Are you highly organized, familiar with medical terminology, and good at transcribing conversations? If so, you might be wondering how to become a virtual medical scribe.
A medical scribe could be a suitable career for you. Being a virtual scribe is rewarding in many ways. You get to:
– Help doctors achieve a better work-life balance
– Contribute to patients receiving better quality care
– Gain an advantage if you want to pursue a healthcare career
So, all in all, it’s a triple win.
If you’re preparing to become one, this guide is for you. Below, we’ll discuss the benefits of being a virtual scribe, responsibilities, salary, benefits, and more.
Serving Thousands of Practices Across America
What’s a virtual medical scribe?
From the name itself, a medical scribe is a trained professional who assists a physician virtually transcribe patient encounters. They will then enter the data into Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems.
In addition to record-keeping, virtual scribes can help physicians with other administrative tasks such as managing patient files, following up on appointments, and assisting patients with queries about insurance.
Medical scribes who work remotely are also trained to work in a healthcare environment. They are skilled in using tools to record electronic medical records securely. If you want a pre health career track, working as virtual scribe can help you gain the practical experience you will den
Benefits of being a virtual medical scribe
1. Flexibility
Being a virtual professional, medical scribes have the advantage of being able to work anywhere. That said, you have to ensure you’re working securely.
Virtual medical scribes, especially, have to use the electronic health records (EHR) system under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations.
For example, medical scribes need to adhere to the following rules:
You must not use public WIFI when working.
Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when accessing the EHR system.
You must use unique passwords and change them frequently.
To secure medical files, you must use HIPAA-compliant cloud storage.
Keep all HIPAA software updated to avoid breach incidents.
2. Valuable Experience
If you don’t have practical experience in medicine, working as a medical scribe can help you learn how to function in a healthcare setting.
As you work with physicians, medical assistants, and other healthcare providers (HPs), you will learn more medical terminology and how to use them appropriately. You will get to observe the actual context of using them, plus learn some situational nuances you can’t always read in books.
Another underrated benefit of working as a virtual medical scribe is networking with other HPs. You’ll meet a lot of people in the medical field who can help you advance to your next role.
3. Save on commute expenses
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans spend 19% of their household budget on commuting, which is around $8,466 every year.
Did you know that since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote workers in the US have saved approximately $90 million on commuting costs?
This could mean more savings for you if you work as a virtual medical scribe. Imagine having an extra $8,466 you could save, instead of working onsite and commuting everyday for about two hours.
4. Professional growth
Aside from learning the ins and outs of healthcare work, you’ll grow professionally as you work as a virtual medical scribe.
For example, your employers may sponsor your training for nationally acknowledged certification if you don’t have one yet. They could also give you an allowance to join medical-related conferences or workshops, which means you can network with people who could help advance your career.
Apart from the technical skills, you could also develop your soft skills when you’re working in the medical field.
As a virtual medical scribe, you’ll also be assigned to interact with healthcare professionals and patients. Through this responsibility, you’ll learn the right interpersonal skills that will surely help you build great relationships in the future.
5. Work-life balance
Last but not least, working as a virtual medical scribe increases your chances of work-life balance.
Because you have extra hours — that used to be spent commuting to your physical office — you can spend them instead on hobbies or dates with friends and family.
In addition, you can work remotely as a medical scribe, which means you can mix leisure time with work.
For example, you can work at a coffee shop and sip your favorite latte or hang out with your friends at the beach.
As long as you have your laptop, your VPN, and a secure internet connection, you can work anywhere you want.
Average salary of a virtual medical scribe
The average annual salary could depend on location, experience, and skills. That said, according to salary.com, you could earn an average of $37,399 per year as a virtual medical scribe. The highest annual salary you could earn is $41,706.
Meanwhile, the highest-paying cities for virtual medical scribes are all in California. San Jose, Santa Clara, and Fremont are the top three cities that generously pay virtual medical scribes.
Tips on earning a higher salary
If you want to earn more as a virtual medical scribe, you can:
Apply for certifications
Apply for advanced, nationally recognized certifications like Certified Medical Scribe Specialist (CMSS) or Certified Medical Scribe Professional (CMSP)
Join communities
Sign up for organizations like the American Healthcare Documentation Professionals Group (AHDPG) to network with senior virtual medical scribes or healthcare executives. These are the people who could help you advance as a virtual scribe.
Practice your negotiation skills
If you’ve gained months or a year of work experience, compile a list of quantifiable contributions or instances where you showed leadership. You can leverage these when you’re asking for a raise or a promotion.
Job and responsibilities
1. Documentation
As the virtual scribe, you’re responsible for transcribing a physician’s encounters in real time. During a patient visit, you need to listen to their conversation through a video meeting such as a Zoom call.
If a patient mentions they have chest pains and shortness of breath, you need to document those symptoms along with the patient’s medical history if they have previous chest problems.
Here’s an example of a note you’ll transcribe:
“Patient reports intermittent chest pain for the past two weeks, exacerbated by exercising and accompanied by shortness of breath. There is no known history of cardiac problems. Currently taking ibuprofen for occasional headaches.”
2. Data entry
Part of your job is also inputting the recorded data into the EHR accurately and promptly. These data usually include demographics, test results, and clinical notes.
For example, after a consultation, you’ll need to enter the diagnosis of acute bronchitis and the follow-up appointment in the EHR. You’ll also need to update the medication list to include the prescribed antibiotics.
3. Communication
Along with documenting patient interactions, you’ll also be responsible for effectively communicating with the physicians and other healthcare providers (HPs). You may need to ask for more clarification on specific medical terms, emergency medicine, or treatment plans.
For example, if you’re unsure about documenting a prescribed medication, you need to mention all the details you heard from the encounter for clarification. Here’s an example of a good question:
“Doctor, could you confirm if the prescribed medication is Amoxicillin 500 mg, three times a day for ten days?”
4. Follow-up
After a consultation, it’s also your responsibility to update the patient’s records with any follow-up instruction or referral to another specialist.
Here’s a good example of a note:
“Follow-up appointment scheduled for two weeks to reassess the condition. Referred to cardiology for further evaluation of chest pain.”
5. Support
Aside from documentation, you could also be responsible for other administrative tasks such as scheduling appointments, preparing patient charts for upcoming visits, and handling correspondence such as sending confirmation emails.
You may also need to contact insurance companies to verify patient coverage and benefits to ensure smooth billings and reduce claim denials. Some virtual medical scribes also assist with preparing medical billing statements.
Qualifications and training
Education
Some employers don’t require college degrees from medical scribes, as long as they have a high school diploma or a year of experience of working in healthcare. If you’re planning to pursue an advanced degree in healthcare, this could increase your chances of being accepted when you’re applying as a virtual medical scribe.
Training
It’s common for employers to look for virtual scribes with on-the-job medical scribe training. On the other hand, if you don’t have practical experience, you can compensate by taking online courses or acquiring nationally recognized certifications. One example is the Certified Medical Scribe Professional (CMSP) certification.
Skills
Employers look for virtual medical scribes who are highly organized and familiar with medical terminology and human anatomy. They also prefer virtual scribes who have great attention to detail, fast typing speed, and proficiency with EHR systems.
Certifications
Having the right certification says a lot about you. The right medical scribe training and certification proves that you have industry-standard skills. It also shows that you’re highly committed to advance beyond your current status, emphasizing your dedication to the job. This shows a lot of green flags about you as an applicant.
Compensation and benefits
Most employers are quite generous to medical scribes when it comes to benefits. For example, ScribeAmerica provides retirement plans, healthcare benefits, paid time off, and opportunities for career advancement to their medical scribes.
HIPAA-compliant tools for virtual scribes
Electronic Health Record (EHR) Systems
Tools:
Epic
Cerner
Allscripts
Use Epic to document patient visits in real time, ensuring accurate recording of their medical histories, symptoms, and treatment plans during consultation. Epic offers real-time charting and robust integration capabilities with lab results and imaging systems to medical scribes.
Secure communication platforms
Tools:
Microsoft teams (with healthcare-specific configurations)
Zoom
Use Microsoft Teams to securely communicate with physicians about patient updates and care plans, ensuring compliance with HIPAA regulations. Microsoft Teams provides encrypted messaging and video calls, making sure virtual scribes can communicate with HPs securely.
Data encryption tools
Tools:
Veracrypt
Bitlocker
Use Bitlocker to encrypt a laptop containing patient records, protecting data from unauthorized access and breach incidents. Bitlocker offes full disk encryption, and is seamlessly integerated with Windows OS, giving the patients’ data robust security.
Secure email services
Tools:
Hushmail
Protonmail
Use Protonmail to send encrypted emails containing patient referrals to specialists, ensureing the patient’s confidentiality is preserved. Protonmail is also known to have a user-friendly interface that beginner virtual scribes can easily familiarize themselves with.
Virtual private networks
Tools:
NordVPN
ExpressVPN
Use NordVPN to securely access the hospital’s EHR system remotely, protecting the patients’ data. NordVPN is well-known for having high-speed connections, strong encryption, and no-logs policy.
HIPAA-compliant cloud storage
Tools:
Google Cloud Healthcare
AWS HIPAA-Eligible Services
Use Google Cloud Healthcare for secure storage and easy retrieval by other authorized personnel in your healthcare facility.
Password Management Tools
1Password
Dashlane
Use 1password to securely store your tools’ login credentials. 1password is known for being able to generate strong, unique passwords. It also has two-factor authentication (2FA), cross-device syncing, and secure notes, which is highly beneficial for a virtual scribe.
Should you become a virtual scribe?
The life of how to become a virtual medical scribe could be rewarding, especially if you’re looking for stability. With that said, being a virtual scribe is no walk in the park, especially if you’re starting to gain experience from scratch.
So, before you try this profession, make sure you’re prepared to invest in your education, practice, and training as a virtual scribe. If you’re ready to give it your all, then your chances of being accepted into this industry are extremely high.
