Staffing shortages: Time to consider a virtual assistant

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In American health care, we are facing declining reimbursements and rising overhead costs. Health care providers are tasked with balancing efficient care delivery while managing an overwhelming amount of paperwork, combating staff burnout, and seeing many doctors retire early. A promising staffing solution—virtual assistants (VAs)—can help medical practices of all sizes and locations address these challenges. This article explores how VAs can revolutionize health care delivery and provide practical advice on how to implement them effectively.

Since the pandemic, health care workers have been leaving the profession in record numbers, and fewer employees are willing to take their place. As a result, staffing shortages are impacting patient care, straining doctors, nurses, technicians, and other essential staff.

Contributing factors to staffing shortages

Several factors contribute to the current shortage of medical staff:

1. Population growth and aging
   As the population ages, there is an increasing demand for health care services. Older adults, often with multiple chronic conditions, require more time and attention, reducing the time available for other patients and impacting care quality.
2. Increased complexity of health care
   Advances in medical technology, combined with an aging population, have made health care more complex, requiring a larger, more specialized workforce to meet patient needs effectively.
3. Educational and training bottlenecks
   Health care professionals undergo long and rigorous education and training. Limited enrollment in medical schools, nursing programs, and other training institutions exacerbate workforce shortages.
4. Burnout and job dissatisfaction
   High stress, long hours, and challenging work environments contribute to burnout. Nearly 50% of health care providers experience burnout, leading to higher attrition rates and worsening staffing shortages.
5. Global health crises
   Events like the COVID-19 pandemic place immense strain on health care systems, leading to acute staff shortages. Many workers, burned out by the crisis, have not returned to practice.
6. Regulatory and immigration policies
   Stringent immigration and regulatory policies limit the ability to recruit international health care professionals, further deepening staffing shortages in some regions.
7. Economic factors
   Financial constraints, including budget cuts and funding limitations, make it difficult for medical practices to hire the staff they need, leading to a reduction in available positions.

The role of virtual assistants

To help alleviate these challenges, hiring a virtual assistant (VA) can significantly reduce the administrative burden on health care practices. VAs can handle a wide range of tasks, such as:

• Scheduling appointments
• Managing patient records
• Handling insurance issues
• Responding to patient calls

By offloading these administrative tasks, VAs free up staff to focus on patient care, improving practice efficiency and patient satisfaction.

Current challenges in health care

• Appointment overload: As demand for health care services increases, appointments become harder to manage. Medical staff can become overwhelmed trying to keep up with scheduling, leading to errors.
• Patient satisfaction: Longer wait times and scheduling issues often lead to decreased patient satisfaction, with patients becoming frustrated by delays and lack of communication.
• Staff burnout: Health care professionals are already stretched thin, and the additional workload caused by staff shortages only increases stress, contributing to burnout.
• Scheduling errors: In the rush to manage a hectic schedule, errors often occur:
  • Double-booking patients
  • Incorrect data entry
  • Missed insurance verifications
  • Failure to secure prior authorization

These issues can confuse patients, doctors, and administrative staff alike.

How a virtual assistant can help

A well-trained VA can manage the administrative workload, improving practice efficiency and patient care. Here are some key benefits:

• Appointment scheduling: VAs can handle scheduling tasks, ensuring no double-bookings or errors. Patients can schedule, reschedule, or cancel appointments without leaving messages, which reduces missed calls and the front desk's workload.
• Patient follow-up: VAs can send follow-up emails, schedule recall appointments, and even assist with social media and reputation management, ensuring continuous patient engagement.
• Administrative support: A VA can assist with medical transcription, faxing, insurance verification, and other administrative tasks, streamlining office operations.
• Cost savings: Hiring a VA is often more cost-effective than hiring additional in-office staff, allowing practices to maintain or improve service quality while reducing overhead costs.
• Improved patient experience: With shorter hold times, quicker access to information, and more accurate appointment scheduling, patient satisfaction increases. A VA can help reduce wait times, improving the overall patient experience.

How to hire a virtual assistant

When hiring a VA for your medical practice, consider the following steps:

1. Define tasks and responsibilities
   Clearly outline the tasks you want the VA to handle, such as appointment scheduling, answering phone calls, managing emails, and updating patient records.
2. Medical knowledge and training
   Ideally, hire a VA with a health care or medical administration background. Familiarity with medical terminology and practice workflows ensures a smoother integration into your team.
3. HIPAA compliance
   Ensure that the VA understands and complies with HIPAA regulations to protect patient confidentiality and meet legal requirements.
4. Technology proficiency
   The VA should be comfortable with the technology used in your practice, including electronic health record (EHR) systems, appointment scheduling software, and telehealth platforms.
5. Communication skills
   Effective communication is critical in health care. The VA should have strong written and verbal communication skills for interacting with patients, colleagues, and referring physicians.
6. Availability and time zone considerations
   A VA doesn't need to be local to your practice. Consider the VA's availability based on your practice’s hours, and whether they need to speak multiple languages to accommodate your patient base.
7. Trial period
   Start with a trial period to assess the VA's performance and ensure they are a good fit for your practice. This allows for adjustments before committing long-term.
8. Remote work setup
   Make sure the VA has a secure and private workspace to handle sensitive medical information. Discuss technical requirements such as internet speed and necessary software tools.
9. Training and onboarding
   Provide training to familiarize the VA with your practice's policies, procedures, and workflows. Ongoing support and regular check-ins can ensure continued success.
10. Virtual attendance
    If your practice holds regular staff meetings, invite the VA to participate virtually. This helps integrate them into the team, even if they are not physically in the office.

Bottom Line: A virtual assistant can ease health care staffing challenges. Health care is facing a critical shortage of medical staff. Virtual assistants present a viable solution by taking over administrative tasks, allowing in-office staff to focus on patient care. While telemedicine has already shown that we can provide health care remotely, VAs offer an additional layer of support, handling key administrative functions without the need to be physically present in the office. This can relieve pressure on your existing staff, reduce burnout, and improve patient satisfaction, ultimately enhancing the overall quality of care.

While we don’t yet have data on how VAs might reduce no-show rates, the increased efficiency they bring could help practices mitigate some of the logistical challenges that contribute to missed appointments. In conclusion, a VA offers a cost-effective and practical solution to the staffing shortages facing health care today.

Neil Baum, MD, a Professor of Clinical Urology at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. Dr. Baum is the author of several books, including the best-selling book, Marketing Your Medical Practice-Ethically, Effectively, and Economically, which has sold over 225,000 copies and has been translated into Spanish.