operate more efficiently, and save money.
Benefits of a Virtual Scribe
So far, we’ve established why medical scribes in general are helpful to doctors and medical organizations. But what are the specific advantages or drawbacks associated with hiring a virtual scribe? First, it’s worth stating the obvious: virtual scribes are not physically in the room with the doctor and their patient. This should allow for increased privacy and encourage the patient to speak freely and openly. (Again, transparency and trust are key to good doctor-patient relationships, and, by extension, quality medical care.) In addition, doctors can rely on virtual scribes to document important interactions with their patients, which allows them to focus on communication and providing care.
Virtual scribes are also a good option because of the flexibility of service they offer medical practices. Organizations that may have trouble gaining access to on-site scribes (such as healthcare facilities in rural locations) can instead use a virtual scribe to positive effect. Plus, virtual scribes have in-depth knowledge of the medical field. As such, medical organizations can quickly on-board and train virtual scribes to tackle time-sensitive projects.
The Provider’s Choice Difference
Some doctors may be hesitant to partner with a virtual scribe. However, unlike other organizations, Provider’s Choice is dedicated to delivering the best customized documentation services in the industry. Our team is highly-trained and supervised by onsite management at a secure HIPAA-compliant facility at all times. All calls are locked and private for authorized personnel only, and we go to great lengths to protect all sensitive information. We have years of experience working with medical professionals, and we can help your organization. Contact us today to get started or to learn more!
