What Do Research Studies Say About Family Medicine Scribes?

What Do Research Studies Say About Family Medicine Scribes?

In the bustling environment of a family pratice, physicians juggle multiple responsibilities while striving to provide optimal patient care. Family physicians often have a high volume of patients to see each day, ranging from routine check-ups and preventive care to treating acute illnesses and chronic conditions. Additionally, they devote approximately 17 hours per week to paperwork and administrative tasks. The burden on family physicians is a cause for serious concern as it affects their ability to provide quality patient care. This is where the need for family medicine scribes is felt. Family medicine scribes allow physicians to devote their full attention to patients, enhancing the quality of care and overall practice efficiency.

Let us now explore what various research studies have to say about the impact of family physician scribes on overall healthcare efficiency and effectiveness.

Scribes Improve Physician Satisfaction, Patient Experience, And Charting Efficiency

A randomized controlled trial was conducted where family physicians were randomly chosen to work with a scribe for a week and then without a scribe for another week, for a whole year. It was observed that having scribes led to significant improvements in physicians' overall satisfaction, as well as their satisfaction with chart quality, accuracy, and efficiency, with no impact on patient satisfaction. This study concluded that scribes appear to be a promising approach to enhance healthcare efficiency and decrease physician burnout.

Scribes Elevate Patient Experience, Care Quality, Practice Operations, And Provider Happiness

A longitudinal study was conducted and data was gathered for a period of one year from four physicians working alongside two scribes at an academic family medicine practice. Physicians experience was assessed by requesting open-ended written reflections following each 4-hour clinic session. This study concluded that using scribes can have a positive impact that goes beyond just reducing the administrative tasks that physicians have to complete on a daily basis. Scribes can also significantly improve patient satisfaction, quality of care, clinic efficiency, and the joy of practicing medicine.

Scribes Reduce EHR Overload

A retrospective cohort study involving 142 family medicine physicians was carried out in a single system in southern Wisconsin. This study observed that physicians spend over half of their workday, which amounts to nearly 6 hours, interacting with the EHR both during and after clinic hours. Administrative and clerical tasks, such as documentation, order entry, billing and coding, and system security, consumed nearly half of the overall time spent on the EHR. The considerable time invested in inputting data into the EHR system has led to the utilization of scribes.

Scribes Increase Revenue By Increasing Visits

An article published in The Journal Of Family Practice in May 2021 says that scribes can enhance revenue for a practice significantly, way beyond being an opportunity to increase the volume of patients. Medical scribes are known to bring in more revenue by increasing patient visits. A pre/post observational study with a control group examined whether Medical scribes are associated with markers of financial benefits regardless of increased visits. For this purpose researchers analyzed 41,371 visits to 17 providers who used scribes and 230,297 visits to 78 providers who did not use scribes. This study concluded that use of scribes can contribute to financial benefits in addition to increased visit volume.

In conclusion, research studies show that utilization of family medicine scribes leads to enhanced charting efficiency, reduced EHR burden, and improved patient care. By streamlining the documentation process, reducing administrative workload, and facilitating more meaningful patient interactions, family practice scribes play a crucial role in improving both patient and physician satisfaction. As healthcare systems continue to evolve, there’s strong evidence supporting the continued use of scribes in family medicine as a valuable resource in helping physicians work better and make patients healthier.

If you are on the lookout for a family medicine scribe, look no further than Scribe4Me. We have a team of experienced and certified family medicine virtual medical scribes who can handle all of your documentation tasks while you focus on delivering top-notch care!