How Does A Medical Scribe Help A Physician? 4 Benefits That You Should Know

As times change, the interaction between physicians and patients has also significantly evolved. With advancements in information technology, the electronic factor has modified how doctors deliver medical services. One of the main elements of mass utilization of computers in the health sector is the use of medical scribes.

What are Medical Scribes?

A medical scribe is an assistant to doctors and other healthcare workers. The scribes enable electronic documentation of essential patient information, including test results, examination findings, and patient history. By 2020, the number of medical scribes employed in the US had risen to 100,000, a figure that is expected to rise with time.

How Medical Scribes Help Doctors

The benefits of documentation assistants are often overlooked. With ever-increasing documentation demands in the health sector, capturing patient data manually can be draining. It can also result in numerous clerical errors. However, medical scribes provide a better way of managing the documentation burden.

Here are various ways how physicians benefit from medical scribes:

1. They Foster Better Physician-Patient Interactions

When using traditional electronic medical records (EMRs), doctors spend most of their consultation time on the computer clicking and typing. The patient may even feel ignored as physicians appear to pay little attention to them. However, scribes change all this experience. Doctors spend more time listening and engaging patients and little time on the computer. In other words, the doctor is able to provide full attention to their patients and is rarely distracted by data entry, making the experience more fulfilling for both the doctor and patient.

2. Minimum Burnout

Physician burnout is a persistent problem in the United States. About 43.9% of American doctors experience work-related burnout symptoms. Exhaustion emanates from long working hours and increased documentation demands. Although scribes may not address all causes of fatigue, it can meaningfully mitigate the EMR documentation burden in many hospitals.

3. Increased Job Satisfaction

Studies show that only 13.3% of doctors enjoy above-average job satisfaction. Dissatisfaction is mainly associated with work-related stress. However, introducing medical scribes is one way of giving doctors their lives back. Electronic assistants increase the physicians' work experience, making their everyday medical duties less stressful and more enjoyable.

4. Increased Teamwork

In the medical sector, teamwork is vital. Apart from giving physicians an exceptional experience, teamwork increases patient safety and reduces the number of medical errors. One way of fostering teamwork in the medical profession is through online medical scribes. Medical scribes allow team documentation. Data captured by one physician can be viewed by another healthcare worker, minimizing time spent moving around to fetch patient files.

The Bottom Line

Medical scribes are the solution to the ever-increasing requirements for documentation in the health sector. The documentation assistants improve the physician's experience and satisfaction since most of their administrative burdens are substantially reduced.


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