Why Healthcare VAs are in demand

The field of medicine is now seemingly a shell of what it was once – and for good reason. COVID-19 exposed several gaps and opportunities in healthcare which became a precursor for innovating new strategies to cope with unprecedented events.

One of these approaches birthed the further growth of remote healthcare. Telemedicine became prevalent with around 80% of patients who received care virtually being satisfied with the service. The significant increase in online consultations left medical practices, clinics, and other health facilities reeling for healthcare virtual assistants (HVAs) just to keep up with the demand.

HVAs became the cost-effective solution for most medical businesses. Even when things are gradually becoming safer in the new normal, most patients still prefer virtual consultations due to the convenience and safety of this method.

However, this isn’t the only service that falls under an HVA’s responsibility. They can also be hired to be virtual Medical Scribes, Medical Billing Specialists, virtual Pharmacists, and Medical Receptionists.

What Healthcare VAs can bring to the table

Their skills and proficiencies make them value-added team members to any organization. Here’s what they do to help keep medical practices and facilities in shape:

·        Medical receptionist tasks

What they do: As virtual medical receptionists, they are often the first line of contact between a medical facility and patients. They handle phone calls to take messages, confirm scheduled consultations, and follow-ups. Registering new patients into a clinic or health facility’s database also falls within their responsibilities.

Why they are in demand: Your in-house medical receptionist is overloaded with tasks and is having a hard time keeping up with updating patient records, taking calls, and other assigned responsibilities. You may also run a small or startup clinic that’s keen on saving costs. Hiring a virtual medical receptionist solves both problems for your business. Aside from that, they can provide a more personalized experience for each patient, raising your facility’s overall satisfaction rate.

·        Medical administrative tasks

What they do: Just like your in-house medical admin, a virtual medical assistant also covers the same tasks with only the distance making the difference. You can trust them to cover electronic record keeping, billing and coding, filing insurance claims and reimbursements, and accommodating referrals. They can also man telephone lines to accept appointments or schedule follow-ups.

Why they are in demand: Most administrative tasks are repetitive and time-consuming. Having support from a virtual medical assistant helps your in-house staff focus on more pressing matters, while your VA takes care of the tedious stuff. Healthcare virtual assistants are also proficient with various software and platforms, meaning little to no training is needed when they’re onboarded.

·        Clinical support

What they do: Clinical services range from virtual nurses to virtual pharmacists, and more. Professionals in these roles have the technical expertise and skills needed to support physicians or medical facilities directly. They have the ability to deliver appropriate and effective care remotely. 

Most individuals working under virtual clinical support are licensed or have certifications in compliance with their client’s standards. Although not completely required, it is a vote of confidence in employers to find candidates who have such credentials.

Why they are in demand: Medical practices might need an extra hand but are hesitant to hire due to high costs. Some might also need virtual clinical support to work different hours to support their operational needs. Virtual clinical support can be key to reducing expenses while simultaneously scaling the business.

·        Virtual Medical scribe

What they do: Thanks to innovative tools, virtual medical scribes can perform their duties even if they’re thousands of miles away. They take down real-time transcriptions of patient exams and assessments to help physicians document their findings. Virtual medical scribes are also in charge of updating Electronic Health Records (EHRs) to further enhance doctor-patient consultation experiences.

Why they are in demand: Your medical practice or facility has multiple physicians, and they are struggling with documenting patient visits. One virtual medical scribe can provide assistance to different doctors and help improve their efficiency.

Hire a Healthcare Virtual Assistant

Assessing your internal needs and organizational structure helps you determine whether your medical practice is ready to have a healthcare virtual assistant. It also helps you determine what HVA role you need.

The Remote Group is HIPAA-compliant with a wide range of Healthcare Virtual Assistant services. Our HVAs have helped dozens of medical facilities improve their efficiency while reducing costs. Get in touch with our outsourcing experts today to find your own HVA.