Research Findings - How Family Medicine Scribes Can Help

In today’s fast-paced healthcare environment, family physicians are required to cope with multiple demands while striving to provide top quality care. They often express frustration over overwhelming paperwork, long working hours, the need for more time off, and the pressure of juggling multiple responsibilities. Family physicians typically handle a large number of patients daily, from routine check-ups and preventive care to treating acute illnesses and chronic conditions. Moreover, they spend roughly 17 hours per week dealing with paperwork and administrative tasks. This burden on family physicians is concerning as it affects their ability to provide the highest level of care. It is here the need for a family medicine scribe is felt. Family medicine scribes enable physicians to focus entirely on patients, thereby enhancing the quality of care and overall practice efficiency.

Let’s now delve into what various research studies say about how family physician scribes influence the overall efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare.

Improved Physician Satisfaction, Patient Experience, and Charting Efficiency

In a randomized controlled trial, family physicians were randomly assigned to work with a scribe for one week and without a scribe for another week, repeated over the course of a year. The results showed notable improvements in physicians' overall satisfaction, as well as their satisfaction regarding chart quality, accuracy, and efficiency when working with scribes, while patient satisfaction remained unaffected. This study concluded that employing scribes could be a promising strategy to improve healthcare efficiency and alleviate physician burnout.

Improved Patient Experience, Care Quality, Practice Operations, and Provider Happiness

A longitudinal study was conducted at an academic family medicine practice wherein data was gathered from four physicians working alongside two scribes for a period of one year. Physician experiences were evaluated through open-ended written reflections after each 4-hour clinic session. The findings of this research indicate that employing scribes not only alleviates physicians' administrative burdens but also has broader positive effects. Scribes contribute to enhanced patient satisfaction, improved quality of care, increased clinic efficiency, and a greater sense of fulfillment in practicing medicine.

Reduced EHR Burden

In a retrospective cohort study of 142 family medicine physicians within a single system in southern Wisconsin, it was found that physicians spend more than half of their workday, nearly 6 hours, interacting with the EHRS during and after clinic hours. Administrative and clerical responsibilities, including documenting, entering orders, billing and coding, and ensuring system security, accounted for almost half of the total time spent on the EHR. The significant time spent interfacing with the EHR system has necessitated the implementation of scribes.

Increased Revenue Through Increased Visits

According to an article published in The Journal Of Family Practice in May 2021, employing scribes can significantly boost revenue for a practice, way beyond just increasing patient volume. Medical scribes have been shown to generate higher revenue by facilitating more patient visits. A pre/post observational study with a control group, examined whether the presence of medical scribes is associated with financial gains irrespective of the volume of patient visits. For this purpose researchers analyzed 41,371 visits to 17 providers utilizing scribes and 230,297 visits to 78 providers not using scribes. The study concluded that the utilization of scribes can result in financial benefits in addition to an increase in patient visits.

Conclusion

Utilization of family medicine scribes has been shown to enhance charting efficiency, reduce EHR burden, and improve patient care. By streamlining documentation processes, reducing administrative workload and enabling more meaningful patient interactions, family practice scribes play a vital role in enhancing satisfaction for both patients and physicians. As healthcare systems evolve, there is strong evidence that supports keeping scribes around in family medicine as a valuable resource for assisting physicians in improving their efficiency and enhancing patient care. If you are looking to hire a family medicine scribe, get in touch with Physicians Angels today. Our team of certified, HIPAA trained family medicine virtual medical scribes can ensure seamless charting while you focus on providing exceptional care!