Why you need a Medical scribe

Why you need a scribe

Since their emergence as note-takers for Emergency Room clinicians in the 1970s, medical scribes have made remarkable progress. Now, an estimated 100,000 of them operate alongside providers and patients in the U.S. The positive aspect is that scribes significantly streamline health information management workflows and ease administrative burdens. However, employing an in-person scribe team can be prohibitively expensive, with one scribe potentially costing up to 50 thousand dollars or more annually. In the current climate of rising labor costs affecting the margins and profits of healthcare systems, hospitals, and physician groups, expanding the workforce is challenging for many.

Luckily, there's a practical solution: virtual medical scribes. These skilled professionals work remotely, utilizing advanced technology to connect with providers and patients precisely when needed. Let's explore the advantages of virtual medical scribing and see how it's transforming patient encounter documentation.

Enhanced Documentation Accuracy: The quality of documentation from virtual medical scribing relies on the quality of recordings. At Physician Assist Pro wee incorporate AI speech recognition voice modules, ensuring accuracy by capturing every spoken word during patient encounters.

Positive Return on Investment (ROI): The adoption of in-person scribes resulted in increased patient volume and a 7.7% boost in practice revenue( in one quarter. Virtual scribing offers even greater benefits, potentially enhancing margins and patient care.

Nambudiri VE, Watson AJ, Buzney EA, Kupper TS, Rubenstein MH, Yang FC. Medical Scribes in an Academic Dermatology Practice. JAMA Dermatol. 2018;154(1):101–103. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2017.3658

Increased Focus on Patient Care: Numerous studies indicate that medical scribes enable providers to fully concentrate on patient care, reducing distractions from data entry. Virtual scribing eliminates the need for providers to input data into their devices, allowing them to prioritize patient interactions.

https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/sustainability/overlooked-benefits-medical-scribes

Alleviation of Provider Burnout: Providers spend approximately 1.84 hours per day beyond regular work hours completing Electronic Health Record (EHR) documentation. This contributes to a rise in physician burnout rates, which increased from 42% five years ago to 53% in 2023. More than 90% of physicians report feeling burned out on a “regular basis,” according to the survey, commissioned by Athenahealth. Medical scribes alleviate documentation challenges, reducing burnout, and enhancing provider satisfaction.

Expedited Turnaround Times: With synchronous medical scribing, documentation is instantaneous, while asynchronous scribing ensures completion within two to four hours post-encounter, eliminating the days-long waiting period for documentation.

Flexibility in Scribing Options: Technological advancements offer providers diverse options for virtual scribing. Platforms like Physician Assist Pro enable physicians to choose between synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous (post-encounter) scribing, each offering unique benefits.

Device Flexibility: Physician Assist Pro facilitates synchronous scribing, allowing providers to use any device with a web browser—PC, Mac, iPad, Android, or tablet—for documentation, ensuring maximum flexibility.

Leverage the advantages of virtual medical scribing for your organization and patients with Physician Assist Pro—a blend of a top-tier platform and highly skilled Physician scribes trained to seamlessly integrate with your preferred EHR system.