Who Is a Medical Scribe? Definition, Responsibilities & Benefits
The emergence of the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) forced many physicians to pay even greater attention to balancing patient satisfaction and efficiency of delivered care. Since it can be challenging to manage patient data and provide people with the necessary support simultaneously, more and more professionals decide to cooperate with someone called a medical scribe. Who is it? What are the responsibilities and benefits that come with this position?
Medical scribes – who are they and what do they do?
A medical scribe is a person who is responsible for documenting the physician-patient encounter in the medical record. The scribe’s role is to enter the physician’s dictated patient history and physical examination, as well as the results of laboratory and radiologic studies into the EHR. In other words, medical scribes turn the physician’s oral report into a written one.
The main responsibility of a medical scribe is to document the physician-patient communication in the patient’s medical record.
This profession is important because it can help to improve the quality of the documentation in the patient’s medical record. This, in turn, can lead to better communication between healthcare providers, improved continuity of care, and fewer errors.
Top benefits of the position
There are several benefits that come with being a medical scribe. Perhaps the most obvious one is that it can help to improve your documentation skills. This is a valuable asset not only for medical scribes but also for anyone who wants to pursue a career in healthcare.
In addition, working as a medical scribe can give you a better understanding of the physician-patient relationship, which is truly invaluable if you are considering a career in medicine or any other healthcare profession.
How to get a medical scribe job?
If you are interested in becoming a medical scribe, there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of getting hired.
First and foremost, it is important to have strong writing skills. This is because a large part of the medical scribe’s job is to document the physician-patient encounters.
Moreover, having a basic understanding of medical terminology is an advantage. However, if you’re just starting your adventure in healthcare, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get the job.
There are many companies that organize training and courses for medical scribes. This means that you can be hired with zero previous experience, so don’t wait and prepare your application!
