Five Sure Signs You Need a Virtual Scribe

The breaking point. It’s a place where no one wants to find themselves, but it’s a familiar destination for many healthcare workers today. Whether you’re spread too thin because of documentation demands, or the global pandemic has left you with the weight of the world on your shoulders, it’s important to know when to seek some support.

As we discussed in a previous post, “The Rise of the Virtual Scribe,” hiring a Virtual Scribe isn’t just a smart move for your sanity—it can also prove invaluable when it comes to righting your work-life balance. It’s a great way to take some of the burden off your back in terms of administrative and back office duties, so you can keep providing top-notch care to your patients while taking care of yourself, too.

Still not sure you’re quite there yet? We’ve compiled a list below of some common triggers in your day-to-day life that might just indicate it’s time for a Virtual Scribe.

• You’ve Said “So Long” to Sleep. According to the CDC, an adult between 18 and 60 years should be getting at least seven hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? If you’re a clinician in today’s healthcare space, it probably also sounds highly unlikely. If your plate is so full that you have trouble turning off your brain when it’s time to hit the hay, you’re likely not getting the right amount of necessary rest—and we all know the trickle effect that this can cause. Simply put, a healthy life starts with sleep, and it’s essential that you’re getting enough.
• You’re Feeling the Burn(out). As we discussed in our post “The Not So Balanced Work-Life Balance of Physicians,” burnout is a very real, very problematic issue among healthcare workers today. By definition, it’s a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. Sound all too familiar? If so, it may be wise to seek assistance before its harmful effects move into even more areas of your life.
• All Work. Not Enough Play. When you signed up for the role of clinician, you knew that you’d be in for some long days (and nights). Even so, you probably didn’t think your work-life balance would be quite so one-sided. If you continuously find yourself missing out on things that matter, it may be taking more of a toll than you’d care to admit on your mental health. For this reason—and so many others—it’s essential to scale back where you can so you can get back to a healthier balance of work and play.
• Corners are Being Cut. When it comes to a busy, thriving practice, there’s simply no room for corners to be cut. Although it may save you time right away, the shortcuts you take on anything administrative will only hurt you—and your practice—in the long run. If everything is not running like a well-oiled machine, there’s a greater chance for patient dissatisfaction—or even worse, for errors to occur. But with so many patients and balls in the air, some things are bound to fall through the cracks, right? Well, not really. If you can see that small issues are starting to arise, it’s best to hire some help before any true irreversible damage is done.
• You’ve Lost Sight of Your Spark. Chances are, the reason you became a healthcare provider in the first place was because of your passion for helping others. But what happens when stress takes over and that spark you once felt starts to slip away? Well, you hire some help. If you’re at the point of just going through the motions, your patients can likely sense it too. They can see that you’re preoccupied, which may even cause them to second guess the care you’re providing. If you’re having a hard time finding the joy that once flowed so freely, it’s likely time to delegate some of your responsibilities so you can focus on finding it once again.

Since 2007, thousands of physicians have improved their work-life balance by reducing their documentation burden with virtual scribe services from Physicians Angels. Contact Physicians Angels to learn more.