Overcoming Back-Office Overload with Virtual Assistance

There’s just something about a well-oiled machine. When everything is running smoothly and all of the parts are performing just like they should, it truly feels like all is right with the world…or at least with your practice.

Then someone calls in sick or quits and suddenly, you’re short staffed. Documentation demands pile up. Tensions rise. The once well-oiled machine stops running like it’s supposed to, and just like that, your back office is bogged down.

Sure, between practice consolidation, system-wide budget cuts and recruiting challenges, physician office staffs have been forced to do more with less for years. But the stresses, constraints and risks of working through a global pandemic have multiplied the amount of back-office work that has piled up and accelerated staff burn-out. And as any clinician knows, when the back office is back-logged, the front office is also going to suffer.

What to do About Back Office Overload in Your Medical Practice

If you are concerned that your back office is struggling, The Mayo Clinic suggests asking yourself these questions:

• Has your staff become cynical or critical at work?
• Does your staff have to drag themselves to work and have trouble getting started?
• Has your staff become irritable or impatient with co-workers, customers or clients?
• Are they lacking the energy to be consistently productive?

If you find yourself nodding yes, chances are your back office is feeling overwhelmed. But fixing the problem by adding staff—even if you could find them, afford them, and train them—is no longer your only choice. One option that continues to gain traction is that of a Virtual Back Office.

Trained in medical practice administration and multiple IT systems, these professionals jump in virtually to keep procedures in place and back-office operations running smoothly—all with a minimal amount of hand holding from the get-go.

The most popular Virtual Back Office services include:

• Medical Transcription Service (24-hour turnaround)
• Insurance Verification
• Document management
• Closing out open, or older charts
• EMR data migration

Perhaps their biggest perk, though, is the flexibility they provide. Most Virtual Back Offices are able to easily adjust to your current and ever-evolving needs. Whether it’s an upcoming maternity leave that’s going to leave you short-staffed or a backlog of work you can’t seem to get on top of, hiring a Virtual Back Office to get you through may be the solution your office has been seeking.

The Real Value of a Virtual Back Office

For the small amount of out-of-pocket expense that it takes to get a Virtual Back Office up and running, most medical offices find these services to be worth their weight in gold—not only by fixing the paperwork bottleneck, but also by easing the “burn-out burden” on employees.

According to a recent ABC News article, “Why Business Leaders Need a ‘Wake-Up Call’ to Take Burnout Seriously Right Now,” paying attention to the well-being of your staff and stepping in to help when they need it makes all the difference—especially as healthcare workers try to keep their heads above water during a pandemic. “Experts note that burnout is also linked to plummeting productivity, poor retention and other factors that can impact a company’s bottom line,” Catherine Thorbecke, the article’s author writes.

If you’ve found your own office in this now-all-too-familiar situation, it might just be time to look into a Virtual Back Office. Chances are, it can help bring your well-oiled machine back to life.

Physicians Angels is the industry’s first virtual scribe company, providing real-time documentation directly into the physician’s EMR, along with Virtual Back Office services. Our services save the physician an average of 10 hours per week, thereby improving patient throughput and contributing to a better work/life balance for the physician and office staff. To learn more, visit physiciansangels.com or contact us.