By Larry Carr
May 23,2022
Healthcare providers in the US are constantly frustrated by the amount of time they have to spend on electronic health records. As a result, physician productivity and revenue dropped, and physician-patient interactions and relationships compromised, ultimately leading to widespread burnout. It is at this point physicians started to hire medical scribe services to offload some of their EHR documentation tasks. Medical scribes reduce physician workload, by completing the highly click-intensive EHR-data entry tasks and allowing them to focus on patient care.
With so many medical scribe services available it could be challenging for a physician to decide the best one that fits his/her practice. To help you decide we have come up with a list of criteria that you need to consider before hiring a medical scribe service.
Check how long they have been in business in order to assess their level of expertise. Inquire how many healthcare groups, specialties, and EMRs they've worked with in the past. To understand if the medical scribe company is worth the work they provide check their client reviews online. This will give you an idea of the level of satisfaction and quality that you can expect. You can also look for references and ensure how reputable they are. Just taking the time to call references can help you choose the right medical scribe service.
Look for medical scribe companies that hire graduates from top schools and are tech-savvy too. Inquire about the training, mentorship, and certification of their medical scribe staff. The hours of training they've received, whether general or specialty-specific training, their evaluation metrics upon completion of training and whether they are overseen by scribe supervisors when they start afresh. The best medical scribing personnel have good knowledge of scribing standards, medical vocabulary, and safe handling of sensitive information. Look for accredited scribing companies as they provide certifications and training for enhancing and improving their medical scribing skills.
It is crucial to opt for a medical scribe service that offers good security and privacy to your data. Make sure that proper security measures are in place so the information you send to the company is not compromised in any way. Inquire about the security of their scribe office facility and the IT systems. Ensure that the company doesn't hire medical scribes to work from home as this practice isn't secure or HIPAA compliant. Medical scribes must have undergone HIPAA training to understand their responsibility in patient privacy. A medical scribe service should employ strict data protection measures, including appropriate encryption and security processes to maintain patient confidentiality. If the company doesn't guarantee compliance with HIPAA security rules when it comes to handling health information, look elsewhere.
For time-crunched physicians, even a single day without the medical scribe would disrupt their entire clinical routine and leave them at their wits end. Look for companies that assign a dedicated primary scribe and have backup scribes in place to fill in gaps in case the primary scribe is sick or on vacation, to ensure consistency and ready availability. Partnering with a medical scribe company that has expertly trained primary scribes and back up scribes to provide perfect charting to your requirements, ensures 24/7 uninterrupted scribing services.
The main reason to hire a medical scribe is to keep costs low while ensuring billing accuracy and speedy reimbursements. Choose a medical scribe service provider that guarantees an open and transparent pricing policy. You don't want any surprises, especially a higher than expected bill or with hidden charges. Look for companies that offer the lowest hourly rates without any upfront costs or long- term contracts. Check if they offer a hassle-free free trial offer to help you evaluate their services
The scribe training doesn't stop even after the successful implementation of the medical scribe program. Inquire your prospective scribe partner about the methods of periodic re-assessment of the scribe's skills and efficiency. It is important that their medical scribes should necessarily undergo continuous training to stay abreast of the latest EHR developments and HIPAA regulations. Also, check out their scribe audit performance policy in place. This not only ensures documentation quality and proper security practices but also compliance with guidelines.
In order to ensure the smooth functioning of the medical scribe program, it should be closely monitored. When teaming up with your partner make sure to inquire who will manage the scribe program. Generally, it is managed and supervised by an experienced scribe manager to ensure that you are continually staffed. Also make sure that the scribe managers maintain quality, monitor workflows, ensure production metrics are met as well as handle on-going training and regulatory issues.
Choosing the right medical scribing provider can relieve much of physicians' burdens. However, picking the wrong partner can result in a host of long-term problems. Choosing the right medical scribing provider ensures improved clinical efficiency, documentation accuracy, and physician-patient satisfaction. So make sure to do plenty of research and choose the best medical scribe services provider
Please fill out this form.
We will reach out to you within 24 hours
Since the introduction of EHRs in the year 2009 and the federal policies to encourage usage, the implementation of EHRs has steadily increased.
Virtual medical scribes are becoming increasingly popular in recent years as a perfect alternative to traditional medical scribes
Medical practices across the globe are under increased pressure to ensure that patient records are properly updated following each visit.
