Hiring a Medical Office Assistant or Virtual Medical Office Assistant? Which is Better for Your Healthcare Organization?

In today’s digital age, healthcare organizations are increasingly looking for efficient ways to manage patient data and streamline office processes. This has led many organizations to embrace the concept of hiring virtual medical office assistants instead of traditional office assistants to perform a variety of duties. However, you may be wondering which option is better for you. In this blog post, we’ll explore the difference between hiring a medical office assistant and virtual medical office assistant in Canada and help you make an informed decision.

1. Increased efficiency

The quality of work provided by in-office and virtual medical office assistants is different. In-office assistants are physically present, so they can carry out hands-on tasks, which require physical interactions. A virtual medical office assistant may not be available to do some tasks such as handling equipment or sorting physical documents. However, virtual office assistants typically have more specialized skills and are trained to work on virtual platforms which means they can work on software, online research, and other computer-based administrative tasks.

2. Training and Retention

In-office assistants may need more training than virtual medical office assistants. It can be costly to train an in-office assistant if you don’t have the experience, time, or resources to train them. In contrast, virtual medical office assistants already have experience working remotely and working in virtual environments, so they usually don’t require as much training and help you save money on training costs. Furthermore, with virtual medical office assistants, you don’t need to be concerned about issues such as office politics, differential treatment, or miscommunications.

3. Cost-effective

One of the most significant advantages of hiring virtual medical office assistants is that it can save your healthcare organization a considerable amount of money. You do not need to pay for the traditional employee benefits, training, and equipment expenses that come with an in-office employee. Furthermore, virtual medical office assistants generally work on an hourly basis, so you only pay for the hours that they work.

4. Flexibility

Medical office assistants are typically employed in a full-time role, whereas virtual medical office assistants have flexible working arrangements. Virtual medical office assistants can work part-time, full-time, or on a project-by-project basis, depending on your organization’s needs. Moreover, they also work remotely, so you don’t need to provide them with permanent office space or be concerned about scheduling changes.

5. Scalability

Finally, scalability can be a major factor in choosing the right assistant type. If your organizational requirements change, you can scale up or down the number of virtual medical office assistants by quickly adding or subtracting them from your team. This is much more challenging with traditional assistants, and you are more likely to be stuck with “dead weight” on the payroll when the business slows down.

Hire a Virtual Medical Office Assistant in Canada

Virtual medical office assistants, and in-office assistants have their benefits and downsides. Your choice depends on what is best for your healthcare organization goals and needs. Some organizations need a high-level specialist who can handle virtual medical administrative tasks, while others need someone who can undertake hands-on procedures like processing insurance claims and preparing patient information at the office. Ensuring to weigh your decision carefully will go a long way to help you make an informed choice that will work for your organization. Whatever your needs, there is always an assistant type that can get the job done, the right way.