Virtual Scribe Services Are Associated with Higher Physician Satisfaction than Traditional Documentation

Abstract

Category: Other Introduction/Purpose: Introduction of a novel virtual scribe service is theorized to eliminate waste from clinic operations. The iScribes virtual scribe application is activated in clinic and records audio proceedings of patient encounters. Recordings are transmitted to a remotely located medical scribe who translates patient-physician discussions into comprehensive clinic notes per the physician’s preferences. We hypothesize that virtual scribe services result in accurate notes, simple integration and high satisfaction. Methods: A modified version of a previously validated survey on physician documentation quality and satisfaction was digitally distributed to 193 orthopaedic surgeons who were using the iScribes system. The survey consisted of 16 domains relating to implementation, ease-of-use, efficiency, integration with electronic medical records, information quality, overall satisfaction and comparison to prior documentation systems. Results: Of the 193 physicians surveyed, 94 responded (49%). The majority (85%) were in private practice with the remaining in private-academic hybrids (2%), university systems (5%) and hospital employment (7%). Prior documentation modes were standard dictation (80%), Dragon voice-recognition (14%) and self-written/typed notation (6%). The average practice duration was 15 years (range: 1-34 years), and the average time utilizing the virtual scribe service was 12 months (range: 1-48 months). Providers rated the following domains as “agree” or “strongly agree”: easy to use (96%), fast (92%), integrates with workflow (94%), acceptable security (90%), allows me to perform work well (95%), reliable (90%), information is complete/accurate (88%), satisfaction with technical support (92%), overall satisfaction (92%) and prefer iScribes over previous system (93%) (Figure 1). Conclusion: The iScribes virtual scribe service was associated with high physician satisfaction in all tested domains and was preferred over traditional documentation in the present cohort of orthopaedic surgeons. Prospective analysis of time, quality and cost metrics is warranted.