Patient tolerance of medical scribes in the Emergency Department: a qualitative approach

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Emergency doctors are required to complete a range of administrative tasks including typing medical notes, ordering imaging and blood tests, following up on results and corresponding with external departments. These administrative tasks do not require advanced clinical training and so the medical skillset of the emergency physicians is being underutilised. The Emergency Department also loses money due to under-billing patients when at the end of the patients’ attendance by forgetting to include some billable items (e.g. an ECG). A medical scribe completes administrative tasks for the emergency physician so that more time can be spent on medical tasks. The scribe is also responsible for completing billing requirements and can bill for events as they happen, reducing the likelihood of under-billing. While it is important to improve the efficiency of the Emergency Department, it cannot be done at the detriment of patient comfort. However, there is no research in Australian patients’ perceptions of having a non-medically qualified staff member present while being examined by an emergency physician. The current study aims to identify patients’ views and thoughts on medical scribes and uncover any problems that might arise from having additional staff in the room while a consultation takes place.

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