Medical scribe
Are you a physician feeling frustrated with the increasing burden of documentation and administrative tasks, which eat into your valuable patient care time? If so, you’re not alone. Many physicians struggle to balance patient care and documentation responsibilities. The excessive electronic busywork generated by EHRs can be overwhelming. Well, if paperwork is hindering your career and affecting patient care, it may be time to consider hiring medical scribes for documentation support. Recognizing the signs that you need assistance is crucial; some of these signs include heavy documentation demands and administrative overload. Medical scribes can be the solution you need to regain control of your professional life and focus on what matters most: patient care.
1. You spend more time on computers than with patients
Are you finding that you spend more time glued to your computer screen than actually engaging with patients? The brief and unsatisfying patient interactions could be attributed to the excessive burden of EHR documentation. Numerous studies have highlighted that physicians spend twice as much time on EHR and desk work compared to direct patient care. If you feel deprived of genuine patient interactions, EHR documentation is the main culprit. The good news is that by adding a medical scribe to your team, you can reclaim valuable time to connect with your patients while the scribe efficiently handles the documentation tasks during visits.
2. You work after-hours or bring charts home
Do you often find yourself sacrificing your personal time by working on computer tasks long after your clinic hours are over? Whether it’s staying late at the office, coming in on your days off, or taking work home to complete charts, this excess screen time can disrupt your work-life balance. However, there’s a solution: by enlisting the help of a virtual scribe, you can have charts completed in real-time. This eliminates the need to spend extra hours in the EHR after each shift, chart during your off-hours, or bring home unfinished notes daily. With a virtual scribe, you can finally regain control of your personal time and enjoy a healthier work-life balance.
3. You suffer from eye strain and carpal tunnel syndrome
Are you experiencing frequent eye strain and discomfort due to prolonged screen time? Hours spent staring at the computer can exhaust your eyes, leading to persistent eyestrain. Additionally, repetitive mouse clicks and keystrokes can aggravate carpal tunnel syndrome, causing discomfort and pain in your hands and wrists. However, there’s a way to alleviate these issues. By taking the help of a medical scribe to handle patient charting, you can find relief from the endless scrolling, clicking, typing, and gazing at your screens. This not only improves your physical well-being but also allows you to focus on patient care without the distraction of computer-related discomfort.
4. You hardly find time to spend with your family
Do you find yourself sacrificing precious family time for “pajama time,” where you spend countless hours documenting in the EHR? The unfortunate reality is that this constant documentation burden leaves you with little opportunity to enjoy activities you love or spend quality time with your family. However, there’s a solution to reclaim those cherished moments. By hiring a medical scribe to handle charting responsibilities, you no longer need to worry about catching up on unfinished charts after work. This newfound efficiency allows you to head home early, freeing up valuable time to reconnect with your loved ones and enjoy a more balanced and fulfilling personal life.
5. Your RVU penalties increase
Are you facing an alarming increase in RVU penalties due to delays in completing and signing medical records? It’s crucial to adhere to the legal requirement of signing notes within 30 days of the patient’s visit to avoid potential revenue loss. However, if you find it challenging to complete your notes within this timeframe, there’s a solution that can prevent these penalties. Hiring a medical scribe is the most effective way to ensure that your notes are closed in a timely manner. With a scribe handling documentation tasks, you can meet the required deadlines and safeguard your revenue while staying focused on delivering exceptional patient care.
6. You opt for telephonic consultations
Are you finding yourself increasingly opting for telephonic consultations over in-person visits? While phone calls may seem convenient, studies reveal that they can lead to poor communication and documentation. In fact, only about half of telephonic contacts are recorded, potentially resulting in substandard care. Recognizing the drawbacks of phone-only treatment, it’s time to consider an alternative approach. By taking the help of a medical scribe to manage documentation responsibilities, you can prioritize in-office visits once again. The presence of a scribe empowers you to enhance the quality of patient care through more face-to-face interactions, and the efficiency gained effectively pays for the scribe service itself.
7. You feel stressed and burned out
Are you experiencing signs of burnout, feeling emotionally drained, and mentally exhausted? The culprit behind this overwhelming stress is likely the countless hours spent at your computer, entering data into EHRs. Numerous studies have emphasized the connection between excessive EHR use and heightened frustration levels among physicians. However, there is a way to alleviate this burden and reclaim your well-being. By bringing in a medical scribe to handle charting responsibilities, you can significantly reduce the time spent at the EHRs. This newfound efficiency not only boosts your productivity but also acts as a powerful tool to combat burnout, ensuring a healthier and more fulfilling professional life.
8. You are not aware how the patient looks like
Are you finding that during patient visits, your focus is constantly drawn to the computer screen, leaving you with little time for genuine interaction? The struggle to input crucial patient data can result in a lack of eye contact, leaving the visit feeling impersonal and devoid of empathy. As a consequence, you might even find yourself bidding goodbye without truly knowing what your patient looks like. Fortunately, there is a solution that can bring back the human touch to your practice. By enlisting a medical scribe to handle documentation during patient visits, you can engage in face-to-face conversations without the burden of typing notes on your computer. This approach not only allows you to form meaningful connections with your patients but also enhances the overall quality of care provided.
If you are experiencing any of the above signs, it is an indication that you have to seek scribe support. Well, are you ready to add a scribe program in your practice? If yes, there are many scribe service providers out there who can help you overcome the above challenges, while providing quality care and running an efficient practice.