The Growth of Telehealth and Its Documentation Implications
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated telehealth adoption by a decade. What began as an emergency measure has become a permanent feature of medical practice. But telehealth has created new documentation challenges — physicians conducting video visits are simultaneously managing the technology, engaging with the patient, and trying to document the encounter.
How Virtual Scribes Join Telehealth Visits
Virtual scribes can join telehealth visits as a third participant on the video call with patient consent, monitor the audio of the telehealth visit without appearing on the patient's screen, or review a recording of the telehealth visit where permitted and document the note after the visit.
Telehealth Documentation Requirements
Telehealth visits have specific documentation requirements: modality documentation specifying audio-video or audio-only, patient location at the time of the visit for billing purposes, patient consent for telehealth, and technology assessment confirming audio and video quality were adequate for the clinical assessment.
The Hybrid Practice Model
Many physicians now operate hybrid practices — seeing some patients in person and others via telehealth. A virtual scribe who can document both in-person and telehealth visits provides seamless support across the entire practice, without requiring the physician to manage different documentation workflows for different visit types.