Clinical scribes and their association with patient experience in the otolaryngology clinic

• Published in: The Laryngoscope 2020-04, Vol.130 (4), p.E134-E139
• Main Authors: Rohlfing, Matthew L., Keefe, Katherine R., Komshian, Sevan R., Valentine, Alex D., Noordzij, J. Pieter, Levi, Jessica R., Brook, Christopher D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: efficiency; electronic health record; Otolaryngology; Patient satisfaction; Quality control; quality improvement; scribe
• ISSN: 0023-852X; 1531-4995
• DOI: 10.1002/lary.28075

Objectives/Hypothesis Electronic health records have brought many advantages but also placed a documentation burden on the provider during and after the clinic visit. Some otolaryngologists have countered this challenge by employing clinical scribes. This project aimed to better understand the influence of scribes on patient experience in the otolaryngology clinic. Study Design Retrospective cohort survey study. Methods Patients presenting to the otolaryngology clinic for new and follow‐up appointments were recruited to complete surveys about their experience. Results A total of 153 patients completed the survey, and 96 of those patients (62.7%) interacted with a scribe. Patient satisfaction was not significantly associated with participation of the scribe (P = .668). Similarly, patient rating of their physician on a scale of 1 to 10 was not associated with scribe involvement (P = .851). The patients who did interact with a scribe responded that the scribe positively impacted the visit 77.1% of the time. Participation of a resident, primary language other than English, and use of interpreter were associated with lower satisfaction (P = .004, P