With the advent of digital healthcare systems, caregivers are required to balance the administrative burden of manual documentation with the responsibilities of providing high-quality patient care. Doctors update electronic health records (EHRs) for each patient, spending hours of non-clinical time each day. This administrative burden causes burnout and affects their productivity.
Virtual scribes are an affordable option for clinicians' manual documentation procedures. These remote workers help automate documentation, cutting expenses and ensuring value-based care. There has never been a greater demand for affordable solutions like virtual scribes, as the healthcare sector is expected to reach $6.2 trillion by 2028.
This blog examines why and when healthcare will adopt affordable virtual scribes for healthcare practices. Let's first understand what virtual scribes are.
When Affordable Virtual Scribes for Healthcare Practices Are the Best Solution:
Charge capture helps minimize revenue leakage, reduces claim denials, and accelerates payments, making it an essential tool for efficient revenue cycle management.
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High in-house documentation and Overhead costs :
In-house scribes are costly to hire, train, and retain. An in-house scribe, for instance, is paid between $35,000 and $45,000 a year, excluding benefits, workspace, and equipment expenses, which may be expensive for small and midsized healthcare practices.
Virtual scribe services, on the other hand, are substantially more affordable because they are pay-per-hour or pay-per-chart, with monthly averages of $1,200 to $1,600 per provider.
- 2
Scalable and Affordable Services :
Hiring more in-house scribes increases fixed expenses for expanding practices or managing varying patient loads. However, virtual scribes are scalable, adaptable, cost-effective, and can be hired in response to demand. By switching from in-house scribes to virtual scribes, practices can save up to 30% on documentation-related expenses, such as office space, training, and salary.
Virtual scribes can be expanded without recruiting more hands to handle growing workloads. The scalability of virtual scribes helps to keep up with documentation during the busy times of the year or during unforeseen spikes in patient visits.
- 3
Reduced Productivity of Physicians:
The time spent on administrative duties such as paperwork is one of the main contributors of reduced productivity of physicians. In addition to decreasing productivity and raising turnover rates, burnout costs the US healthcare system is about $4.6 billion a year.
Offloading documentation to virtual scribes allows practices to reduce these expenses and increase productivity. In addition, it will improve providers' work-life balance by removing mundane tasks from their lists.
- 4
Increased Telemedicine Adoption :
In-person scribes need computers, desks, and office space, which could be challenging for healthcare setups. Smaller clinics with fewer spaces may not be able to accommodate more employees. Virtual scribes lower operating expenses by eliminating the need for physical infrastructure.
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Quick, Efficient, and Accurate Documentation :
Increased Documentation Accuracy Research indicates that missed charges or rejected claims cause an average yearly revenue loss of up to $25,000 per physician. Virtual scribes minimize such claim denials and maximize revenue cycles by ensuring accurate documentation.
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Adherence to Regulatory Guidelines :
Reliable virtual scribe providers follow stringent healthcare rules, such as HIPAA compliance, to provide secure documentation and reduce data breaches.
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Increase in Service Offerings :
When introducing new services or specialties, practices frequently encounter more complicated documentation. Virtual scribes can adjust to these changes without extra resources.
Things to Take Into Account Before Using Virtual Scribes
- Ensure your virtual scribe service provider works in unison with your current EHR system.
- Ensure your scribe provider follows HIPAA guidelines and protects patient data using encrypted communication methods.
- Select a supplier that provides adaptable solutions for your practice's particular requirements.
- Use virtual scribes specializing in your field to guarantee accurate and pertinent documentation.
The secret to success is choosing a partnerwho supports your business's objectives and guarantees safe, excellent services. As the healthcare industry develops, virtual scribes are becoming essential for clinics hoping to prosper in a more cutthroat environment rather than a luxury.
Conclusion
63% of physicians experience physician burnout, per a 2023 research report. The use of AI-powered virtual scribes is growing as technology develops. Further automating documentation processes using natural language processing (NLP) tools makes the process even more cost-effective and efficient than conventional techniques. Virtual scribes can lower expenses, increase documentation accuracy, and improve patient care delivery for any healthcare system, including tiny clinics and expanding telehealth providers.
Are you prepared to use virtual scribes to enhance your practice? Speak with reliable suppliers to realize the benefits of simplified, affordable documentation.
maxRVU: A Dependable Virtual Medical Scribe Provider
maxRVU provides a wide range of healthcare support services, including secure communication, telemedicine, mobile charge capture, and virtual scribing. By relieving medical professionals of administrative responsibilities, these services enable them to focus on patient care.
By offering end-to-end documentation solutions that expedite accurate billing, alleviate doctors of documentation burdens, and free up more time for their primary duties, maxRVU simplifies Revenue Cycle Management (RCM).
