Top 6 Tasks Handled by a Virtual Assistant in a Medical Practice

Did you know that the global market for virtual medical assistant services is set to grow at a high CAGR of 33.24% between 2024 and 2032? It is expected to reach USD 12.99 billion in 2032 from USD 1.03 billion in 2023. In 2024, healthcare providers were already the primary end-users, accounting for 48.9% revenue share in the market. All these figures show the booming demand for virtual assistants in medical billing. 

But why are VMAs so much in demand? That is because they can optimize the entire front desk department of healthcare providers starting from patient registration to accurate billing. Since medical billing is an intricate process and prone to mistakes if not handled carefully, expert VAs can help improve this process significantly through correct data entry and by being detail-oriented. They can also boost patient satisfaction and retention by offering personalized assistance through the various steps of physician visits. 

That being said, let us deep-dive into the 6 key tasks managed by virtual assistants for medical practices. 

 

1. Appointment Scheduling 

The primary task of a virtual medical assistant is to schedule appointments with patients on behalf of your practice. In 2024, only 12% of healthcare providers used VAs to perform tasks like scheduling appointments and handling patients. By 2028, this is projected to reach USD 2.5 billion. Why? Because a VA performs these crucial functions in this role: 

• Appointment Booking: The assistant can assist a patient in booking an appointment with the physician online. So, patients don’t have to visit the clinic in person which helps save their time and effort.  

• Reminders and Notifications: A VA sends automated reminders to patients through app notifications, SMS or email. This eliminates their hassle of remembering dates and reduces no-shows! 

• Rescheduling and Cancellations: When patients need to reschedule or cancel an appointment, they can simply inform the medical virtual assistant, who, in turn, updates these changes in the physician’s calendar. 

• Storing Patient’s Preferences: A VA can save patient preferences for appointment times, communication methods and preferred doctors. This personalizes the scheduling process. 

 

2. Handle Inbound and Outbound Calls 

Virtual medical assistants manage both inbound calls from patients and outbound calls from the physician’s office. Here are the key roles they play when handling these calls: 

Inbound Calls: 

• Call Routing: Directs calls to the suitable personnel or department based on the caller’s needs. 

• Appointment Scheduling: Helps patients with booking, rescheduling, or canceling appointments over calls. 

• Patient Information: Retrieves patient records and updates them during the call to make sure that accurate information is available. 

• Handling Emergencies: Identifies urgent calls and prioritizes them for prompt attention. 

Outbound Calls: 

• Appointment Reminders: Call patients to remind them of forthcoming appointments. 

• Follow-Up Calls: Contact patients after appointment to remind them of follow-up visits and check on their recovery. 

• Prescription Refills: Notify patients when it is time to renew their medications. 

• Health Campaigns: Call patients for wellness checks, vaccination reminders, and health awareness campaigns.  

• Feedback Collection: Contact patients to collect feedback on their experience and improve the quality of services. 

 

3. Patient Coordination and Support 

Medical virtual assistants play a major role in improving patient support and coordination by handling different operational and administrative tasks. 

Patient Coordination: 

• Appointment Management: Coordinates with patients to schedule, reschedule, or cancel appointments to ensure optimal use of the physician’s time and minimize disputes.  

• Care Coordination: Coordinates between different healthcare providers to facilitate seamless care and communication.  

• Referral Management: Manages referrals to specialists to help patients get proper and timely care. 

• Follow-Up Scheduling: Schedules follow-up appointments and sends reminders to patients to attend them.  

Patient Support: 

• 24/7 Availability: Offers round-the-clock support for patient inquiries, lowering the administrative burden of providers.  

• Health Education: Provides information on health conditions, preventive care, and treatments and encourages patients to make informed decisions. 

• Medication Reminders: Reminds patients to take their medications per their prescriptions.   

• Emotional Support: Offers empathetic support to patients who have mental health conditions or chronic disorders. 

 

4. Front Desk Assistance 

A virtual assistant helps a medical practice with front desk work to enhance patient experience and operational efficiency. Here are the main ways in which they offer front desk assistance: 

1. Appointment Scheduling: Keeps the physician’s calendar updated by managing appointment bookings, cancellations, and rescheduling. 
2. Insurance Verification: To streamline medical billing, virtual assistants verify patient insurance information before appointments.  
3. Patient Registration: Collects accurate patient details for registration and updates them to maintain correct records.  
4. Billing and Payments: Handles billing inquiries, processes payments, and sends receipts.  
5. Information Dissemination: Provides any required information to patients about their visit, for instance, preparation instructions, directions, and post-visit care.  
6. Queue Management: Manages patient flow, updating patients about any delays and keeping track of waiting times.  
7. Communication: Manages all forms of communication, such as answering emails and phone calls to ensure timely responses to patient queries.  

 

5. Concierge Service 

Medical virtual assistants offer concierge services by extending comprehensive and personalized support to both physicians and patients. Here are the chief ways in which they do this: 

1. Appointment Management: VMAs help patients have a seamless experience by handling scheduling and rescheduling of appointments.  
2. Patient Communication: They manage patient reminders, follow-ups and inquiries through multiple communication channels, boosting patient satisfaction and engagement.  
3. Telehealth Support: Virtual assistants for telehealth medical practices set up virtual consultations and make sure that both providers and patients have a hassle-free telehealth experience. 
4. Medical Documentation: The assistants carry out timely and error-free medical documentation, including scribing during physician consultations. This helps providers focus better on patient care. 
5. Billing Tasks: They input billing information to process payments of rendered services and maintain a smooth financial workflow.   
6. Chronic Care Management: Virtual assistants support medical practices for chronic care management by coordinating care plans, tracking patient health data, and making sure that patients follow their treatment regimens.  
7. Administrative Tasks: They simplify operations by handling various administrative tasks like updating patient records, managing emails, and coordinating with other healthcare providers.  

 

6. Data Entry and Management 

Virtual assistants are also trained to perform data entry and management efficiently, making sure that practices can pay better attention to patient care. They manage these tasks in these key ways:   

1. Electronic Health Records (EHR) Management: Virtual medical assistants are adept in using different EHR systems like Cerner, AthenaHealth, and eClinicalWorks. They update patient records so that all details are correct and up-to-date and accessible during the appointment. 
2. Medical Documentation: VMAs help with medical documentation by maintaining accurate and detailed medical records, recording patient visits, and transcribing dictations. 
3. Data Entry: They perform data entry tasks like entering patient medical history, insurance details, and demographics into the healthcare provider’s system. 
4. Compliance and Security: Medical virtual assistants make sure that all data management tasks are in compliance with HIPAA standards and maintain the security and confidentiality of patient information. 
5. Billing and Coding: VMAs enter medical codes and billing details accurately to facilitate efficient processing of claims.  
6. Patient Data Management: They manage and organize patient data so that it is easily accessible to medical providers. This includes updating records with new data from laboratory results, patient visits, and other medical reports.  

 

Virtual assistants have helped medical practices reduce the use of paper by around 18% in 2024! Time to reap all these benefits by outsourcing medical virtual assistant services to a reputed medical billing company like RCM Workshop. We have a dedicated team of VAs trained to support various medical practices. They have excellent communication and language skills, rich knowledge in revenue cycle management, proficiency in practice management systems and computer operations, and comprehensive knowledge on HIPAA and healthcare compliance. These benefits can make sure that all your front desk and billing operations are optimized efficiently. The VAs can also strengthen your relationship with your patients by ensuring them a satisfactory experience. Accelerate your practice’s growth by partnering with expert virtual medical assistants!