Physicians often struggle with the burden of documentation, as this task is often time-consuming and effort-heavy.
The constant pressure to keep up with electronic health records (EHR) can lead to stress and burnout, leaving less time for patient interactions that truly matter.
This is where a virtual medical scribe companies saves the day. With this kind of service, you can enhance your productivity, increase patient satisfaction, and avoid burnout from administrative tasks.
Supporting Thousands of Practices Across the USA
What’s a virtual medical scribe company?
A virtual medical scribe company provides remote scribing services to healthcare providers (HPs). They employ virtual medical scribes — trained professionals who listen and document patient encounters in real-time through a secure audio or video feed.
The virtual medical scribes then input the information into electronic health record (EHR) systems, helping the HPs focus more on patient care rather than data entry.
Who benefits from virtual medical scribe services?
Companies offer virtual medical scribe services to medical practices, hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities. They screen, train, and manage virtual medical scribes, ensuring they’re knowledgeable about medical terminology, documentation standards, and EHR systems commonly used by HPs.
Medical scribe companies are highly beneficial for practices with hectic schedules, where HPs need to maximize their time with patients and reduce administrative burden from documenting data from the patient interactions.
Typical costs involved in hiring medical scribes
These are the most typical costs you could encounter when hiring virtual medical scribing providers.
1. Hourly rates
Many virtual medical scribe companies charge per hour, with rates ranging from $20 to $30 per hour for basic services. More experienced or specialized virtual medical scribes (ex. Those with extensive training in medical environments) may demand higher rates, potentially between $30 to $50. That said, there are remote medical scribes that charge as low as $10 to $15.
2. Monthly subscription
While some remote scribes charge per hour, others also offer monthly subscription plans. Healthcare professionals usually pay a fixed monthly fee for certain hours or unlimited virtual medical scribing services. These fees can range from $1,200 to $3,500 per month, based on the number of services being used and number of providers being supported.
3. Setup and integration fees
There may be one-time fees associated with setting up a remote scribing service. For example, a provider may charge a fee for integrating the scribe into your EHR system and medical training them based on your special needs. The fees can range from $500 to $2,000.
4. Additional costs
Scribes also charge physicians who require extra services such as the creation of templates, advanced data analytics, or integration with multiple EHR systems. Meanwhile, if your practice needs 24/7 coverage or on-demand scribing services, it might cost you even more. Some companies charge a premium for after-hours services or quick turnaround times.
5. Training costs
If the company needs to provide custom training to scribes for your particular practice, there might be additional costs as well. It could cost you $500 to $1,500, depending on the complexity of the training.
6. Cancellation or contract termination fees
Some scribe companies also require fees for early termination. Others also require extra payment for a minimum contract period, which could involve penalties if you need to exit the contract early.
7. Discounts and packages
If you’re a large practice or a healthcare facility requires a high volume of hours, a lot of providers offer discounts. Others also offer package deals that have a mix of scribing services and other admin support.
Some considerations:
Return on investment (ROI)
While there may be high upfront costs, the ROI of hiring virtual medical scribes justifies those. By reducing the time you’ll spend on medical documentation, your productivity can increase, helping you see more patients and potentially increase your revenue.
Time savings
You could also save more time, which means you have more time for your family, friends, or your hobbies. This could positively impact your job satisfaction, helping you become more engaged and productive at work.
How virtual scribe companies handle privacy
Privacy is a major concern when working with scribe companies, as they handle sensitive patient information subject to regulations like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States.
If you’re concerned about security and privacy when working with virtual scribes, here are the key considerations you should have:
1. HIPAA Compliance
Hire a virtual scribe company that’s fully compliant with HIPAA or relevant local privacy laws. That means the virtual scribes should have established protocols to protect patient information, including secure communication channels, encrypted data storage, and strict access controls.
In the US, any company handling protected health information (PHI) must sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA), which outlines their responsibilities for safeguarding patient data. Make sure a BAA is in place before any services begin.
2. Data security measures
All data transmitted between your practice and the scribe company should be encrypted. This includes both audio and video feeds, and written medical documentation. You must also ensure the virtual scribe can access your clinic’s EHR system through secure, controlled methods such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) or other secure remote desktop protocols.
3. Training and awareness
You should also train your virtual scribes comprehensively on privacy laws and maintaining your patients’ confidentiality. This specialty training should be documented and regularly updated.
Meanwhile, your virtual scribe’s company should also conduct regular privacy audits to ensure compliance with all relevant regulations and identify potential vulnerabilities in their process.
4. Data handling and storage
Verify that the virtual scribe company has clear policies on how long patient data is retained and the methods used for secure deletion once the data is not necessary to store. Any data stored by the scribe company, even temporarily, should be secured in encrypted storage solutions that comply with your industry’s standards.
5. Incident response and breach notification
The scribe company should also have a robust incident response plan in place in case of a data breach. This plan should include immediate notification to your practice, a clear plan for addressing the breach, and steps to prevent future incidents.
Ensure the company follows all the legal requirements for breach notification, which typically involve informing affected patients and the relevant authorities within a specific time frame.
6. Geographical considerations
If the scribe company operates offshore or employs medical scribes located outside your country, make extra sure they comply with their local data privacy laws and their practices align with your country’s regulations.
Moreover, be cautious with cross-border data transfers, as they can introduce additional risks. Make sure that all international operations comply with relevant data protection agreements.
7. Review and due diligence
Before engaging with a virtual medical scribe company, conduct thorough due diligence. This includes reviewing their privacy policies, understanding their data security practices, and possibly even requesting third-party security assessments or certifications.
Meanwhile, once you hire a scribe company, be sure to review their performance and compliance every three or six months. This could involve periodic audits or reviews of their security protocols and any changes in their privacy practices.
8. Patient consent
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may need to inform your patients that their information will be handled by a virtual scribe. While this is often discussed in general patient intake forms, you should still verify that your consent process is legally compliant and thorough.
The workflow between a healthcare provider and a virtual scribe company should be efficient, allowing the former to focus on patient care while the latter handles the documentation.
If this is your first time hiring virtual scribes, take a look at what a typical workflow looks like:
1. Initial setup and integration
First, a physician and the virtual scribe company begin with an onboarding process. The assigned remote scribe is introduced to the physician’s specific needs, preferences, and workflow.
The onboarding may involve training the virtual scribes on the physician’s EHR system and understanding the latter’s documentation style. The physician may also familiarize the virtual scribes with common medical cases they’ll encounter in the clinic.
Meanwhile, the tech setup or integration takes place before or after the onboarding, depending on the physician’s requests.
During the setup, the virutal scribes are integrated into the physician’s EHR system via remote access. They will also set up the video conferencing tools, voice-over-IP systems, or specific software designed for medical scribing.
2. Patient encounter
During a patient encounter, the scribe listens in real-time to the consultation via a secure audio or video feed. The physician may wear a microphone or use a speakerphone, allowing the virtual scribe to hear the conversation without being physically present.
At the same time, the scribe documents the encounter in the EHR system. They will typically enter the patient’s history, symptoms, physical examination findings, diagnosis, treatment plans, and any other relevant information. Virtual scribes may also handle coding and billing entries.
3. Physician review and sign-off
After the encounter, the physician will immediately review the scribe’s notes. This can happen right after the patient leaves or at the end of the physician’s shift, depending on when they prefer.
If there are any errors, missing details, or discrepancies, the physician can make quick edits directly to the EHR or ask the scribe to make changes. Then, once the documentation is complete and accurate, the physician electronically signs off on the notes, finalizing them in the EHR.
4. Ongoing communication
To ensure the workflow remains seamless, physicians and virtual scribes must communicate at all times. The physician usually should provide feedback on the scribe’s performance, suggest improvements, or update them on any changes in documentation requirements.
The physician may also schedule periodic check-ins or virtual meetings to discuss issues, updates in medical protocols, or changes in the physician’s workflow.
5. Post-encounter tasks
Virtual scribes may also create follow-up notes, enter orders for lab tests or imaging studies, and ensure all necessary documentation is complete before the next patient visits.
Depending on their role, they may assist with medical coding and billing, making sure the patient visits are correctly documented for reimbursement.
6. Quality assurance
The remote medical scribe company may perform regular audits of the scribe’s work to ensure that it meets quality standards. This includes reviewing documentation accuracy, adherence to legal and regulatory requirements, and overall performance.
In addition, they may also train to keep up with any changes in medical coding, EHR systems, or new regulations. This helps them stay sharp and up-to-date with the demands of the healthcare industry.
7. End of day wrap-up
At the end of each day, the physician and remote medical scribe may have a quick review session to address outstanding issues or to prepare for tomorrow’s patients.
The scribe also double-checks if the notes are completed, signed off, and any tasks to patient follow-up are scheduled.
8. Emergency or on-demand situations
In case of emergencies or on-demand documentation, the scribe may be on-call or available on short notice to assist. This can be useful if the clinic has a lot of peak hours or urgent care situations. The scribe’s availability is usually outlined during the agreement phase between the physician and the remote scribe company.
How some workflows may vary
In some cases, the scribe may not document in real-time but work with recorded encounters instead. The physician usually uploads audio or video files of the encounter, and the scribe completes the documentation afterward. This method is less immediate but can be beneficial in certain workflows.
Meanwhile, if the practice has more than one physician, scribes may work in a team-based approach. One scribe may support two to three physicians at the same time, depending on the complexity and demand of the cases.
Wrapping up
Hiring a virtual medical scribe companies can greatly enhance your efficiency by managing your documentation in real-time. While the costs can vary, your investment often yields a strong ROI through increased productivity, better patient care, and reduced burnout.
By carefully choosing a reliable provider, you can streamline your practice, improve patient care, and maintain rigorous data security standards.
