Medical Scribes Explained: How Does a Medical Scribe Help a Physician?

Updated on July 7, 2020
Stethoscope on prescription clipboard and Doctor working an Laptop on desk in hospital, Healthcare and medical concept, vintage color, selective focus

When we think about the world of medicine, a number of important figures come to mind. The nurse, the physician, the pediatrician, or even the pharmacist are just a few. These people play big roles in the medical and health fields, and deserve their due respect.

However, we rarely ever hear the stories of the unsung hero: the medical scribe. Working tirelessly, the medical scribe pushes the same number of hours as other medical professionals and works hard in their field.

But how does a medical scribe help a physician? What do they do in the office to be such a necessary part of the medical chain? This article will show you what medical scribes go through and why their work should be appreciated. Read on to learn more!

The Origin of the Scribe

Do you ever wonder how things stay in control at the office? There are so many patients that come in and out of the doors each day, and every one of them must have their meetings with the physician recorded. Unless that physician is Superman, they can’t do it alone.

Enter the medical scribe. These hard workers follow the physician to each of the meetings they have with their patients, and they record what’s said in the meeting on their computers verbatim.

This is a pretty big job, and most people wouldn’t even be able to keep up with the demanding task. It goes to show you that not all heroes wear capes.

So How Does a Medical Scribe Help a Physician?

Scribes aren’t just walking around hearing people yap all day. What they do can actually benefit the physician in a life or death situation.

As the patient talks with the doctor, they will usually go over some important information in the meeting. For example, they’ll mention their reason for being at the office, any physical ailments, and perhaps any allergies they have or medicines they’re on.

The scribe takes these notes and makes sure they’re saved to the patient’s file. If those notes are needed later – say, if the physician was prescribing a certain medicine – they can go back in those notes and see if the patient can have that medication or if they should hold off.

The notes are extremely valuable to the health of that patient, and the scribes are the ones who handle it all.

Always Finding New Ways to Succeed

One popular thing to note is how many medical clinics are making the switch to getting an AI medical scribe. These “scribes” work completely without the need for a physical scribe to be in the presence of a physician, and can still take notes in real-time.

That said, even though the idea of artificial intelligence is on the rise, There’s a very good chance that it won’t ever replace the job of an actual scribe; if anything, the two counterparts will meet on common ground and continue to benefit scribing for a long time

Get the News You Need

Now that we’ve answered your question about how does a medical scribe help a physician, you’re well-informed on the ins and outs of this job. Make sure you stay in the know about all the other things that can affect your life.

Our site offers plenty of in-depth articles on a wide range of subjects, and they’re all here to benefit you. Make sure to have a look around our page. We’re sure you’re going to like what you find.

+ posts

Throughout the year, our writers feature fresh, in-depth, and relevant information for our audience of 40,000+ healthcare leaders and professionals. As a healthcare business publication, we cover and cherish our relationship with the entire health care industry including administrators, nurses, physicians, physical therapists, pharmacists, and more. We cover a broad spectrum from hospitals to medical offices to outpatient services to eye surgery centers to university settings. We focus on rehabilitation, nursing homes, home care, hospice as well as men’s health, women’s heath, and pediatrics.