Is live scribing a career worth doing?
Based on the Annals of Internal Medicine, doctors spend two (2) hours on administrative tasks, which hinders them from focusing on providing more quality care to their patients.
Not only that, but these administrative tasks also cause burnout and low physician satisfaction.
Because of this common problem, the live scribing profession is now on the rise. This job allows virtual medical scribes to help healthcare providers record critical patient information remotely, helping the latter focus on what they do best.
If you’re interested in a live scribing career, keep reading – we’ve listed some helpful insights that will help you decide if this is the right profession for you.
In this post, we’ll discuss what virtual medical scribes do, their responsibilities, benefits, and challenges.
The basics of virtual scribing
What is medical scribing?
Virtual medical scribing is when professionals remotely document physician-patient encounters, typically via a secure internet connection. Compared to in person scribes, professionals who can do digital live scribing can offer more convenience to healthcare providers.
Who are virtual scribes?
Also known as telescribes, virtual scribes listen to the doctor and patients’ conversations and enter the most critical information into Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems in real time.
Can you scribe remotely?
Yes, you can scribe remotely. You can work from anywhere, whether in your home office or the company office, as long as you use a HIPAA-secure computer connection.
This remote setup is beneficial for you and the physicians since they don’t need to worry about your availability or factors that might cause tardiness and unavailability, such as traffic congestion, storms, etc.
Not all patients and physicians can reschedule their appointments just because scribes can’t be available in the clinic; therefore, a remote scribe provides more convenience to a physician, making it easier for them to focus on handling the patient’s needs.
Types of virtual scribing
There are other kinds of virtual scribing, aside from the kind where the scribe records the interactions in real-time.
1. Real-time video scribing
This is the kind of scribing required by physicians when they require highly detailed and on-demand documentation support. It’s most helpful in medical fields such as psychiatry or geriatrics, where non-verbal communication is important.
Characteristics of real-time video scribing:
Immediate documentation – The scribe records the encounters as they happen, accurately recording without delays and with fewer errors.
More focus for the physician – With real-time scribing, the doctor can better focus on interacting with the patient and asking important questions
Non-verbal cues – With a video element, the scribe can accurately capture the patients’ non-verbal cues, which can enhance the documentation’s accuracy and add significant contextual information
More control and flexibility – Physicians can either choose to include or exclude the virtual scribe, depending on the consultation’s sensitivity and patients’ request for privacy
2. Audio-only scribing
If visual cues are less important or not preferred, physicians request for an audio-only scribing. Usually, patients request more privacy in these encounters, which is why video recording is prohibited. Audio-only scribing is common among OB/GYN or urology practices.
Characteristics of audio-only scribing
Less invasive – Since the physician and patient/s aren’t being recorded on video, they can feel more comfortable expressing their concerns during the consultation since their privacy is being protected.
Real-time documentation – Despite being audio-only, the encounters are still being documented in real time by the virtual medical scribes
More convenience – Audio-only scribing can be accomplished by the scribe via secure phone lines and doesn’t require a secure internet connection all the time.
3. Recorded encounter scribing
Unlike the previous two, this kind of scribing doesn’t require real-time documentation. Doctors who have flexible schedules and don’t require highly detailed documentation benefit the most from this kind of scribing.
Characteristics of recorded encounter scribing
Less urgency and time pressure – With this kind of scribing, doctors can document the encounters by themselves and let the scribe transcribe them later.
More savings – Physicians don’t tend to spend a lot with this scribing, as virtual scribes can transcribe the encounters anytime
Asynchronous workflow – Doctors who have inconsistent schedules in their clinics tend to prefer virtual scribes who can transcribe their encounters at a later time
As you can see, doctors are free to choose from any virtual medical scribing, depending on their schedule, availability, and need for high-detail documentation.
If you want to be an in-demand virtual medical scribe, it might benefit you to learn all these three types of scribing.
What does one do as a virtual scribe?
As a medical scribe, you will record the highlights of the physician’s interaction with their patient. This interaction will include details such as notes about the visit, lab test results, the details about their present illness, and their medical history. You will then be documenting those details in an EHR system as you virtually tune in to their interaction via a video call or phone call.
Skills you’ll need to become a virtual medical scribe
We’re not saying you need to have all these skills to become a virtual scribe. That said, having two or three of these will help you become efficient in your daily tasks.
1. Know-how of medical concepts and terms
If you’re familiar with common clinical diagnoses, medical billing, coding, and diagnostic tools, then you have a higher chance of becoming successful as a virtual scribe. Knowing those concepts will help you accurately understand the encounters and document information precisely.
Some examples of terms you may encounter:
Common Clinical Diagnoses
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Diabetes mellitus (high blood sugar)
Asthma
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Major depressive disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder
Medical Billing and Coding
Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes
International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes
Evaluation and Management (E/M) codes
Modifiers (e.g. 25, 59, modifier 51 exempt)
Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs)
Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes
Diagnostic Tools
Complete blood count (CBC)
Basic metabolic panel (BMP)
Lipid panel
Hemoglobin A1C
Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG)
Medications
Metformin (for diabetes)
Lisinopril (for hypertension)
Albuterol (for asthma)
Fluoxetine (for depression)
Ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory)
Amoxicillin (antibiotic)
2. Computer literacy
If you have experience in using patient management software before, then there’s a greater chance you’ll get hired immediately by healthcare providers.
Aside from using communication Microsoft Teams, you will easily succeed in being a virtual medical scribe if you’re familiar with any of these tools: EPIC, Dragon Medical, Cerner, WebChartMD, and NextGen.
Here are some overviews of those commonly used tools by medical scribes and physicians:
EPIC – Most commonly used EHR system. It’s best known for its robust features, capability to record comprehensive patient information and real-time documentation.
Dragon Medical – This is the leading voice recognition software used by many healthcare professionals when scribing. DM can transcribe medical notes from speech to text, helping scribes and physicians save a lot of time during documentation.
Cerner- Another widely used EHR system that lets you manage patient records and process compliance with healthcare regulations. It’s revered for its user-friendly interface and great integration features.
WebChartMD – An affordable cloud-based transcription software that lets you quickly transcribe important encounter details. You can also easily integrate it into many EHR systems.
NextGen Healthcare – This tool lets you dictate, transcribe, and manage your EHR. It’s also good for integrating into other EHR systems, helping you keep your record-keeping workflows smooth-sailing.
3. Attention to Detail
Goes without saying, this is the most important skill since you’ll be transcribing sensitive information that could save a patient’s life but endanger it when done haphazardly. When EHRs are accurately documented and managed, this helps doctors formulate the best, most sound treatment for their patient/s, correctly interpret lab test resutls, and prescribe the right medicine to their patients.
That’s why as much as possible, you must learn how to transcribe with zero to minimal clerical errors. If you do commit some typographical errors, you must have a sharp eye to catch it quickly, before it gets documented into the EHR.
Here are some mistakes and risk you need to be wary of making:
Clerical Errors
Inaccurate documentation of patient history, symptoms, diagnoses, and treatment plans
Mistakes in transcribing medical terminology, abbreviations, and medication details
Failure to properly update electronic health records (EHRs) in a timely manner
Typo errors that could lead to misinterpretation of clinical information
Compliance Risks
Breaches of patient confidentiality and violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
Improper coding of medical services that could lead to insurance claim denials or audits
Lack of familiarity with medical billing and coding guidelines, leading to incorrect reimbursement
Failure to adhere to organizational policies and procedures for medical documentation
Are virtual scribes worth it?
Many physicians hire virtual scribes because of the economic benefits they bring to medical practices. Medical scribes have been shown to help minimize the time doctors spend on EHR documentation, leading to a 30% decrease in burnout rates and growth in physician satisfaction.
So, if you ask us if being a virtual scribe is worth it, then yes. Aside from being an in-demand profession, being a virtual scribe means you’re making a huge difference in patients’ lives by securing their sensitive data.
Want to become a medical scribe?
Whether you want to hire a live scribe or want to become one, we can help you.
