Effects of medical scribes on patients, physicians, and safety: A scoping review

Abstract

A scoping review was conducted to investigate the effects of medical scribes on physician and patient satisfaction, physician burnout, the educational experience of medical students and residents, risk, and safety. The databases PubMed, EMBASE, and CINAHL were searched for the years 2000-2020. Relevant studies were analyzed qualitatively. Literature analysis found that medical scribes increase physician satisfaction and decrease physician burnout, while having minimal impact on patient satisfaction. Patient impressions of scribes tend to be neutral to positive. The effects of scribes on medical student and resident education appear positive in preliminary results. Scribe-generated notes seem to be of equal or greater quality compared to physician-generated notes, though few studies have examined this issue. The impact of scribes on risk and safety has not been fully studied. Few studies of medical scribes have been conducted in Canada, and only one has been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Medical scribes are a promising solution to the growing challenge of physician documentation-related burden fueled by electronic health records and electronic medical records. Studies on the impact of scribes in countries other than the United States are needed. Administrative hurdles to the implementation of scribes in Canadian hospitals could be a barrier to pilot studies in Canada.