As healthcare practices strive to keep up with the ever-changing industry, two essential roles have emerged— clinical and virtual medical assistants. Both positions are critical for any course that wants to maximize efficiency and provide the highest quality care possible. Portiva's remote medical scribe is the perfect solution to help physicians save time and focus on delivering the best care for their patients. We’ll explore, in this article, the differences between clinical and virtual medical assistants.

We will also discover how each can bring value to healthcare practice. We’ll also discuss why it may be beneficial for practices to consider hiring a virtual medical assistant and give tips on finding the best candidate for the job. 

Differences between clinical and virtual medical assistants

A clinical medical assistant is a healthcare professional who provides clinical services such as taking vital signs, drawing blood, dispensing medications, and scheduling appointments. Clinical medical assistants are typically employed in hospitals and other clinical settings to help bridge the gap between medical providers and patients. They provide direct patient care and administrative support for clinical staff. 

On the other hand, virtual medical assistants (VMAs) provide clinical services from a remote location instead of working directly with patients. VMAs typically work remotely with practices using telemedicine technology or electronic health records (EHRs), which allow them to answer questions about diagnosis and treatment options. Virtual medical assistants can also provide educational resources for patients, schedule appointments, review lab results, and even manage clinical communications. 

Health advantages of using a virtual medical assistant practice

Hiring a virtual medical assistant can provide several benefits to any healthcare practice, which can help it run more efficiently. For starters, VMAs can be located anywhere in the world, so long as they have internet access. This makes it easier for practices to find qualified professionals without limiting their search locally. 

Virtual medical assistants are becoming increasingly popular in healthcare practices due to their flexibility and cost-effectiveness. Techniques can hire VMAs on a part-time or full-time basis, depending on their needs. VMAs also require minimal training and can often be hired more quickly than clinical medical assistants. 

Furthermore, virtual medical assistants have access to clinical resources from wherever they are working, allowing them to provide better patient care than if they had no clinical background. Finally, virtual medical assistants can give around-the-clock coverage for clinical questions and concerns that may arise after hours or during holidays or at weekends when clinical staff may not be available. 

Tips on how to find the best virtual medical assistant candidate

When looking for a virtual medical assistant, practices should consider the qualities they’re looking for in an employee. When selecting the right virtual medical assistant for your course, you should look for someone with experience in clinical procedures and administrative tasks. To locate the ideal personnel for your training, consider these vital components during interviews:

1) Strong communication skills

2) Highly organized and efficient

3) Possess excellent problem-solving skills

4) Understands HIPAA and other applicable regulations

5) Works independently

6) Collaborates remotely with other members of your team

7) Familiar with various telemedicine platforms and EHRs

8) Reliability

Determining if your practice needs a virtual medical assistant

Determining whether your practice needs a virtual medical assistant can be tricky, but a few key indicators can help you make the decision. First, ask yourself if you have clinical tasks that could be handled remotely or need additional clinical support. Virtual medical assistants can provide clinical services remotely, making them ideal for practices needing extra clinical assistance. 

In addition to clinical tasks, virtual medical assistants can also provide administrative support such as scheduling appointments, reviewing lab results, providing educational resources for patients, and managing clinical communications. If your practice needs more time and resources, hiring a virtual medical assistant may be the perfect solution to help address some of these administrative tasks. 

Consider the amount of money your practice would save by hiring a virtual medical assistant instead of a clinical one. The cost-effectiveness of VMAs makes them an attractive option for smaller practices with limited budgets. Furthermore, the ability to hire VMAs on either a total- or part-time basis, depending on your needs, can further reduce costs while allowing you to scale up or down depending on changing conditions. 

Finally, when looking for the right virtual medical assistant for your practice, it’s essential to consider their skills and qualifications, communication style, and ability to collaborate remotely with other team members. It’s critical to find someone highly organized and efficient to ensure smooth clinical operations across clinical and administrative tasks. Additionally, look for someone who understands HIPAA regulations and various telemedicine platforms/EHRs so they can easily transition into their role once they’re hired.

In conclusion

Hiring a virtual medical assistant is beneficial for many healthcare practices due to their cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and ability to handle both clinical and administrative duties from anywhere in the world with internet access. Portiva billing medical provides an efficient and secure platform for processing these claims, focusing on customer service and meeting the needs of our clients. When looking for the best candidate for the job, consider their experience in both clinical procedures and administrative tasks, as well as their communication skills and ability to collaborate remotely with others, before offering them the job.

Clinical and virtual medical assistants are two essential roles that any healthcare practice should consider incorporating into their operations to maximize efficiency and provide the highest quality care possible. Clinical medical assistants bring direct patient care expertise, while virtual medical assistants bring more flexibility with reduced overhead costs— making them an invaluable resource for any organization looking to stay ahead of the curve in an ever-changing industry landscape.

When looking for a VMA, practices should keep in mind the qualities they’re seeking in an employee, such as experience, qualifications, communication skills, technical proficiency and reliability. With careful consideration of the candidate pool, any practice can find the perfect virtual medical assistant to help them reach their goals.