As a physician, you have a unique opportunity to make a meaningful difference in someone’s life. Your patients entrust you with their most personal information, looking to you for medical diagnoses and advice.
Doctors spend a decade or more gaining the necessary qualifications to treat patients. Yet, they are spending more time on administrative tasks than patient care.
According to a recent American Medical Association study, physicians spend 2 hours on electronic health records for every 1 hour spent with patients. This takes a toll on the patients, medical practice, and doctors.
If this sounds familiar, you could benefit from the help of a Medical Virtual Assistant. Here are 10 ways you can take back control of your practice and put a VA to work for you.
1. Scheduling
Scheduling and managing patient appointments are critical to the survival of your medical practice. Having someone available to take their calls is an important part of patient care.
A virtual assistant can handle these tasks for you and your staff, including:
- Answering phone calls
- Collecting patient information
- Take messages
- Screen calls
- Manage patient appointments
With a virtual assistant, you can take full advantage of all that technology has to offer. Patients can contact your office via phone, live chat, text, or email.
2. Data Management
According to a recent study in the Annals of Family Medicine, primary care doctors and mental health professionals spend almost 50% of their time on data entry and management.
A Medical Virtual Assistant handles those mundane, yet necessary tasks. By having a dedicated assistant to organize patient files and input data, your staff can focus on more critical tasks. Many offices realize an increase in productivity by 30% or more.
3. Insurance Verification
Insurance verification is a necessary, yet time-consuming duty. After collecting relevant insurance information from the client, a VA can contact the insurance company and complete the verification process. Armed with a medical background, a Medical Virtual Assistance has the knowledge and skills to ensure your patients get the care they need.
4. Medical Coding and Billing
Your medical practice cannot continue without a steady stream of income. Virtual assistants can perform all billing-related duties, including:
- Code management
- Assign medical code
- Code sequencing
- Work with insurance carriers
- Chart auditing
Having a virtual assistant manage the billing process, your practice will get paid faster and more efficiently.
5. Compliance
Compliance and security play a vital role in the success of any medical practice. A virtual assistant with a medical background ensures you remain compliant and that your patients’ personal information is secure. They work to identify security breaches and address any concerns that might arise.
6. Patient Support
Trust is the cornerstone of every relationship, particularly in the medical field. When you hire a virtual assistant, you and your team are left with more time to focus on what matters most – patient care.
With the support of a VA, you can deliver a more personalized patient experience. This helps foster positive relationships and builds trust between you and your patients.
7. Note-Taking
Taking notes and uploading them into a secure system is time-consuming. Through remote access, a VA can attend patient appointments, take notes, and upload them into your EMR system. This time-saving service enables you to focus your attention on the patient and can increase productivity by 20-25%.
8. Telehealth Support
The number of telehealth visits has increased by 154% since 2019. With the use of secure video conferencing technology, VAs can be there with you during telehealth visits. They can document all necessary information, transcribe data, and upload everything to your patients’ files.
9. Build Your Practice
Armed with technology and a virtual assistant, your office is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This doesn’t just ensure your current clients have the support they need. It also helps build your medical practice.
Studies indicate that availability is a major factor for consumers who are searching for a new doctor. If a potential new client is greeted by a Medical Assistant when visiting your website, they will immediately feel supported. This can increase lead conversions by up to three times.
10. Take Back Your Life
Every medical professional will tell you the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Yet, the demands on physicians today have led to 50% higher attrition rates, burnout, and work-life imbalance.
Hiring a Virtual Medical Assistant can lighten your workload, enabling you to lead a more balanced life. A healthy work-life balance reduces your overall stress, ensuring your patients get the best version of you at every appointment.
Medical, dental, and mental health professionals are overwhelmed with the amount of work that is required of them today. They struggle to meet deadlines, provide a positive patient experience, and still find time for a personal life. If this sounds all-too-familiar, it’s time to hire a virtual assistant.
Sources
https://www.singlecare.com/blog/news/telehealth-statistics/
https://myva360.com/blog/what-does-a-medical-virtual-assistant-do
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/8-reasons-why-hiring-healthcare-virtual-assistant-can-carandan/
https://taskvirtual.com/blog/how-medical-virtual-assistant-benefits-a-healthcare-professionals/
https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/practices/ehrs-hectic-work-environment-drive-family-docs-burnout
https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/it/study-for-each-1-hour-patient-time-2-hours-desk-work-for-docs
https://www.annfammed.org/content/15/5/419.full
https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/practices/primary-care-doctors-spend-more-than-50-workday-ehrtasks
https://virtualnurserx.com/how-to-use-virtual-nurses-telehealth-service/
