Doctors live very busy lives and are very important members of society. They help keep us healthy, treat our injuries, and ensure we are in the best shape possible. But in addition to seeing patients, many doctors actually spend a lot of their time dealing with mundane tasks like paperwork, correspondence, and taking notes.
To aid with this issue and give doctors more time to see their patients, many doctors will hire a medical scribe. These are individuals that capture and document the information shared during a patient-doctor meeting. This saves doctors from having to remember things or take their own notes, and allow them to solely focus on the patient.
While you can have the in the office with the doctor, there is also the option of hiring a virtual medical scribe. This article is going to go over some of the pros and cons of hiring and using a virtual scribe in your medical office.
Pro: Better Privacy
One major benefit of working with a virtual medical scribe is better privacy. Patients being embarrassed is one of the most common reasons people avoid the doctor, and having a third person in the room can make this even more difficult.
By using a virtual scribe, you can ensure that there is no need for a third person in the office, which can ensure patients are comfortable. While there is still technically someone listening, there isn’t a physical person there, which can feel less intrusive to most people.
Con: Potential Data Transmission Issues
One drawback of using a virtual medical scribe is potential issues relating to data transmission. Many of these scribes may be located overseas, and transmitting sensitive and private data online can always bring about risks if not done carefully. Patient data needs to be protected, and these medical scribes need to be vetted to ensure the companies they work for take data security seriously.
And with the cost of poor data security being astronomically high, this is something that every doctor needs to consider. While the risk might be small and a medical scribe company can be incredibly polished, you still need to go above and beyond to ensure everything is done by the book. Even a single piece of information reaching the wrong hands or being misplaced can be problematic.
Pro: Save Space
Saving space in the office is another benefit of going with a virtual scribe. If you have a physical scribe, they can take up a lot of space, and they require you to have an office that can comfortably fit three people without it being a problem.
You also need to get them a desk, a computer, and any other materials or software that they may need. With a virtual scribe, they generally work from home or remotely, and utilize their own materials, which makes it much simpler for you.
Con: Uncertain Backgrounds
When you work with a virtual scribe, you simply cannot be as certain of their background and training as you can be with someone you hired and trained yourself. Thankfully, most have gotten great training and know what they are doing, but there can still be some uncertainty present. Some scribes may be hired with little training, or the training they do get may not be the same as you need or expect.
We hope that this blog post has been able to help you learn some of the many pros and cons of working with a virtual medical scribe.
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