What do virtual medical staffing terms mean?

Which terms appear in the staffing guides?

Medical virtual assistant (medical VA)

A remote professional who handles healthcare administrative work such as scheduling, intake, patient communication, and EHR data entry. The directory distinguishes this generalist role from dedicated scribes, billers, and coders.

• Medical virtual assistant role and daily tasks

Virtual medical receptionist

A remote front-desk role covering patient calls, appointment scheduling, basic insurance information, intake forms, and routing clinical questions to the appropriate team member.

• Virtual medical receptionist role

Virtual medical scribe

A remote documentation specialist who joins patient encounters, writes clinical notes in the EHR, and prepares the chart and pended items for provider review and sign-off.

• Virtual medical scribe role

Electronic health record (EHR)

The practice's electronic patient-chart system, where the published roles update demographics, document encounters, and record workflow outcomes. Verify the assigned worker's fluency in the specific system the practice uses.

• Primary care staffing tasks and tools

HIPAA

The patient-information privacy and security framework referenced in the site's medical staffing guidance. The directory recommends written training and safeguard checks; an agency description or training statement is not a compliance certification.

• HIPAA and patient-data verification guide

Business Associate Agreement (BAA)

The agreement the site's hiring guidance asks medical practices to verify and sign with the agency before sharing patient information. A signed BAA is one safeguard to check alongside training, confidentiality, and workstation protections.

• Questions to ask about a BAA and safeguards

Confidentiality agreement / NDA

A written confidentiality commitment, also described on the site as a non-disclosure agreement. It is among the safeguards to verify for the assigned staff member rather than assume from an agency's marketing.

• Written safeguards in the hiring checklist

Insurance verification

Confirming patient eligibility and benefits before an appointment, including coverage details and any issues that need follow-up. The dedicated verification role is broader than collecting basic insurance information at the front desk.

• Match insurance tasks to a staffing role

Prior authorization

The payer approval-request workflow described in the prior authorization role, including submission, clinical packet preparation, status tracking, escalation, and recording outcomes for the care team.

• Specialty and surgical authorization workflows

Medical billing

Preparing and submitting insurance claims, posting payments, working denied or rejected claims, and following up on patient balances. The directory treats billing as a role distinct from medical coding.

• Medical billing specialist role

Medical coding

Reviewing provider documentation and assigning the appropriate CPT, ICD-10-CM, and HCPCS codes. The published coder role emphasizes credentials, specialty experience, and clarification of documentation gaps.

• Coding and specialty staffing needs

Revenue cycle management (RCM)

Coordinating the practice's revenue workflow from patient registration through final payment. The published RCM role monitors claims, denials, accounts receivable, and coordination between billing, coding, and front-office teams.

• Revenue cycle task and role matching

Referral coordination

Managing inbound and outbound referrals, coordinating relevant approvals, helping schedule with the receiving practice, and recording whether the referral was completed.

• Primary care staffing tasks and tools

Hygiene recare

The dental follow-up and outreach workflow used to schedule patients for ongoing hygiene visits. It appears alongside patient reactivation in the dental VA's published administrative duties.

• Dental virtual assistant role
• Dental staffing tasks and software

CDT code familiarity

Knowledge of dental procedure coding terminology referenced in the dental VA and dental specialty descriptions. Confirm the candidate's dental-specific knowledge rather than treating general medical administration as equivalent.

• Dental staffing tasks and software

Telehealth coordination

Supporting virtual-visit scheduling, patient technology onboarding, pre-visit checks, connection troubleshooting, and follow-up. The site describes this as a distinct coordination workflow, not a substitute for clinical care.

• Telehealth roles and tools