Scribes and transcriptionists are not the same, but both facilitate physicians’ work. Scribes and transcriptionists record patients’ records, but they perform different essential functions.
How medical scribing is different from the medical transcription?
Let’s try to understand the difference with the help of a table;
| Medical Scribe | Medical Transcriptionist |
| As a physician’s partner, a medical scribe documents patient data in the practice’s electronic health record. The medical scribe is an assistant to the physician and provides documentation for electronic health records. Due to the exposure to clinical situations they receive, scribes learn medical terminology and become well-informed about physiology and anatomy. | Physicians’ voice dictations are transcribed by medical transcriptionists into written healthcare records. |
| In the exam rooms of healthcare providers, medical scribes record information in real-time. | In contrast, medical transcriptionists are never present in the physician’s office and do not add patient information to the electronic health record in real-time. |
| Medical scribes are responsible for gathering information from patient encounters and generating and maintaining patient health records under the supervision of physicians. | Transcriptionists document a physician’s voice dictation. It is their job to listen to these files and accurately convert them into written content. |
| The scribe shadows the physician during each patient visit to keep track of relevant details, such as procedures and test results. In essence, the scribe establishes and updates each patient’s roadmap while under the doctor’s care. | A transcriptionist can work onsite, offsite, or even from home. |
| The healthcare provider can focus completely on the patient when the scribe is present, so the events of the visit are accurately captured and recorded. | As voice recognition becomes more democratized and popularized, more physicians rely on software for preparing their patients’ charts. Voice recognition technology is now beginning to be able to convert spoken words automatically into text, but the accuracy of the technology remains a challenge. Most of the time, the software does not interpret the physician correctly. In such a case, medical transcriptionists must review and edit the AI documents to correct any misinterpretation. |
| In exchange for saving time, doctors give up some control when they work with in-house medical scribes. Since the doctor doesn’t dictate notes, the scribe must sometimes use critical thinking to determine what information goes into a patient’s chart. Additionally, the physician must certify that the chart is correct once the scribe has completed the task. The scribe is responsible for determining the notes and their wording in this case. | A transcriptionist transcribes dictation word for word so that no interpretive issues arise. Therefore, the chart will reflect exactly what the doctor thinks and says. Some physicians find transcription services appealing because of this total control over their charts. By relieving the physician of the burden of typing and data entry, the transcription service saves the physician a great deal of time. |
Why medical scribes are better than medical transcriptionists?
Medical scribes seem to be the best option for those who are dreaming of a career in medicine. It has been the physician’s job to focus exclusively on direct patient contact and care. Electronic Health Records (EHR) have, however, resulted in an overload of documentation and clerical duties that have caused physicians to be distracted and weighed down by the paperwork. A growing number of physicians are turning to Medical Scribe services to relieve the documentation overload. Modern medicine is revolutionized by medical scribes.
Also read:
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- Types of medical scribe: In-house vs virtual medical scribe. What is better?
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