What is a medical scribe?
A medical scribe is a uniquely trained individual who specializes in charting physician-patient encounters in the Electronic Medical Record ("EMR") during the visit. Scribes are not physicians, and do not provide medical care. Scribes also support Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners in their clinical practices.
What does a medical scribe do?
A medical scribe assists a physician by efficiently performing non-medical roles related to documentation and charting in the EMR. Increasingly burdensome documentation requirements have (wrongly) resulted in physicians spending more time as data-entry clerks and less time with patients. There is good evidence that adopting a medical scribe program substantially improves physician workflow, and both physician and patient satisfaction.
What do you know about my practice?
Our scribe training program concentrates on your particular practice. Said another way, we have developed proprietary training modules for each of the medical specialties used to teach scribes hired expressly for your practice and/or group. That specialty information is coupled with the unique attributes of your medical activities and clinical EMR, together constituting our knowledge of your practice. As the individuals who scribe changes over time, we generally maintain at least two people trained and familiar with you and your office - which is itself a process of continuing supervision and training.
Why should I choose Scribe One instead of another scribe company or hiring someone myself?
We are Arizona-based and physician led. More importantly, our principals have successfully trained and deployed approximately 500 scribes over the past 7 years. We have a precision approach to recruitment, and are highly selective about our trainees. We teach and rigorously test procedural and substantive knowledge, and engage in continuing scribe education. Because the scribes are our employees, we handle insurance, payroll, federal and state and local taxes, etc. Also, because our people are precisely the kind of smart, focused and accomplished individuals you would hope for, the role may be transitional (for example, before enrollment in medical or PA school). Accordingly, contracting with Scribe One allows us to institutionalize knowledge and experience of your practice to provide a turnkey ongoing scribe program. This avoids various future insufficiencies including costs of regular training and unrequited time commitments. Finally, there really are no cookie-cutter solutions to medical scribing - our group is highly motivated and creatively adaptable.
No two scribe programs are the same because no two medical practices are the same. From an administrative perspective having all EMR charts completed carefully and correctly, documented to the correct level of service, on the same day of service has broad value. Enhanced patient and physician satisfaction improves a practice. In some settings providers have seen a decrease of 60% or more time that had been devoted to documentation alone. Depending upon circumstances, it is common for enhanced provider productivity to both pay for the scribe program entirely and deliver additional revenue.