A resident of Tampa, Florida, Ashok “Ash” Bagdy serves as the vice president of outsourcing services of the US office of Cameo Corporate Services Limited, a business process outsourcing firm headquartered in India. Ashok Bagdy heads the company’s healthcare outsourcing division, which has begun offering virtual scribing services to physicians, clinics, and hospitals. Virtual scribing provides a remote option for medical scribing, a process that involves documenting patient visits and entering healthcare professionals’ notes into electronic medical records (EMRs) and electronic health records (EHRs). While traditional medical scribes join providers in the exam room in person, virtual scribes listen in from a different location via phone or video conferencing. The provider communicates electronically with the scribe, who uses screen-sharing technology with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance to navigate EMRs, update patient records, and perform other clerical tasks.

1. A Review of Virtual Medical Scribing and Some of Its
Benefits
Ashok Bagdy

2. Introduction
A resident of Tampa, Florida, Ashok “Ash” Bagdy serves as the vice president of
outsourcing services of the US office of Cameo Corporate Services Limited, a business
process outsourcing firm headquartered in India. Ashok Bagdy heads the company’s
healthcare outsourcing division, which has begun offering virtual scribing services to
physicians, clinics, and hospitals.

3. Virtual scribing provides a remote option for medical scribing, a process that
involves documenting patient visits and entering healthcare professionals’ notes
into electronic medical records (EMRs) and electronic health records (EHRs). While
traditional medical scribes join providers in the exam room in person, virtual
scribes listen in from a different location via phone or video conferencing. The
provider communicates electronically with the scribe, who uses screen-sharing
technology with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
compliance to navigate EMRs, update patient records, and perform other clerical
tasks.

4. Virtual scribes help healthcare centers and professionals address common problems
with physical scribes, such as turnover and the subsequent time consumed by
onboarding and training. Incorporating a medical scribe into the workflow and
teaching them to use EMRs is a lengthy process, and many on-site scribes
eventually leave to pursue careers in nursing or medicine. In contrast, virtual
scribes receive EMR and EHR training from the scribe company through which they
work. They also often operate as a team to avoid service disruption to physicians
and hospitals.

5. Moreover, virtual scribes can improve the patient experience through increased
privacy and fewer distractions. Some people feel uncomfortable with a third-party
physically in the exam room, and they might refrain from voicing all of their concerns
as a result. However, honesty and full disclosure is crucial for providers to make
accurate diagnoses and to facilitate better patient outcomes. A virtual scribe can help
such individuals to feel more at ease, although providers still need to inform patients
of their presence.