In the healthcare industry, you may have read countless pitches claiming you can “save 15 hours with this one tool,” and yet most physicians neglect to adopt any of them. Of course, there are some good, honest reasons why doctors are hesitant, from vendor noise and HIPAA concerns to workflow inertia and the inconsistencies of marketing claims vs. practice reality.
Meanwhile, the administrative burden for doctors is only worsening. One general practitioner stated on Sermo, “The 1:2 ratio of clinical care to administrative work is essentially an ‘efficiency tax’ that most of us can no longer afford to pay.” Another physician on Sermo mentioned, “Modern medicine has become overloaded with administrative work, pushing many physicians toward burnout. Healthcare Virtual Assistants may not solve every structural problem, but they can give doctors something increasingly rare: time to focus on patients instead of paperwork.”
Despite this burden and the advantages of virtual assistants, many physicians are still reluctant to use them, as revealed in a Sermo poll asking physicians about their experience with healthcare virtual assistants, or HVAs. 26% of participants said that they are “interested but have concerns that prevent me from starting,” and another 26% stated that they have “no interest in using virtual staff.” Compare that to just 19% who said that they are actively using a virtual assistant and 20% who are currently researching a solution.
This article will explore what the evidence and your peers actually report. Read on to learn more about how a healthcare virtual assistant could benefit your practice.
What is a healthcare virtual assistant?
A healthcare VA for physicians can come in the form of human virtual medical assistants, who typically comprise HIPAA-trained domestic or international remote workers. They’re also available in the form of AI-powered tools, like a virtual receptionist, chatbot, or AI scribe for physicians.
Some tasks these HVAs can complete include:
- Documentation
- Scheduling
- Billing support
- Prior authorization
- EHR data entry
- Patient communication
- Referral coordination
However, most physicians use a blend of both, with one urologist on Sermo saying, “Privacy, EHR access, and workflow integration are still real concerns. AI will help more with documentation, but human support staff are still important.”
According to a Sermo survey, around 20% of physicians currently use an AI or virtual scribe, with adoption becoming more common.
7 benefits of healthcare virtual assistants for doctors
The following are the main advantages of using a HIPAA virtual assistant as one of your main medical practice efficiency tools:
1. They can give you back several hours per week
Ultimately, a virtual assistant for doctors can save you a lot of time by relieving physician administrative burden.
A Sermo poll revealed that 40% of doctors believed they’d save 5-10 hours by employing a HVA. 26% believed they’d save less than 5, while 13% thought they’d cut 10 to 20 hours. While some physicians may be skeptical, a JAMA study found that consistent AI scribe users experienced daily reductions of 13 minutes in total EHR time and 16 minutes in documentation time — time savings that can compound meaningfully across a full clinic week.
Additionally, according to our Sermo poll, 38% of physicians believe that while using a VA hasn’t necessarily increased revenue, it has significantly reduced the amount of time spent on administrative tasks.
One intensive care resident on Sermo also mentioned, “If an HVA, a live remote scribe, or an AI tool can buy back two hours of your day, reduce your cognitive load, and actually let you leave the hospital on time to see your family, the return on investment is incalculable.”
2. They can directly reduce burnout
According to a Sermo poll, 66% of physicians believe that AI can significantly reduce administrative burden, which is the foremost cause of burnout next to daunting clinical workloads. Numerous industry studies document virtual assistant burnout reduction as a core benefit.
One such study published in JAMA found that after 30 days of using an ambient AI scribe, the proportion of physicians reporting burnout decreased by 13.1 percentage points (from 51.9% to 38.8%), with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.26 — indicating significantly lower burnout odds. Another Providence study published in the Future Healthcare Journal found that physicians using an AI documentation assistant reported a 30.3% decrease in burnout and a 51.7% reduction in self-reported documentation time.
One ophthalmologist and Sermo member had this to say about the need for automation to avoid burnout: “Administrative burden has become a poison for the profession, turning doctors into luxury secretaries at the expense of pure care. When we spend twice as much time on a screen as in front of the patient, delegating coding and reminders becomes a matter of mental survival.”
3. They can cost far less than in-house staff
Virtual assistant cost savings for physician practice owners can result from reducing the overhead of hiring in-house staff.
Industry data shows that the fully loaded cost of a full-time in-house administrative employee — factoring in salary, payroll taxes, benefits, PTO, software, equipment, and office space — typically ranges from $80,000 to $100,000 annually. Meanwhile, a HVA can cost under half that amount without compromising operational integrity.
This calculation means that smaller medical groups and solo practices can save as much as up to 80% for each support position per year.
4. They can handle the tasks that drain your energy the most
As a Sermo poll concluded, virtual assistants can take over many of the repetitive, time-intensive tasks that contribute most to physician fatigue. For example, when asked which “high-value” tasks virtual assistants helped with the most, only 6% of Sermo members stated referral management, while 15% said scheduling and billing, and 19% voted inbox triage (e.g., basic patient messaging).
Other time-intensive tasks VAs can handle on your behalf include prior authorization, refill requests, and routine documentation.
However, as one Sermo member argued, “A well-trained virtual assistant can significantly reduce inbox overload, documentation fatigue, and scheduling inefficiencies, but practices still need clear protocols, good communication, and strong attention to data security and HIPAA compliance.”
5. They can let you focus on patients again
Our Sermo survey found that 46% of physicians perceive being able to spend more time with patients as the main benefit of AI administrative tools.
Sermo polls have also concluded that more free time to spend with patients is the biggest advantage physicians want to see from virtual assistants and AI tools. One poll saw 12% of physicians reporting that a VA has enabled them to see two to three more patients per day.
An anesthesiology and intensive care specialist stated in the Sermo community, “New AI tools that save us hours which we can spend with our patients instead are quite interesting!”
6. They can scale up and down with your practice
Virtual assistants can scale with your operations, unlike an in-house hire.
A reliable VA will be able to cover holiday weeks, seasonal surges, and partner vacations, eliminating the need for permanent employees. Additionally, you’ll have the chance to offer expanded telemedicine capabilities and establish new practice locations without buildouts.
This benefit is particularly helpful for small groups and solo practices requiring a highly flexible solution.
7. They can catch the after-hours work that most practices miss
One report found that 11% of patient calls occur outside business hours—calls that many practices miss entirely or wind up going to voicemail. Human VAs working longer hours or AI-powered solutions operating 24/7 can catch these calls.
An effective solution will be able to not only take appointment requests but also answer urgent questions and maintain consistent patient communication at all hours.
This benefit is especially helpful for driving revenue growth, not just focusing on virtual assistant cost savings for physicians.
The top healthcare virtual assistants for physicians in 2026
The best healthcare virtual assistants for physicians include either human VAs, AI scribes, or hybrids combining both models. Some of the top brands available include AI tools like Abridge and human platforms such as Hello Rache.
The below list is a starter to help you find the right tool, not an endorsement of any particular one. Instead, we encourage you to select a tool based on factors like your practice size and specialty, EHR needs, and the specific administrative tasks you need to simplify most. Before you go with any solution, always do thorough research to inform your decision.
AI ambient scribes for real-time documentation
An AI scribe for physicians can help automate documentation tasks. Some Sermo members have talked about how they enjoy using these tools, such as a family medicine practitioner who stated on Sermo, “I have been using the virtual scribe which I like overall, and I will look into virtual assistance now too.”
Some examples include:
- Abridge: This solution offers hospital-centric AI documentation with Epic embedding, and it’s a popular tool for both academic centers and large health systems, complete with an intuitive interface for ease of use.
- Microsoft Dragon Copilot: Another option for large systems is this enterprise ambient AI solution, which is well-established and suitable for practices using Microsoft and Nuance workflows.
- Freed: Also for smaller practices, this direct-to-physician AI scribe features coding support along with EHR push and note generation.
- Glass Health: This tool is great for combining documentation with clinical reasoning through ambient note generation, assessments, and diagnostics.
Human virtual medical assistants for remote staff
While AI might be suitable for many applications, human virtual assistants are often a better choice for communication and other tasks requiring that human touch.
One pediatrics and adolescent medicine practitioner had this to offer on Sermo, “I prefer having a receptionist who is the ‘face’ of the practice, provides ‘warmth’ to the patients, and a million little things that a computer doesn’t.”
Examples of HVAs include:
- Hello Rache: This is a Philippine-based HVA agency staffed by allied health graduates who complete HIPAA training and certification, available at a flat hourly rate
- MEDVA: Physician-founded hybrid solution MEDVA uses humans equipped with AI-enabled tools to offer receptionist, billing, scribing, and patient monitoring services.
- Portiva: Virtual scribes provide real-time documentation and patient appointment joining within the EHR.
Hybrid AI and human models
Sometimes a blend of human and AI is best, such as:
- ScribeRyteAI: Offers AI optimization with human validation for proper oversight with the efficiency of AI.
- Care VMA Health: Physicians in need of Spanish-speaking VAs will like this solution, which has VAs trained to work with AI tools and in big EHRs like Athena and Epic.
Keep in mind that these solutions may offer a free trial or pilot, and if so, you shouldn’t commit to any long-term contract before trying it out. Checking out Sermo peer recommendations can also help you make the right choice based on personal experience among physicians in your field.
What to watch out for before acquiring a virtual healthcare assistant
There are numerous things to look for in a medical virtual assistant, such as HIPAA compliance, ease of integration, and the right model (AI, human, or hybrid). The right approach will help you make the right choice for your practice.
Here are some specific things to watch for when making your selection:
- HIPAA compliance is non-negotiable. Sermo members like this psychiatry practitioner emphasize the need for VAs to be HIPAA-compliant, stating, “I’ve never used them, but would be concerned about HIPAA issues and appropriate relay of messages and determination of billing codes.”
- Implementation takes longer than vendors claim. Most practices require four to eight weeks to successfully integrate virtual assistants into their workflows, enable proper handoff, and complete EHR training. In Sermo polls, 34% of physicians reported that their biggest hurdle with HVA implementation was training, and 20% stated technical setup.
- AI scribes are not for every visit. In addition, Sermo polling determined that 21% of physicians worry about compromised patient privacy, and 18% are worried that patients might find “middleman” communication frustrating. Another Sermo member and psychiatrist also finds AI scribes to be “cookie-cutter substitutes” that can eliminate critical thinking. So, you may want to opt for human VAs if you need personal communications or reasoning in documentation.
- The cheapest option is rarely the right one. VA companies are not all the same, with some offering better quality, support, and training than others, so going with a cheaper option might require more re-training and implementation than a tool at a higher price point.
- Workflow integration matters more than tool selection. VAs not properly integrated into your operations will result in more friction, making integration capabilities as important as any other factor to consider.
Pilot the right virtual healthcare assistant to optimize administrative tasks
Knowing the benefits of healthcare virtual assistants for doctors can help you determine whether this type of solution is right for your practice. When making your choice, the ideal VA will come with ease of implementation and compatibility with your operations and workflows.
As one Sermo pediatrics and general practitioner put it, “Virtual assistants in healthcare are not just a temporary fix: they alleviate the administrative burden, reducing burnout and improving efficiency . . . In the long term, they appear to be more of an essential tool than a temporary solution in modern medical practice.”
A VA is ultimately worth considering, and a 90-day pilot can give you a good sense of whether a solution is right for your practice.
If you want to learn more about which solutions seasoned physicians prefer and which underperformed, along with details about how to structure your own virtual assistant setup, connect with the Sermo community and get involved in the conversation.
