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Documentation & Doctor Burnout: Finding Work-Life Balance

The notorious demands of documentation. If you’re a clinician, you are more than acutely aware of just how much time and energy goes into keeping every patient encounter well-documented. From analyzing medical histories to reviewing test results and handling medication requests to composing treatment plans, there’s simply no room for omission when it comes to documentation.

MDEdge: Study, One hour with patients means two hours on EHR

MDEdge: Study, One hour with patients means two hours on EHR

Physicians are spending twice as much time on electronic health records as they are face to face with patients, according to a new study by the American Medical Association.

Researchers observed 57 physicians in four specialties (family medicine, internal medicine, cardiology, and orthopedics) and found that for every hour of direct clinical face time with patients, nearly 2 additional hours is spent on EHR and desk work within the clinic day.

Medical Xpress: Medical scribes have a positive impact on surgeons and residents

Some clinicians are turning to medical scribes to reduce the time spent managing electronic health records (EHRs). In fact, incorporating medical scribes into surgical practice increases the number of patients seen, according to research findings presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2019.

Medical Xpress: Scribes improve physician satisfaction with no negative effects on patient satisfaction

The first randomized controlled trial of scribes finds that they produce significant improvements in physician satisfaction without detracting from patient satisfaction.

The use of scribes—team members who document patient encounters in real time under physician supervision—has gained considerable popularity as a strategy to decrease physicians' clerical burden...

Person on computer.

Medical Scribes and AI: Helping Physician Burnout and EHR Burden

Medical scribes could help solve the issue of physician burnout and ease the electronic health record (EHR) documentation burden, based on a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

According to the study, researchers conducted a yearlong investigation with 18 primary care physicians at two medical centers with integrated healthcare systems. The investigation focused on if the use of a medical scribe would ease the EHR documentation burden, improve patient visits and work efficiency.

Doctor with patient and computer.

High Cost of Medical Scribes for Primary Care Physicians

Primary care in the United States is in a state of crisis, with fewer trainees entering the field and more current primary care doctors leaving due to professional burnout. Changes in the practice of primary care, including the many burdens related to EHR documentation, has been identified as a major source of physician burnout. There are ongoing efforts to reduce physician burnout by improving the work environment. One innovation has been the use of medical scribes in the exam room who are trained to enter narrative notes based on the patient-provider interview.

Doctors working.

Brown Political Review: How Medical Scribes Can Heal Physician Burnout

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.