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During one long ago very hot Washington D.C. summer, at the suggestion of my parents, I enrolled in a typing course that was given at our elementary school.

This was the summer between sixth and seventh grades, and there were lots of things I would've preferred to have been doing, but my dad, who started out in advertising, felt that touch-typing was a skill everyone needed.

Insurers, drug companies and large HMOs are mounting an extensive effort to use medical data to decide which treatments are best, which doctors are best and which plans keep people the healthiest.

At this point, I consider Physicians Angels indispensable. Even as we have transition to a more sophisticated EMR, I’ve still needed them to make sure that my notes are accurate and timely. I save a minimum of an hour every single day due to my virtual scribes which translates from anywhere to an extra 4 to 8 patient visits. I would not change anything.

Physician burnout—not Zika or Ebola—is the next big epidemic threatening our health care system. Doctors in the United States are more burnt out than ever before, leading to emotional exhaustion and even depression, which harms the well-being of patients and physicians alike. A 2014 survey of nearly 7,000 physicians found that 54.5 percent reported symptoms consistent with burnout—up from 45.5 percent in 2011.

A more productive work environment and a more satisfied workforce often go hand in hand. As the burden of documentation required by electronic health records (EHRs) increases, clinicians’ frustrations and lists of obligations grow. Medical scribes may offer reprieve.