Resources

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to fill hospitals with sick patients and new variants emerge, healthcare workers continue to be pushed to the brink like never before. It’s the reason why entire global summits are being dedicated to burnout. It’s the reason why we’re seeing clinicians quitting at an alarming rate. And, it’s the reason why we’re so concerned about the threat of physician shortages to come.

“I’m just going through the motions; I’ve lost my ability to care. I’m numb. When will it end?” Ten years ago, those were the words of Cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Fisher. Today, those thoughts still reflect the feelings of many clinicians—and it’s a reality that has only gotten worse thanks to an unbalanced work-life balance, unrealistic documentation demands and a global pandemic.

Due to the challenges of finding quality hires, and having more people within the clinic space, the pendulum has swung from live scribes—those who physically enter the room with the physician—to virtual scribes—who attend the physician/patient encounter via secure audio connection. In a time when companies like Zoom continue to watch their revenue skyrocket and the phrase “let’s hop on a call” might as well be added to the dictionary, it only makes sense that this particular niche would expand.

As a clinician, you’ve likely spent far too long buried under the demands of documentation. You’ve taken more work home than you ever imagined, and you understand first-hand what it means to be burnt out. But you’ve also seen the studies about how much time you could be saving with the help of a medical scribe—and you’ve finally decided it’s time to take that step.

You’ve just wrapped up another patient visit, and now it’s on to the next. Well, at least in a perfect world. The reality, though, is that you’ll need to find the time to deal with the documentation demands of that previous visit—or be forced to take it home with you for the night.

When it comes to the many benefits of Virtual Scribes, one thing is clear: The value and productivity that they bring to a medical practice cannot be discounted. The work medical scribes do often make an immense difference in the work-life balance of clinicians today. One thing that perhaps isn’t as clear, though, is who should be paying for a scribe?

There’s no question that healthcare workers have been pushed to the brink for years. From an out-of-whack work-life balance, to documentation demands to other requirements that limit the time they can spend with each patient, there are a myriad of reasons why these frontline workers are struggling to keep their heads above water. Add in a global pandemic and it gets worse. And now many are beginning to have second thoughts on the healthcare career paths they have chosen.

So, you’ve decided to hire a Virtual Scribe. Even with that decision under your belt, there are still a few things to consider before deciding on the right scribe company for you. Concerns about the security of Virtual Scribes may at first blush seem like a “Con” when considering your scribe options. But with the right service and company, it can actually be at the top of the “Pro” column.

Ask any physician practicing medicine today and we’re willing to bet you’d get the same answer: when they decided to dedicate their lives and time to becoming a Medical Doctor, they didn’t do it to be bogged down with endless hours of charting and documentation. But among the physicians seeking assistance, which specialties are subscribing to the idea of Scribes the most?

If the thought of hiring help has crossed your mind, consider this list of operational triggers. If you find yourself nodding along, it just might be time to bring in help, either by adding staff or—like a growing number of physicians—using a Virtual Medical Scribe.