Finding the Best Virtual Medical Scribe: Top Picks for Your Practice

Benefits 

There are many benefits to hiring a virtual medical scribe:

• Increased quality of patient care

• Reduces physician burnout

• Improved productivity of the physicians 

• Reduced administrative burden 

• More time for patient conversations

• Better work-life balance for doctors 

• Offers flexible, affordable staffing services for HPs

• Provides real-time or asynchronous documentation support 

Responsibilities 

Upon hiring a virtual medical scribe, they will:

• Document sensitive patient information in EHRs

• Transcribe medical histories, exam findings, and treatment plans

• Abide by the HIPAA guidelines in record-keeping

• Listen to your conversations with patients, in real-time or at a later time

• Assist with managing patient files 

• Help with maintaining patient care experience

• Assist in managing medical records

• Prepare and maintain patient charts

• Answer phone calls, emails, SMS, and chats from patients 

• Follow up with patient appointments and referrals 

• Update patient records with new test results 

Why choose a medical scribe company?

Advantages of partnering with a medical scribe company

Partnering with a medical scribe company offers multiple advantages to your practices, such as:

• Exclusive access to a pool of talented virtual scribes

• Helps minimize physician burnout

• Ability to choose a scribe based on their level of expertise

• Streamlined scribe management, including their payroll, benefits, etc.

• Scalability to change the changing needs of your practice 

• Providing rigorous ongoing training and certification to their scribes 

• Helps you focus more on patient care

• Ensuring the scribes maintain HIPAA-regulated standards of documentation and compliance

Factors to consider when choosing a medical scribe company

1. Compliance with healthcare regulations 

Before hiring a medical scribe company, make sure they comply strictly with HIPAA and other relevant healthcare regulations. This compliance is critical for protecting your patients’ privacy, making sure their sensitive information like patient history and test findings are secured.  

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) 

Training and certification

Medical scribes should undergo HIPAA training to comprehend the privacy and security regulations for handling electronically protected health information (ePHI). As a result, medical scribes companies must ensure their employees take refresher courses to stay updated with the changes in the HIPAA regulations. 

Using secure systems

Medical scribe companies must also use secure systems for storing patient data, ensuring they’re encrypted and in control of access. They must know how to use multifactor authentication and password software to secure their login credentials and prevent unauthorized access. 

Data-handling procedures

Under HIPAA, virtual medical scribes must follow strict protocols when transmitting sensitive patient details. They must also ensure that the ePHI is never downloaded or shared outside the EHR. 

Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) 

Meaningful use

Under this act, a medical scribe company must use certified EHR to secure their record-keeping process. They should document patient encounters wholly and accurately. 

Breach notification 

Virtual medical scribes must also remain vigilant about reporting data breaches involving ePHI. They should follow the protocol for notifying the affected patients and inform the authorities as soon as the incident occurs. 

Regular audits

Medical scribe companies must also be willing to help their employees participate in regular audits of EHRs to ensure they comply with HITECH standards. If necessary, they must also implement corrective measures when vulnerabilities are found. 

Confidentiality 

NDAs

All medical scribes are expected to sign Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) to formalize their commitment to securing sensitive information about the patients. The agreement should also outline the consequences of breaching confidentiality. 

Access Control

Based on the principle of least privilege, the virtual scribe must also have limited access to the patient information. They should only be able to view the details necessary for documentation. 

Physical and technical safeguards

The virtual scribe is also responsible for creating physical safeguards, which means they need private workspaces and storage for physical records. They must also be able to use secure login methods to protect digital information. 

Patient rights 

Informed Consent 

The physicians must inform patients about the scribes’ presence during their consultations, regardless of the latter’s location. To practice this, they must get written or verbal consent from the patients if required by state laws. 

Right to access 

If the patients request to access their health information, the virtual scribe must be able to assist them promptly. 

Correction and amendment 

If there are errors in their personal information, the patients must be allowed to correct them. Additionally, the requested changes must be documented accurately. 

Experience and reputation

Who wants to work with a company with no track record? Upon browsing medical scribe companies, read their clients’ feedback about their services. 

A few negative reviews couldn’t hurt, but what’s important is how they addressed the concerns of their clients. Some reputable review sites for medical scribe companies are Glassdoor, Indeed, KLAS Research, Trustpilot, and Google Reviews. 

• Glassdoor – Features reviews and insights from a company’s employees themselves 

• Indeed – Lists reviews from current and former employees

• KLAS Research – Database of industry reports based on user interviews

• Trustpilot – Displays customer reviews and ratings on different companies

• Google Reviews – Features reviews and ratings from a company’s customers

Scribe training and qualifications

Another important factor is their scribes’ qualifications. If their scribes have nationally recognized certifications in the US, then there’s a higher chance their scribes are more skilled and experienced.

Certifications like the Certified Medical Scribe Specialist (CMSS) teach the most essential medical transcription skills such as familiarizing medical terminology, navigating different types of EHR software, and handling patient concerns in a high-pressure environment. 

Technology integration

Last but not least, a good medical scribe company is well-versed in integrating its service and scribe into your practice. Its onboarding process should be seamless, and the scribe should be more than familiar with your EHR system. 

Common tools medical scribes use

To find the best medical virtual scribes, they must be familiar or well-versed with a majority of the following tools: 

 Electronic Health Record (EHRs) Systems

Epic

This is widely used by medical scribe copmaines in healthcare facilities for comprehensive health records management. 

Cerner

This EHR is known for its robust clinical documentation capabilities. 

Athenahealth 

This tool is commonly used by medical scribe companies in outpatient settings for its user-friendly interface design and integrated practice management features. 

Meditech

Used by many community hospitals, Meditech offers many EHR solutions that help healthcare providers manage their routine tasks and patient experience. 

Voice Recognition Software 

Dragon Medical One 

A leading voice recognition software that lets scribes dictate notes directly into EHR systems. 

M*Modela Fluency for Transcription 

It’s another widely used tool for medical dictation you can integrate into multiple EHR platforms. 

Medical Terminology and Coding Tools

UpToDate

A clinical decision support tool that gives evidence-based information for accurate documentation. 

ICD-10 and CPT Code Lookup Tools 

These are essential for accurate medical coding and billing

Secure Messaging and Communication Tools

TigerText 

Secure messaging tool for real-time communication between HPs and scribes. 

Doximity

A professional network for healthcare professionals that includes secure messaging capabilities. 

Remote Collaboration Tools

Zoom 

This is frequently used for remote scribing in telehealth settings, allowing for real-time video communication. 

Microsoft Teams

This is another popular collaboration tool that facilitates document-sharing among healthcare teams.

Cybersecurity Tools 

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)

VPNs help make sure you have secure remote access to hospital networks and EHR systems. 

Antivirus and Malware Protection

This is essential for protecting the data from breaches. 

Top virtual medical scribe companies

DocVA

DocVA employs virtual medical assistants and scribes who are well-trained HPS, mostly registered nurses from the Philippines. Their virtual scribes help in documenting patient interactions and updating EHRs in real time. 

They emphasize affordability, offering medical scribe services at around $10 per hour. Their scribes are HIPAA-certified and trained in cybersecurity measures, making you feel reassured when providing patient care. 

ScribeAmerica

SA is one of the largest medical scribe companies in the US, offering in-person and virtual scribe services. ScribeAmerica provides extensive training to ensure their scribes are proficient in medical documentation and compliance with HIPAA. 

ProScribeMD

ProScribeMD offers medical scribing solutions aimed at alleviating the administrative burdens faced by HPs. Their services include real-time documentation during patient visits, updating EHRs, and other office tasks. 

Their company emphasizes the importance of well-trained medical scribes who can adjust to various medical workflows, improving the quality of patient care and operational efficiency in clinics. 

Scribe-X

Scribe-X offers both on-site and virtual medical scribe services. They focus on offering tailored solutions that meet the needs of various practices. Apart from helping HPs, they also emphasize supporting their scribes who want to pursue medical careers. 

Evaluating virtual medical scribe services 

1. Identify your needs 

Determine if you need an on-site medical scribe provider or virtual medical scribe services. A virtual scribe may save you more money since you won’t have to spend on extra office space and equipment. That said, if you need more in-person interaction, hiring an on-site scribe might be more convenient. Nevertheless, both can definitely help you avoid physician burnout.

2. Find potential companies

Look for a medical scribe provider with reputable track records and mainly positive reviews from other HPs. Some trustworthy review websites for medical services include Glassdoor, KLAS Research, Indeed, Trustpilot, and Clutch. Make sure to check their privacy policies and compliance measures.

3. Request for a meeting 

If you can’t meet a representative in person, you can always schedule a meeting. Make sure to ask about their services, pricing, contract terms, and any additional fees. Near the end of the call, ask for downloadables like case studies or references from HPs. 

4. Start a trial period

If possible, ask for a 3-month trial period to evaluate the medical scribe companies’ services before committing to a long-term contract. 

Searching for highly trained specialist scribes

Start interviewing a virtual scribe or company representatives from medical scribe companies. Here are some questions you can ask a medical scribe applicant: 

1. “What specific training have you received?”

• This question helps find out if the scribe understands the procedures, terminology, and workflow

• By discussing their training, you can gauge the depth and comprehensiveness of their education in their specialty 

• When asking this question, it’s a good sign if they mention training modules and nationally recognized certifications 

• Confirm if their training includes practical or simulated activities relevant to your field 

2. “Can you describe your experience with the procedures and terminology specific to our practice?”

• This question helps assess the scribe’s practical experiences, ensuring they can apply their training effectively in real-world situations.

• Understanding their experience with specific procedures can help you determine if they can seamlessly integrate into your practice. 

• When asking this question, look for examples of specific procedures they’ve documented and any medical terminology they’re familiar with. 

• Look for clues of their ability to accurately and efficiently document complex procedures and medical terms unique to your specialty. 

3. “How do you stay updated with the latest best practices in our specialty?”

• This question helps evaluate the scribe’s commitment to continuous education and staying current with advancements in your field. 

• This also ensures the scribe is proactive in maintaining their knowledge, which is crucial for providing high-quality documentation. 

• When asking this question, listen to mentions of attending workshops, webinars, reading journals, or participating in professional organizations. 

• Assess their willingness to adapt to new practices, technologies, and regulatory changes in your specialty.

Future of virtual medical scribe companies  

Expansion of telehealth services

Recently, there’s been an increased demand for medical scribes that support telehealth consultations. Virtual scribes are also becoming more popular because they offer flexible, affordable solutions. 

Enhanced data security measures

As virtual scribing becomes more prevalent, the need to comply with HIPAA and other data protection regulations will be paramount. 

Companies will invest more in cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive patient information. Most of them will uphold protocols like encryption, multi-factor authentication, and secure access controls. 

Globalization of medical scribe services 

The ability to hire scribes from a global talent pool will allow companies to provide services 24/7 and cater to HPs across many continents. Hiring virtual scribes and assistants is more cost-effective, allowing HPs to save on overhead costs. 

More focus on patient care 

Virtual scribes can help healthcare providers focus more on patient care by taking over the documentation workload. Incorporating patient feedback mechanisms can improve the quality of scribe services and ensure patients are highly satisfied with their hospital experience in the long run.