Virtual Medical Scribes: Everything You Need to Know

What Is a Virtual Medical Scribe?

A virtual medical scribe is a trained individual who works remotely to keep track and take note of what happens during or after patient visits. It is also sometimes referred to as a digital medical scribe and often functions as an AI-powered assistant to help streamline note-taking and record-keeping.

Generally, virtual medical scribes keep electronic health records (EHRs), pre-chart notes, and other documents up to date by transcribing what they hear in real time. Clinicians can spend more time with their patients because virtual medical scribes oversee the documentation.

This article will explain what virtual medical scribes do and how they are different from onsite medical scribes and digital medical scribes. Additionally, we will discuss how much they cost and how to choose the best approach to medical scribing for your practice.

How Does a Virtual Scribe Work?

Virtual scribes usually work by listening to patient encounters, often via live video conferencing or secure audio recordings, and organize dialogue into clinical notes. This means clinicians won't have to chart as much after hours, which gives them more time during the day. 

Most virtual scribes work behind the scenes, formatting notes correctly and preparing them for review. Below is a typical sequence of how a virtual scribe works in practice:

Step 1: Listen to the Consultation

First, a virtual scribe either joins the meeting from afar or watches a recording. They listen and write down important details based on the clinical information they need to complete patient records correctly.

Step 2: Organize the Notes

Next, they organize all the information so that it is readily compatible with any EHR system. This means that virtual medical scribes fill out templates ahead of time and make sure that records are structured in a way that makes sense to clinicians.

Step 3: Upload the Documentation

Once virtual medical scribes finalize the notes, they can either be uploaded or added directly to the EHR. In many setups, clinicians can review and approve notes before they are submitted. Ultimately, clinicians retain authority over documentation and need to verify that it accurately reflects the crucial details of the consultation.

Step 4: Prepare the Follow-Up Details

In some instances, virtual scribes also write up draft orders, follow-up instructions, or charting plans for the succeeding visits. This helps ensure that medical records are ready for post-documentation processes, like billing and coding.

While human virtual scribes handle these tasks manually, an AI scribe like Heidi follows the same workflow but automates the most time-consuming parts. It listens, structures, and formats notes in real time, so clinicians get the same organized, ready-to-use records—only faster, more consistently, and without the need for full-time staffing.

What Is the Average Virtual Medical Scribe Cost?

The average monthly rate of a virtual scribe in the United States normally costs between $2,800-$3,300, while the estimated amount is around £2,105 in the United Kingdom and $6,728 in Australia. It essentially depends on the location, experience, and specific needs of your clinical setting.

For example, in hospitals with a large volume of patients, even small differences in the cost of each visit can add up to big savings in a year. While in private practices or specialty clinics, the right scribing solution can help with administrative tasks without paying for more full-time staff.

AI-powered tools like Heidi deliver the same benefits as a full-time scribe at a lower cost, making them a practical option for many types of clinicians. Our AI medical scribe cost comparison outlines typical pricing for different scribe setups.

Are Virtual Scribes Worth It?

Yes, virtual scribes are a good investment for medical practitioners who want to ensure that their notes are accurate and within the context without taking time away from seeing their patients. Human scribes listen in real time and adjust to each clinician's style. This allows them to capture the context and other details, which are especially helpful for complicated or sensitive cases.

According to the research from the National Library of Medicine, AI-powered scribes can help reduce burnout, improve patient flow, and make clinic operations run smoothly. By automating transcription and structuring notes while keeping clinicians in full control, Heidi Health’s AI medical scribe helps make these benefits even more accessible, scalable, and budget‑friendly for today’s practices.

For example, Dr. Tommy Gerschman says that using Heidi changed the way he worked by making him less stressed at the end of the day, making his interactions with patients better, and even "saving thinking time." Our AI scribe allows clinicians like Dr. Tommy to keep track of patients better and makes it easier to document care in a way that fits into daily lives.

How to Choose the Best Virtual Medical Scribe Setup

The best virtual scribe will depend on a number of things, such as your specialty, how you work, and what you need to do to stay compliant.  Small private clinics might put more emphasis on being affordable and flexible, while large hospital departments might put more emphasis on being able to grow and allow multiple access to users.  

You can choose a virtual scribe model that balances accuracy, efficiency, and cost by learning about the main types and how they work in different practice settings. 

Virtual Human Scribe

A virtual human scribe provides high‑touch documentation support. They listen to consultations and create accurate, context‑rich notes, often adapting to each clinician’s style and specialty. This makes them especially valuable for complex cases where nuance matters. 

While human scribes deliver a more personalized experience, they can also come with higher ongoing costs and may be less scalable for growing practices. In particular, full-time human medical scribes can be a significant ongoing expense for clinics that see many patients, even though they provide highly personalized documentation.

Digital AI Scribe

According to the American Medical Association, AI scribes have already saved more than 15,000 hours of documentation time across various health systems, time that clinicians give back to patient care. Heidi is a digital AI scribe that transforms spoken information from patient visits into accurate and structured notes that fit seamlessly into your workflow.

Clinicians check and finish every note to make sure it is up to standard and adheres to their preferences. Heidi's efficiency makes it perfect for busy or resource-conscious practices that want to spend more time with patients without sacrificing the quality of their paperwork.

Flat subscription rates are common starting prices for AI-powered solutions. Practices can use Heidi to test and scale AI documentation without long-term commitments because it offers a free-forever plan with optional upgrades. See pricing.

Human‑AI Approach

The hybrid scribing approach delivers the best of both worlds. The efficiency of AI, coupled with the peace of mind that comes from human oversight, is unparalleled in workflow optimization. Heidi’s platform can easily integrate into these setups, allowing teams to keep a layer of manual review while reducing the total cost compared to fully human teams.

For many clinicians, the return on investment comes from spending less time on admin work and charting after hours and more time with patients. With larger hospitals and clinics, more clinical staff services can be provided by moving money around in the budget.

The best choice when looking at the costs of AI, human, and hybrid scribes is the one that strikes the right balance between accuracy, speed, and cost.

While Heidi works as a digital AI scribe, it can fit seamlessly into a hybrid approach, where clinicians retain full authority over every note and Heidi streamlines the process behind the scenes. This model turns documentation support into a seamless part of your workflow, not just another expense.

AI-powered workflows improve the experience of virtual human scribes. However, with the rapidly evolving innovation in healthcare, adopting a hybrid scribe solution enables providers to handle larger patient volumes without losing resources. This is why clinicians opt for Heidi, as they can keep accurate records without having to do more paperwork, and they can spend more time with patients.

Reclaim Your Time with Heidi AI Scribe

Heidi is free for all clinicians, with a free-forever plan that includes core features and optional upgrades for advanced functionality. It safely handles EHR documentation in the background, which helps doctors save hours of work each week while still being able to oversee all of their notes.

Getting started is simple:

1. Sign up for a free account and start using unlimited AI transcription right away.
2. Look into features like templates that you can customize, access from multiple platforms, and options for integration.
3. You can keep Heidi in your workflow as long as you need to. There is no minimum time commitment or credit cards needed.

Trusted with over two million consultations each week, Heidi meets global security and privacy standards, including HIPAA, PIPEDA, GDPR, APP, and other compliance requirements. Patient data stays secure and localized to meet regional requirements, so you can focus on patient care without compromising safety.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Virtual Medical Scribes

What is the main difference between a virtual scribe and an AI scribe?

A virtual scribe is generally understood as a human scribe working from remote locations, while an AI scribe is a tool that clinicians can use to streamline documentation at a fraction of the cost. An AI scribe uses automation to handle transcription and note‑drafting, while human scribes provide more nuanced contextual understanding. The power of combining both human expertise and artificial intelligence efficiency, exemplified by Heidi, makes documentation easier without losing note quality.

Are virtual physician scribes in demand? 

Yes. Virtual physician scribes have long supported the documentation process, keeping patient records accurate and up to date. But with burnout rates climbing as doctors spend more hours on administrative work, AI-powered solutions like Heidi are gaining traction. Heidi’s AI medical scribe speeds up documentation without sacrificing clinical accuracy, helping clinicians reduce admin load and lower the risk of burnout.

Can digital medical scribes use AI?

Yes. Digital medical scribes can utilize AI to function with higher efficiency. Artificial intelligence allows them to save time by offering features like real‑time transcription and template customization to streamline documentation.