Time is of the essence, particularly for physicians in the modern healthcare industry. Documentation takes a significant portion of a physician’s time, often interfering with patient care. This has indeed turned many physicians into unhappy data-entry clerks. Is this the way to put the best use of a physician’s training and ability? Definitely not! Well, it’s high time we free physicians from these endless data entry tasks. Hiring the services of a medical scribe to provide documentation support is an ideal solution. And as both in-person and virtual scribes are available you may be wondering which way to go.
Let us now discuss some of the benefits of virtual scribes over traditional scribes to help you make an informed decision.
Cost-effective
A virtual scribe is definitely a cost-effective option compared to an in-house scribe as you don’t have to invest in any new equipment and only pay for hours of service used. They also come with no additional costs like recruiting, training, payroll, benefits, vacation, sick pay, and so on.
Less intrusive
Virtual scribes are less intrusive as they are not physically present in the exam room. Patients feel comfortable during physical exams and have no inhibitions or concerns about openly discussing their intimate histories. This increases diagnosis accuracy leading to better health outcomes.
Ideal for remote and rural areas
Virtual scribes can work from any remote location and are an ideal choice for small medical practices located in rural, secluded, and inaccessible areas where access to qualified scribes is limited and difficult to source. This means that even the most remote medical practices benefit from a top-notch scribe.
24/7 availability
Another great reason to hire is virtual scribe services operate on a 24-hour basis and they are available at all times should a physician or healthcare professional need them.
Reduced scalability risk:
Hiring the services of virtual scribes costs comparatively less allowing you to improve scalability while staying well within your budget. This way you can grow your practice, earn more revenue and invest in other areas.
Pandemic friendly
After the pandemic, almost every industry has made a virtual shift. With people forced to visit doctors remotely and the majority of the in-house scribes being laid off, telemedicine has become a mainstay of patient care. Many physicians are opting for virtual scribes as they can participate in telemedicine appointments and provide documentation assistance.
Reduced functional creep
Functional creep leads to unintended patient safety consequences. In the case of virtual scribing services as the scribe and the physician are separated there is no fear of functional creep. There will never be a situation where the virtual scribe will have to assume additional roles or responsibilities. They are exposed only to information that is necessary for performing their documentation tasks.
No training and staffing issues
Virtual medical scribes are employees of reputed organizations that take the time and effort to rigorously train their scribes. They also handle the staffing issues seamlessly and this relieves the physician of the headache of hiring, training, payroll, benefits, holidays, and so on.
The Upshot
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way in which businesses operate across the world. This transition is indeed making virtual scribe services a more preferred option. If you are a physician intending to make a switch to a virtual scribing service, consider using the services of Scribe4Me. You will be impressed. What are you waiting for? Get in touch with Scribe4Me today. Start using their scribing services and get on the road to enjoy the amazing benefits.