In recent years, there’s been a high demand for virtual medical scribe in the United States due to the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) and telemedicine.
Healthcare providers (HPs) seek to streamline documentation processes, reduce clerical errors, and improve patient care quality.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this shift, highlighting the demands for remote medical services and roles. One of them is a virtual medical scribe.
If you’re planning to apply for medical scribe jobs virtual, read this guide to decide if this is the right role for you.
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What is a Virtual Medical Scribe?
A virtual medical scribe assists HPs by documenting patient encounters in real time from a remote location.
One of their tasks is entering medical data into EHRs, freeing physicians from the responsibilities of handling administrative tasks. Because of this, doctors can focus more on patient care.
Virtual scribes also listen to patient encounters in secure video or audio connections and enter accurate medical records.
Career benefits
Experience in the medical field
Being a virtual medical scribe gives you practical experience in the healthcare industry. They can familiarize themselves with medical terminology and procedures, which can be highly beneficial if they want to pursue a career in medicine.
Less stress for doctors
Because virtual scribes handle administrative tasks, doctors can better focus on interacting with their patients. This also gives doctors a better work-life balance. A pilot study in family medicine showed that scribes reduced charting time by an average of 5.1 hours per week, improving doctors’ work-life balance and job satisfaction without negatively affecting patient experience.
Flexibility for scribes and doctors
Virtual scribes can work at home or anywhere with a secure internet connection. They can also work at an earlier or later time zone, as long as it overlaps with the physicians’ scheduled appointments.
Career progression
Your experience as a scribe can open multiple doors to advanced job opportunities in healthcare. For example, you can apply in medical coding, urgent care, health informatics, or clinical research after working as a online medical scribe.
Job responsibilities
Requirements:
High school diploma
(Optional) Healthcare-related degree or coursework
Proficiency in medical terminology and anatomy
Excellent listening and typing skills
Ability to work independently
Time management skills
Basic knowledge of medical terminology
Responsibilities:
Documenting patient encounters accurately
Entering electronic medical record and patient information into EHR systems
Assisting with patient file management
Document follow-up notes, exam results, and procedures
Compliance with healthcare regulations and policies
Answer query from patients
Work environment and culture
Work environment
Virtual medical scribes work remotely, often from home offices, private office spaces, or coworking spaces. They require a fast and reliable internet connection, a quiet workspace, and the ability to focus for long periods of time.
Culture
Their work culture highly values accuracy, confidentiality, and timely documentation. They also work in shifts that align or overlap with the operating hours of HPs, which may include evenings, early mornings, or weekends.
How to Apply for Virtual Medical Scribe Jobs
Find reputable companies
Search for medical scribe service providers. Browse LinkedIn, Glassdoor, or Trustpilot to see what their hires and clients say about their culture.
Update your CV or resume
Update your resume and ensure it’s presented in a clean, professional design. Avoid highly contrasting colors. Always submit in PDF form. Tip: upload your resume to Google Drive so you can share a viewable link if a potential employer asks for it.
Prepare for your interviews
Expect to answer questions about medical terminology, EHR systems, and your time management skills. If you want to test your skills, you can browse Udemy, Coursera, or LinkedIn for courses related to medical transcription.
Salary and benefits
Salaries vary based on a scribe’s years of experience, skills, education, and location. Some states in the US pay higher than others. On average, you can expect to earn between $12 to $20 per hour as a virtual scribe.
Most companies offer benefits such as health insurance, paid time off (PTOs), and allowances for professional development. Some employers also reward performance-based bonuses and incentives.
Training and certification
As an aspiring virtual scribe, companies and HPs expect you to be certified or trained in the following:
EHR systems
Medical terminology
Anatomy courses
Shadowing senior virtual scribes
Nationally acknowledged certifications aren’t always required, but having one from organizations like the American Healthcare Documentation Professionals Group (AHDPG) can increase your chances of being hired right away.
What lies ahead for virtual scribes
As healthcare offices and workflows are increasingly becoming virtual, the demand for virtual medical scribes will not dwindle soon. Your opportunities for careers in healthcare will be vast. You can advance to medical coding, health information management, clinical research, and/or physician assistants. You just need to acquire the required years of experience and certifications.
