If you’re a medical practitioner, chances are you’re up to your neck in things to do every day. Between seeing patients, updating charts, prescribing medications, and handling administrative tasks, there just aren’t enough hours.
Virtual medical scribes are the answer to that time drain, as they offer tempting benefits like lower costs and added flexibility compared to in-person scribes.
But do you really want to hand off all of that clerical work to a stranger? Are virtual medical scribes just another headache in a world that seems intent on upping your Tylenol intake? Are there any alternatives?
Read on, because in this article we’ll tackle:
- The basics of virtual medical scribes
- The pros and cons of going virtual
- Alternatives to virtual medical scribes
- How AI scribes help you save the big bucks
- Our rundown of the top 5 medical scribe companies
Let’s get started!
Just what is a virtual medical scribe?
A virtual medical scribe is essentially an offsite scribe who helps out physicians with charting patient encounters remotely via telecommunications technology.
They listen in on the audio of the visit through a HIPAA-compliant audio feed and view any electronic health records (EHRs) on their screen in real time.
As the doc conducts the visit, the virtual scribe captures the details of the patient's chief complaint, medical history, exam findings, diagnosis, treatment plan, and any other follow-up needs.
The scribe then creates comprehensive clinical notes, updates problem lists, enters charges, and makes sure that they cross every t and dot every i.
The ups and downs of a virtual medical scribe
Virtual medical scribes offer some excellent benefits over traditional in-person scribes.
For starters, they’re often more budget-friendly since you’re not paying for things like transportation, workspace, and benefits.
Also, they tend to be readily available, so you can easily scale the service up or down as needed – without needing to sign a long-term contract.
They also tend to be highly-trained medical professionals, so there’s not much of a chance of them being confused about medical terminology.
However, there are a few downsides to keep in mind:
- Without being physically present, virtual scribes may miss out on visual cues and have a harder time understanding the context of a patient encounter.
- They’re also more prone to errors and inaccuracies because of lack of audio fidelity or – in the case of some mid or low-tier virtual scribe companies – because they can’t see the patient’s chart or directly ask the physician follow-up questions.
- Privacy and security can also be a concern with virtual scribes. Patient data and the scribe’s access to it should be safeguarded like a stack of gold bars. It’s critical to choose a reputable company that follows HIPAA compliance and has strong data security measures in place.
Also, keep in mind that the scribe industry as a whole lacks standardization, so experiences with virtual scribes can vary widely.
So, it’s important that you do your homework and check reviews to find a service that has a proven track record of accurate, high-quality notes and a rigorous training program for scribes. Patient care should always come first, as you know.
What are the alternatives?
If virtual medical scribes don’t seem like the right fit for your practice, you have other options to keep in mind before you go back to taking down notes yourself.
They are:
Traditional on-site medical scribes
These scribes work directly in the exam room with physicians, documenting the encounter as it happens.
While on-site scribes may give you a more customized experience, they often come with a higher price tag (the national average is around $18) due to costs like salary, benefits, and office space.
They can also feel like an intrusion into the patient-physician interaction for some – as in, “What’s this person doing here, exactly?”
Go hybrid
For many practices, a hybrid model that incorporates both virtual and in-person scribes may be the best approach.
Use virtual scribes for routine patient visits where their limitations won’t significantly impact the quality of care, and then rely on traditional scribes for more complex cases, or when the nuances of an in-person interaction are most important.
Voice-to-text software (just talk to it!)
Voice-to-text software that converts speech into text is improving by the minute.
However, some of the most common programs struggle with medical terminology and in noisy environments like exam rooms.
Some voice-to-text programs require physicians to speak clearly and dictate notes in a very specific way, which can feel unnatural and impact patient rapport. Also, accuracy still continues to be a factor, often requiring heavy editing.
AI-powered virtual scribes
Some forward-thinking healthcare organizations are already seeing benefits from AI scribes - software that uses natural language processing and machine learning to automatically generate clinical notes in the EHR.
AI scribes don’t need salaries or benefits and can work 24/7. And, AI is becoming increasingly (and rapidly!) well-versed in understanding medical jargon, and even learning a doctor’s speech patterns and abbreviations.
Dictation and transcription
Physicians can audio record or dictate patient encounters for human transcriptionists to convert to text notes – or even do it themselves after the fact.
However, turnaround times are often too slow for practical use and quality can vary. It also doesn’t solve the issue of doctors (that’s you) needing to spend extra time reviewing and editing notes.
AI scribes: Cost savings, no downsides
Virtual scribe services powered by artificial intelligence offer an attractive alternative with practically zero downsides.
For physicians and healthcare organizations, AI scribes translate into tremendous cost savings.
Also, AI scribes also reduce liability risks from improperly trained scribes and eliminate privacy concerns with third-party scribes in the exam room.
With AI scribes physicians can:
- Reclaim valuable time previously dedicated to note documentation, eliminating the need for extended hours spent on charting.
- Concentrate on listening and engaging in conversation, rather than being busy with typing notes into the EHR.
- AI scribes generate detailed, tailored notes based on clinician dictation, making sure there’s 100% accurate documentation of each patient encounter.
- Efficiently review, adjust if necessary, and approve the final documentation.
For patients:
- AI scribes enhance the doctor-patient interaction by refocusing attention on the human connection.
- Physicians engage in more eye contact, listen more attentively, and have their hands free for comprehensive physical examinations.
This improved interaction leads to patients feeling more heard and cared for, which contributes to higher patient satisfaction scores and better overall health outcomes. As someone in some TV show said, “Everybody wins.”
The top 5 virtual medical scribe companies
Virtual medical scribe companies offer their services remotely using secure digital communications and cloud-based platforms. We’ve rounded up the best five so you know where to start.
We’ve already written extensively about these platforms, so check out our article if you want to go in-depth!
But, if you’d like the TL;DR, here it is:
ProScribe MD
While primarily known for on-site scribes, ProScribe MD offers a unique "hybrid" virtual program. Their U.S.-based scribes use secure video conferencing technology to document patient encounters remotely, seamlessly blending real-time charting with in-person physician interaction.
ScribeWell
ScribeWell ditches the cookie-cutter approach, crafting solutions tailored to each client's documentation style.
Their scribes actively engage with physicians, asking clarifying questions and flagging potential issues, which fosters collaboration through a unique portal where you can create custom note templates, reflecting your preferred format and terminology.
Also, their interactive platform also handles scheduling, report access, and communication channels, making your life a bit easier.
ScribeAmerica
Though traditionally an on-site powerhouse, ScribeAmerica now offers an excellent virtual scribe program.
Their ultra-vast network of over 10,000 trained scribes includes many remote professionals equipped with laptops, dictation headsets, and secure connections.
Plus, they cater to a very wide variety of clinical specialties.
Aquity Solutions
Aquity Solutions provides technology-enabled medical scribe services, including live virtual scribes. Their scribes document patient encounters via audio and video using a secure, HIPAA-compliant cloud-based platform.
The Remote Scribe
With a huge focus on cost-effectiveness, The Remote Scribe offers virtual scribe programs tailored to emergency medicine, outpatient, and inpatient settings.
Their U.S.-based scribes provide real-time documentation through a secure audio-visual platform, helping to alleviate administrative burdens, boost productivity – and improve that ever-elusive physician work-life balance.
Summing up
As with everything in life, virtual medical scribes have their perks and tradeoffs.
Yes, compared to in-person scribes, virtual options mean less human connection and potential tech hiccups.
But, AI-powered scribes like Lindy negate those downsides and nip those issues in the bud. They’re definitely a smart alternative for medical practices that want to see fast, permanent gains in both time and money saved.
Next steps:
Is day-to-day clerical work robbing you of valuable patient face-time? Lindy’s cutting-edge superhuman AI is here to offer the perfect virtual medical scribe alternative.
- 80% reduction in charting time: Get 8 hours per week back for what matters most – your patients.
- You save money, and earn more: $20,000-$45,000 increased annual earnings per doctor (clinician studies.
- Beyond human capabilities: Medically tuned AI picks up on medical terms and shorthand and ensures your documentation is flawless, secure, and HIPPA compliant.
- No more time-consuming software: Seamlessly integrate Lindy with your existing systems (like Zoom or your EMR) and add customizable templates into your workflow.
Don’t take our word for it. Try out Lindy or free.
Explore AI-powered, HIPAA-compliant Medical Dictation with Lindy
