Otolaryngic allergist scribe
The workflow for ENT allergists continues to evolve, necessitating more time spent on non-clinical tasks like documentation and dealing with reimbursement challenges, in the midst of busy clinic schedules. Generally, the allergy specialist collaborates with an ENT specialist to provide comprehensive care for patients dealing with seasonal allergies or persistent year-round issues. In some cases, the otolaryngic allergist may be trained in both fields, making them competent to diagnose and treat both allergies and ENT problems that may be contributing to a patient’s symptoms. Whatever the case may be, the demands of this practice are significant, with a high patient volume being a constant. As a result, the administrative burden of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) often engulfs these specialists, impeding their efficiency and the quality of patient interactions. In this scenario, the role of Otolaryngic allergist scribe emerges as a potential solution to elevate productivity and enhance patient care.
EHRs make otolaryngic allergists less efficient – Can scribes help?
Electronic Health Records (EHRs) have become an integral part of healthcare, but they often pose challenges for ENT allergists, slowing them down, reducing productivity, and affecting the patient experience. The cumbersome and redundant nature of EHRs leads to increased documentation time and frustration. Despite these challenges, EHRs are here to stay, so how can ENT allergists streamline their administrative workload and focus more on patient care? The answer lies in medical scribes, a valuable resource that can help ENT and allergy specialists navigate EHRs and enhance clinic workflow and efficiency. Scribes have consistently proven their worth by reducing documentation time, increasing face-to-face time with patients, raising patient counts, and ultimately boosting revenue. It’s no surprise that Otolaryngic allergist scribes are gaining popularity across the country, breathing new life into busy ENT and allergy practices.
Burnout in ENT and allergy specialists
Burnout is a real concern among ENT and allergy specialists, with nearly half of otolaryngology/allergy/immunology specialists reporting at least one burnout symptom, according to the 2023 Medscape Physician Burnout & Depression Report. The primary contributor to burnout cited by these specialists is the burden of bureaucratic tasks. While many suggest achieving a work-life balance, it’s challenging in today’s healthcare system. Tait Shanafelt, Chief Wellness Officer for Stanford Medicine, emphasizes that physicians should prioritize self-care, including sleep, nutrition, and mindfulness, but also calls for a systemic approach to address burnout. Burnout doesn’t just affect physicians, it impacts patients as well. Medical scribes offer a solution by reducing the time spent on documentation, potentially alleviating burnout among ENT and allergy specialists.
Scribe experience of Kristin Seiberling, MD, AAOA Board of Directors
Dr. Kristin Seiberling, an otolaryngologist in Redlands, California, shares her experience with medical scribes. She highlights how scribes significantly reduced her documentation time, allowing her to focus on patient care and improving her job satisfaction. With a scribe handling documentation, Dr. Seiberling could fully engage with patients while the scribe efficiently recorded all relevant information in the EHR. Scribes also assisted in tasks like procuring lab tests, retrieving diagnostic results, managing orders, and generating referral letters. Dr. Seiberling noted that this focus on patient needs without having to worry about documenting visits made her work more enjoyable and less stressful. Moreover, she became more efficient, accommodating more patients within the same working hours, and no longer needed to stay late to complete charting. Her charts were ready before she left the clinic, requiring only a review and sign off.
Upshot
EHRs are an integral part of modern healthcare, but their impact on the efficiency of otolaryngic allergists cannot be overlooked. The growing prevalence of burnout further emphasizes the need for a solution. ENT and Allergist scribes offer a practical solution, allowing physicians to get over administrative barriers and focus on key drivers of patient experience. As the healthcare landscape evolves the collaboration between scribes and otolaryngic allergists has the potential to improve patient care, reduce burnout, and boost productivity.