By Frank Travis
Jun 01, 2023
The continued pressures from 'documentation burden' and having to spend more time in the EHR instead of direct patient care are the major challenges that orthopedic specialists continue to deal with. Orthopedic surgeons embarked on a career in medicine to improve people’s quality of life and function. But unfortunately, many are finding their days consumed with the administrative burdens that move them farther away from high-quality bedside patient care. One solution that is gaining immense popularity in the recent years is the use of orthopedic medical scribes. Orthopedic scribes can help physicians provide better patient care by alleviating some of the administrative burden associated with their practice. Let us in the blog explore what orthopedic scribes are and the benefits they provide within the healthcare system.
How do orthopedic scribes work?
Orthopedic medical scribes are trained professionals who assist orthopedic specialists with day-to-day tasks such as taking notes and documenting information into the EHRs in real-time during patient visits. They are responsible for recording patient history, physician examination findings, test results, and other information pertinent to patient care. Orthopedic scribes can improve the efficiency of patient visits and free up physicians’ time so they can focus on helping patients decrease pain and improve their quality of life.
Let us now explore some of the benefits of incorporating scribes into orthopedic practices.
1.Improved efficiency and productivity
Time and again, orthopedic scribes are associated with increased physician productivity and efficiency. We are aware that orthopedic surgeons spend a substantial portion of their time completing electronic health records that leaves them with less time for direct patient care. A study reports that the use of orthopedic scribes significantly reduces the amount of time spent on documentation both during clinic and after clinic hours. More importantly, by assuming documentation responsibilities scribes clear an orthopedic surgeon’s schedule to see more patients in a day.
2.Improved accuracy of documentation
Orthopedic scribes are specially trained to capture accurate and detailed documentation of patient encounters, reducing the chances of any errors. They are well-versed in medical terminology to ensure that patient information is correctly interpreted and recorded which helps in improving patient outcomes and reducing the risk of malpractice lawsuits. In short orthopedic scribes can consistently produce accurate, complete and meaningful medical documentation.
3.Enhanced quality of care
Orthopedic scribes allow physicians to provide better care to their patients with a reduced focus on mundane tasks like maintaining patient records. By taking over the administrative tasks they free up physicians time to spend more time directly talking with patients, which improves patient satisfaction. Improved satisfaction reduces risk of non-adherence and improves quality of care and patient outcomes.
4.Reduced burnout
Time spent on EHR and administrative tasks is the number one contributor to physician burnout. Incorporating orthopedic medical scribes is reported to improve physician workplace satisfaction and reduce burnout as they significantly reduce EHR time. In fact, several studies have shown that using scribes reduces the increased workload associated with EHRs, improves physician well-being and lowers burnout rates.
5.Increased revenue
Medical scribes in orthopedic practices have reported substantial improvements in productivity and revenue generation. Orthopedic scribes free up time for physicians to see more patients in a day and bring in more revenue for the practice. Adding 2.78 new patient visits per day or three follow-up patient visits was profitable for orthopedic practices in the long run. Moreover, the initial cost of employing the scribe is offset within a year.
The upshot
With one in two Americans having a musculoskeletal condition, the demand for orthopedic services continues to rise and so is the need for orthopedic medical scribes. They are indeed expected to play a crucial role in helping orthopedic specialists meet the growing demand for care and improving patient outcomes. Are you an orthopedic specialist who feels that ‘documentation burden’ is impacting patient care? Are you looking to take the help of scribes to ease your documentation burden? Well, we at Scribe4Me have a team of highly skilled and qualified orthopedic virtual scribes who can provide real-time documentation support, freeing up time to focus on delivering exceptional care to patients, while also improving productivity and reducing burnout. If you would like to ask for more information about our service or to know how we can assist your practice give us a call at (908)736-4180 and our scribe representative will walk you through the process.
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Frank Travis
Frank Travis
Documentation is an important daily clinical responsibility. In order to optimize patient care, physicians are always on the lookout for new ways to effectively and efficiently document patient visits.
The use of virtual medical scribes has become increasingly popular in the recent years, as medical practices across the country are on the constant lookout for ways to reduce clinical documentation overload, thereby improving overall productivity.
The clerical burden associated with EHR usage is attributed as the number one cause of physician burnout. We also know that physicians spend twice as much time on EHRs and other clerical tasks compared to the time providing patient care.
