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It’s common knowledge that doctors work long hours. From late nights studying in medical school to the 28-hour shifts many young doctors experience during residency, physicians are conditioned to push their bodies and minds to the extreme in pursuit of a noble goal – making patients better. What if, however, those very patients are adversely affecting their doctor’s well-being?

My Virtual Scribe is very smart, easy to work with, and very professional. He is a real benefit to your company, and I hope to work with him for many years to come!

Medical scribes could help solve the issue of physician burnout and ease the electronic health record (EHR) documentation burden, based on a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

According to the study, researchers conducted a yearlong investigation with 18 primary care physicians at two medical centers with integrated healthcare systems. The investigation focused on if the use of a medical scribe would ease the EHR documentation burden, improve patient visits and work efficiency.

Primary care in the United States is in a state of crisis, with fewer trainees entering the field and more current primary care doctors leaving due to professional burnout. Changes in the practice of primary care, including the many burdens related to EHR documentation, has been identified as a major source of physician burnout. There are ongoing efforts to reduce physician burnout by improving the work environment. One innovation has been the use of medical scribes in the exam room who are trained to enter narrative notes based on the patient-provider interview.