A medical scribe is becoming a popular role in the healthcare industry these days because healthcare entities are quickly learning that medical scribes ease the pressure on healthcare physicians and end up being a cost-effective solution. Becoming a medical scribe is at the top of many student’s agendas these days as well, and it’s no surprise given the career benefits it comes with and the fact it’s such a varied role. But, what is needed from a medical scribe daily? And why are students opting for a career as a medical scribe instead of the hundreds of other jobs out there?
Provide Excellent Care to Patients
While a medical scribe doesn’t get to work with patients in terms of a physical nature, they are still required to socialize with patients and take care of them in other ways. Therefore, being a great companion with excellent people skills is a must to succeed in the role.
Assist the Physician
A big part of the role will require a medical scribe to assist the physician in any way that can help them provide better and more efficient care to patients. The role is varied, but you’ll always be working under the supervision of a physician so you can develop new skills. You’ll be making records of patient and physician interaction as a basic task, but as you learn new skills, you’ll be trusted to work with databases to update existing medical records.
Learn and Develop Skills
All healthcare professionals know that medical scribes are there to ease the pressure on their working load so they can concentrate on providing care to the patient rather than dealing with medical records and the like.
However, they also know that scribes are there to learn and develop their own personal skills so they can later land a job in a different career. Medical scribes are there to learn, so it’s up to the physician to teach them the world of healthcare from the basics of patient care to administering medicine. A big part of the job as a medical scribe is to learn and develop basic healthcare skills to prepare them for the future.
EHR Data Entry
The primary objective of a medical scribe is to reduce the clerical load for the physician. Usually, this includes EHR (Electronic Health Records) Data Entry by maintaining a patient’s medical record. This takes a massive load of work off the physician so they can better serve their main purpose. You’ll need to be technically gifted to use some of the software and databases that you need to update records, but the job itself is a big learning curve so you’ll be able to better your understanding as you go.
Although the position of a medical scribe is considered non-clinical, it does still require someone with a host of medical and technical experience to thrive. If you’re looking to become a medical scribe, ensure you’re fully equipped beforehand and you undertake the necessary medical scribe training to give you a helping hand. Have a look at this helpful guide on how to become a medical scribe for more information.