Workflow Efficiency In ENT And Allergy Clinics: Do Scribes Make A Difference?

As the healthcare system continues to evolve, so does the workflow of an ENT and allergy specialist, demanding more time for non-clinical duties such as documentation and administrative tasks, in the midst of busy clinics. Stress in a clinical setting arises from a multitude of factors, and perhaps chief among them is the ‘clerical burden. No wonder ENT and allergy specialists are looking for ways to reduce this burden in order to continue providing top-quality care and avoid burnout. Employing scribes is one such strategy to mitigate the clerical burden that they face. Scribe support can help ENT and allergy specialists meet healthcare demands while providing compassionate, patient-centered care, leading to happier, healthier patients and lower healthcare costs.

Why ENT And Allergy Specialists Need Scribes?

ENT and allergy specialists often find themselves juggling a multitude of clinical responsibilities, from diagnosing complex cases and performing specialized tests to offering targeted treatments. However, amidst this demanding workload, the increasing burden of administrative tasks, particularly documentation in the EHRs can impede practice efficiency. To alleviate this burden and improve clinic workflow and efficiency, the use of scribes has emerged as a promising strategy in today's busy ENT and allergy practices. By offloading documentation tasks to scribes, ENT and allergy specialists can focus more on patient care, enhancing overall clinic efficiency.

Benefits OfMedical Scribes In An ENT and Allergy Practice

Using medical scribes in ENT and allergy practices has proven to be highly beneficial. By streamlining documentation tasks and optimizing efficiency, scribes allow ENT and allergy specialists to focus more on patient-centered care, ultimately reducing the risk of burnout.

Various specialties have researched and analyzed the impact of medical scribes using both qualitative and quantitative methods.

- In 2018, a study conducted in an oncology practice paired 33 physicians with scribes. They found a 12.1% decrease in patient visit duration compared to visits without scribe support.

- A 2017 study in a urology practice found that incorporating scribes significantly improved productivity, as measured by both office E&M visits and total RVUs.

- Another study reported that adding scribes in an emergency room enhanced physicians' productivity, reduced patient length of stay, and provided cost savings for the hospital.

- In cardiology, the use of scribes led to increased physician satisfaction rates.

Therefore, it stands to reason that ENT and Allergy practices could attain similar benefits like reduced length of stay, decreased cost per patient, and improved productivity. This suggests that the use of medical scribes is an effective solution for reducing the burdens associated with data entry and documentation, ultimately enhancing the efficiency of care delivery.

Dr. Kevin McGrath - An Allergy Specialist’s Perspective On Scribes

- Kevin McGrath, MD, FACAAI, a solo allergist, got really tired of how much time it took to input charts into his patient’s electronic health records. He used to spend hours each night and on weekends just to keep up and make sure his notes were detailed and complete. But everything changed when he started using a scribe. Dr. McGrath stated that using a scribe had brought joy back to practicing medicine. He mentioned that he no longer felt like he was wasting most of his time typing into the computer. He also said that he now had more time to spend with patients and that his notes had improved as well.

- Before hiring a scribe, Dr. McGrath documented most of his visits on paper and later manually entered the information into the EHR, a process that was both time-consuming and inefficient. He initially tried using Dragon voice recognition software, but it didn’t meet his expectations. Now, with a scribe, his notes are more complete, as the scribe enters information during the visit, eliminating the need for Dr. McGrath to recall every detail at the end of the day

- Dr. McGrath states that the time saved by having a scribe has been incredible, greatly improving his quality of life. He is also more productive and able to see a few more patients each day with less stress. He isn’t the only one who values scribes but knows seven other allergists in his community who also rely on them.

Conclusion

Scribes free up ENT and allergists from documenting care and entering orders, allowing them to focus more on their patients. This streamlined approach reduces physician documentation burden and enhances efficiency, workflow, and patient-physician interaction. Sounds impressive? Looking to hire one for your ENT and Allergy practice? You can contract through the most reliable and reputable scribing services provider, Physicians Angels. Our ENT and allergy scribes are specially trained to provide accurate and real-time ENT & allergy documentation solutions that meet your unique needs. Hire one today to reduce documentation burdens and enhance efficiency.