An institutional scribe program increases productivity in a dermatology clinic

Abstract

Electronic medical record systems improve communication between physicians but at the expense of a significant documentation burden. Professional and institutional medical scribe programs have been created to alleviate the burden of documentation and improve the utilization of physician time. Reports on the efficacy of scribes in dermatology practices are limited and only available for professional scribe services. To assess the efficacy of an institutionally implemented dermatology scribe program at a tertiary care dermatology clinic, a retrospective analysis of multiple clinic metrics from July 2016 to June 2019 was performed. The 3-year study period encompassed a 21-month pre-implementation period, 3-month transitional period, and 12-month post-implementation period. Since implementation of the scribe program, work relative value units per clinic have increased significantly (p < 0.01), parallel to the 33% increase in the number of patient visits, while note signing time significantly decreased (p < 0.01). The scribe program proved efficacious, and the efficiency increase exceeded costs of the program at 3 months of implementation. The addition of an institutional scribe program appears to be a cost-effective method of reducing the administrative burden on physicians and also provides an educational opportunity for college graduates considering future healthcare training.