Medical scribe assisting a doctor in a busy emergency department, improving efficiency and patient care.

Scribes in the ED: Reducing Physician Burnout & Improving Patient Care?

Rhea Morgan in Health & Wellness June 2025 • 3 min read.

"Explore how medical scribes in emergency departments are changing the game for residents and patients."

In today's fast-paced healthcare environment, Emergency Departments (EDs) are under immense pressure. Electronic Health Records (EHRs), while intended to streamline processes, have often increased the burden on physicians, leading to burnout and decreased face-to-face time with patients. This is especially challenging in academic settings where residents need quality teaching and supervision.

Medical scribes have emerged as a promising solution to alleviate these pressures. By assisting with documentation and non-clinical tasks, scribes can free up physicians to focus on patient care and resident education. While the impact of scribes on productivity and patient satisfaction has been studied, their effect on resident education requires a closer look.

A recent study delved into how medical scribes impact the educational experiences of emergency medicine residents. The findings offer valuable insights into the potential of scribe programs to enhance training and improve the overall ED environment.

The Study: Scribes Enhance Resident Training

Medical scribe assisting a doctor in a busy emergency department, improving efficiency and patient care.

The study, conducted at a large urban academic medical center, examined emergency medicine residents' perceptions before and after implementing a scribe program. Residents were surveyed about their educational experiences, interactions with faculty, and overall satisfaction. The results revealed significant improvements in several key areas:

Residents reported enhanced educational experiences with significant improvements:

Increased Interaction with Faculty: Scribes reduced documentation demands, leading to more meaningful interactions (P = .012).
More Face-to-Face Teaching: Residents experienced increased direct teaching from faculty (P < .001).
Enhanced Supervision: Faculty provided greater supervision during procedures (P = .016).
Reduced Delays: Patient disposition times improved due to fewer documentation-related delays (P = .029).

These findings suggest that scribes not only improve efficiency but also create a more supportive learning environment for residents. By freeing up faculty time, scribes enable more focused teaching and supervision.

The Future of Scribes in Healthcare

The study underscores the potential of medical scribe programs to address the challenges posed by EHRs and improve the educational experiences of residents. As healthcare systems continue to evolve, scribes may become an integral part of the ED, supporting both physicians and patients. Further research is needed to explore the long-term effects of scribe programs and to optimize their implementation in various healthcare settings.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.4300/jgme-d-16-00807.1, Alternate LINK

Title: Implementation Of Scribes In An Academic Emergency Department: The Resident Perspective

Subject: General Medicine

Journal: Journal of Graduate Medical Education

Publisher: Journal of Graduate Medical Education

Authors: Evan Ou, Mary Mulcare, Sunday Clark, Rahul Sharma

Published: 2017-08-01

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Everything You Need To Know

1

What is the primary role of medical scribes in the Emergency Department (ED)?

Medical scribes primarily assist physicians with documentation and non-clinical tasks within the Emergency Department (ED). This support is crucial because it frees up physicians from administrative burdens, allowing them to focus on direct patient care and, in academic settings, on resident education. This shift is particularly impactful given the increasing documentation demands of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) which have intensified the pressures on physicians, leading to potential burnout.

2

How do medical scribes improve resident education in the Emergency Department (ED)?

In the Emergency Department (ED), medical scribes significantly improve resident education by reducing the documentation load on faculty. This reduction leads to increased interaction between residents and faculty, allowing for more meaningful teaching moments. The study showed a statistically significant increase in face-to-face teaching, improved supervision during procedures, and enhanced overall educational experiences. This creates a more supportive learning environment in the ED.

3

What specific improvements were observed in resident experiences after implementing a medical scribe program?

The study highlighted several key improvements in residents' experiences after the implementation of a medical scribe program. These include increased interaction with faculty (P = .012), more face-to-face teaching (P < .001), enhanced supervision during procedures (P = .016), and reduced delays in patient disposition times (P = .029). These improvements collectively contribute to a more effective and supportive learning environment for residents in the Emergency Department.

4

Beyond education, how else do medical scribes benefit the Emergency Department (ED) environment?

Medical scribes contribute to the overall efficiency of the Emergency Department (ED) by reducing physicians' documentation burdens, which in turn allows for quicker patient disposition times. The reduced administrative load enables physicians to spend more time on direct patient care and fosters a more focused and less stressful environment. This can positively impact both patient satisfaction and the quality of care.

5

What are the potential long-term implications of medical scribe programs in healthcare, and why is further research important?

The potential long-term implications of medical scribe programs are significant, suggesting that scribes may become an integral part of the Emergency Department (ED), supporting both physicians and patients. They can help to mitigate the negative effects of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and address physician burnout. Further research is needed to explore the long-term effects of these programs and optimize their implementation in various healthcare settings, ensuring their continued effectiveness and adaptability across different institutions and specialties.