Physicians working in the practice area of gastroenterology are spending twice as much time on Electronic Health Records (EHRs) as they are with patients, according to a study conducted by the Annals of Internal Medicine. Along with physicians in family practice, cardiologists, internal medicine physicians, and orthopedic doctors, they are spending an extra two hours in the office, plus another one to two hours of personal time daily recording patient data.
Another study by Mayo Clinic Proceedings revealed that EHRs are causing physicians to experience lower job satisfaction due to the hours spent on clerical work. They were also at a higher risk for burnout.
There is no getting around entering the patient information into the EHR – it simply has to be done. After the minimum of 13 years it takes to become a GI specialist, it doesn’t make sense to have a highly educated, specialized physician doing administrative work. This is where a gastroenterologist medical scribe can help set things right.
Medical Scribes For GI Specialists
The requirements of data entry into EHRs can draw a gastroenterologist away from practicing their specialty, spending hours entering data for highly specialized medical care. Fortunately, gastroenterologist scribes are trained in the terminology for the specialty and ease the burden of the data entry and patient care tracking from the physician.
Our GI practice medical scribes are specifically trained to work with gastroenterologists and are familiar with the medical terms necessary to document in your EHR. Your scribe will enter data into EHRs, record patient visits, handle ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes, and record aftercare instructions. They will accompany the physician into the exam room and document the patient visit. The gastroenterology scribe can be trained to suit an individual physician’s needs, either taking dictation from the physician, or shadowing them and quietly gathering the necessary information, including prior records, labs and radiology results, nursing notes, and aftercare.
As reimbursement rates for GI specialists are pressured, every minute a gastroenterologist can spend with patients and earn revenue benefits their practice. It can also improve patient satisfaction as patients enjoy their physician’s full attention. Gastroenterologist scribes, by assuming the administrative burdens, allow physicians to see more patients daily and increase the accuracy of tracking patient visits. Accuracy in EHRs also leads to more accurate billing, thereby increasing the rate of reimbursement.
If you would like more information on our specialized gastroenterology scribes and first steps to creating a scribe program for your practice, contact us here.
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