A doctor’s office is a fast-paced place where correctly filing information is critical to the proper care and treatment of patients. Having the right team in place helps keep things moving in the right direction. But staff can be expensive. This is where having a virtual assistant (VA) can make a difference. A VA can tackle the most pressing tasks while costing 70% less than hiring a new staff member. Let’s take a closer look at what they do.
Tasks a Healthcare VA Can Do For You
There are six common areas of healthcare support where a healthcare VA can assist you.
Virtual Scribe
Accurate patient files are imperative to providing quality care. Transcribing patient notes is a critical job function of any healthcare VA. This means that the VA can document treatment plans and patient appointments so that relevant information is properly recorded in the patient file. Healthcare VAs accomplish their tasks by utilizing approved healthcare software that includes the electronic health record (EHR). With real-time transcription, doctors can get immediate records, so doctors always have the information needed to diagnose patients properly. This helps doctors improve care and increases patient satisfaction and retention.
Virtual Reception
Every medical office has busy phones that can take up a lot of time for regular staff to answer and address. Incoming phone calls are easily handled by a reliable healthcare VA. Incoming calls are greeted professionally and routed to the appropriate team so that patients get served faster. They also call patients to remind them of upcoming appointments so that there are fewer missed appointments and dead time for the doctor. Interactions between the healthcare VA and patients ensure that there are consistent communication so that the doctor’s brand is upheld and maintained.
Patient Support
When it comes to patient support, having a healthcare VA can improve the quality of care for all patients. A good healthcare VA provides support and guidance for non-medical patient concerns in a compassionate and patient fashion. They handle appointment setting and scheduling so that the office utilizes internal resources efficiently. The VA will take care of time-consuming administrative tasks, which may include insurance verification and medical record maintenance. Office administrators can also use a VA to help gather patient feedback so that the office can gain valuable insights that help the office and its staff perform better. VAs are trained to work in the common EHR system, maintaining records and updating information.
Recruitment
Recruitment can take a lot of time out of a busy doctor’s or administrator’s day. VAs can post job openings on various online job boards and monitor the responses. By giving a VA a list of criteria, they can review incoming resumes to pre-screen them. This allows administrators to have a short list of candidates to contact. Not only can VAs create a short list of potential candidates, but they can also provide administrators with a summary of the candidates’ qualifications to expedite the interview process. Once candidates are approved, the VA can be charged with calling them to schedule interviews. VAs ensure that administors have all they need to properly conduct the interview. The VA can also perform necessary background checks and contact references to ensure the quality of candidates.
Billing Support
Billing systems tend to be overwhelming but need timely attention so that the office generates the necessary revenue to pay the bills. This is an area where a healthcare VA can be of great service. VAs ensure that proper medical coding is done for proper billing. They can record and reconcile payments from insurance companies and patients ensuring accuracy. Not only do they record payments, but they also input medical claims into the EHR software, properly billing the right entities for the work done. To deal with outstanding debts, the VA can generate statements and send them out to patients so that the office can collect outstanding balances. If payment arrangements are needed, the VA can establish plans within set parameters so that balances get paid in a timely manner.
Marketing
Many medical offices lack time for marketing. However, the right marketing helps keep the office busy with new patients who value the service provided. The right healthcare VA will help create content that showcases the office’s expertise. It will utilize patient testimonials to deliver a positive message about the office. The VA can then distribute the content on the office’s social media accounts and engage with comments on platforms, showing that the office is receptive and quick to respond. The VA can also monitor online reviews held in places like Google Reviews and respond to patients’ feedback. This develops a sense of empathy that the office truly cares about its patients.
Why Choose MyOutDesk for Your Healthcare VA
MyOutDesk is a strategic partner for any medical office. Our VAs are available for a fraction of the cost of regular staff and are trained to perform the duties you need to be successful. We are a HIPAA verified organization, meaning we adhere to the strictest information security standards there are. You can rest assured that using us means you’ll get a quality VA to make the office run smoother while remaining HIPAA compliant. Solutions are tailored to your needs, so once a job description is created, we find the right VA to support your needs.