There are numerous statistics that prove almost every doctor and physician in the US is overworked. There is already a massive shortage of physicians. A regular physician has to work more and on top of that the additional responsibilities of maintaining the records in EHR. Physicians have nowhere to go to find respite. That’s where a scribe comes into play.
You can tell by your own experience how laborious it is to make notes, update the EHR, and maintain all the records. So the question is not of, “whether I need a scribe”, it is of, “what option I have to fulfill virtual medical scribe responsibilities”.
In this post, we will look at:
how to use this guide for choosing a scribe for medical services
options you have for scribe services in 2022
the verdict
How to use this guide for choosing a scribe For medical services?
We have evaluated each option in this guide primarily on three parameters:
- Benefits
- Challenges
- Cost
Options you have for medical scribe services in 2022
1. Hire an on-site in-house scribe
Benefits
This is the most convenient and expensive option any physician has at their disposal. Hire an on-site scribe and you have an extra pair of hands in your office. Your scribe will perform the documentation in the EHR, gather information for the patient’s visit, and work as a personal assistant to deliver the pinnacle of efficient patient care.
Challenges
Hiring an on-site in-house Virtual scribe comes with hiring, training, and managing challenges. You have to find the right candidate for the job. You can partner with a staffing agency for that, but you still have to interview the candidates if you want to find an ideal candidate. You also have to train the scribe in your workflow. Then, comes the responsibility of payroll, managing taxes, and other administrative work. Also, you need to make arrangements to accommodate a new person in the office.
Cost
An on-site scribe is the costliest option. It comes with a range of overhead operational expenses of hiring, training, and managing the scribe.
2. Partner with a Virtual scribe company for healthcare
Benefits
It is the same option as the first one but does not come with the administrative challenges and HR responsibilities of hiring an in-house scribe. Your company will find the right candidate for you as per your requirements and budget. Your scribe provider for medical is responsible for managing payroll, taxes, and other HR responsibilities. It is a huge relief and brings peace of mind to already overworked doctors and physicians as they do not have to worry about the HR responsibilities of hiring an in-house employee.
Challenges
Choosing this option comes with the challenge of accommodating an additional worker in your office space. You have to train your Staff for your workflow.
Cost
Partnering with a company is a cheaper option than hiring an in-house virtual medical scribe yet more expensive than hiring a virtual scribe.
3. Use a virtual scribe
Benefits
A Medical virtual scribe is the most cost-effective and convenient option. A virtual scribe provides real-time administrative help from a remote location. Your virtual scribe connects virtually to record all information from the patient visit and enter data in your EHR, provide medical transcription, and record information. A virtual medical scribe works in a HIPAA-compliant offsite facility for security and privacy protection.
You do not have to worry about hiring, training, and HR responsibilities of your virtual scribe. Your scribe service provider is responsible for all administrative responsibilities. You just have to pay the fee for same.
Also, it is a great option for healthcare providers whose patients are not comfortable opening up in the presence of another person in the doctor’s room. An online scribe can make notes of the doctor-patient conversation from a remote location. Also, you do not have to make arrangements to accommodate an additional worker in the office.
Challenges
Virtual scribes are the easiest to set up. You just have to train Them to your workflow. After a few days of initial training, your scribe is all set to work from a remote location.
Cost
Hiring is the least expensive option among an in-house scribe, It eliminates all operational expenses.
4. Virtual Medical scribe software
Benefits
The last option you have left is to purchase Virtual scribe software. It is the least expensive option of all but also the least convenient too. An online scribe software comes with speech recognition technology. It records all the spoken words in real time as you speak. However, a doctor needs to review the text before submitting it for errors or misspelled words.
Challenges
The major operational challenge of using this software is setup. Once it is set up, it is easy to use. Rest, the use of software is not absolute. A doctor needs to check every recorded text for errors as misspelled words are quite common in speech recognition technology.
Cost
It is the least expensive option of all the medical services.
The Verdict
The right choice of medical services varies from physician to physician as per personal preferences. If we compare all the options, a virtual scribe for medical services is a clear winner among all four. It is a convenient, cost-effective, and competent option.
You can get a virtual scribe starting from $280 per week for 40 hours a week. It will turn out to be $7 per hour per medical scribe whereas an in-house scribe can charge you anywhere from $10-40 per hour.
A speech recognition software can be less expensive, but it does not provide you with the competence of a virtual scribe. If you are looking for an online scribe for your healthcare facility, VA.care can provide you with a highly qualified, seasoned, and trained Staff. It is a leading scribe provider for Medical services in the US.