Research
Why we moved beyond scribing
The studies collected here document what electronic records did to clinical practice. They are the reason SharpScribe started as a scribing company in 2016. The research has since widened: the charting was never the whole problem, and neither is the charting the whole solution. That is what a Virtual Medical Assistant is for.
Virtual Medical Assistants
Research on the wider administrative burden
The studies below measure the work that surrounds the chart — the inbox, the authorizations, the paperwork — and what happens when it moves off the physician. Every figure is quoted from the source; follow the link to read it in full.
Half the office day never reaches the patient
A time-and-motion study across four specialties found physicians spent 49.2% of the office day on EHR and desk work, against 27.0% on direct clinical face time with patients. In the exam room itself, another 37% of the time went to EHR and desk work.
Why it matters here: This is the work a Virtual Medical Assistant is hired to absorb.
The inbox is its own workload — and it tracks with burnout
Across 934 physicians, EHR system-generated messages made up 114 of the 243 in-basket messages received each week — more than those from colleagues (53) and patients (30) combined. Receiving more than the average number was associated with a 40% higher probability of burnout and a 38% higher probability of intending to cut clinical hours.
Why it matters here: In-basket triage is core VMA work, not something a documentation-only service covers.
Prior authorization alone costs 13 hours a week
A survey of practicing US physicians found that physicians and their staff spend an average of 13 hours each week completing prior authorizations. 40% of physicians employ staff who work exclusively on prior authorization, and 94% report that it somewhat or significantly increases physician burnout.
Why it matters here: Preparing and tracking authorization packets is one of the four things a VMA does.
Moving a task off the physician — with the physician still signing
A quality-improvement initiative moved one recurring form off physicians and onto other staff, leaving the physician to review and sign it rather than complete it. 76% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the change reduced their workload.
Why it matters here: This is precisely the VMA model: the work is prepared for you, and you keep the signature.
Virtual Scribing
Research on medical scribes
The studies that led us to build a scribing service in the first place.
RESEARCH
Study shows benefits of using medical scribes in primary care
“A 12-month study from Kaiser Permanente Northern California found using medical scribes in primary care may reduce EHR burdens for clinicians, improve workflow and clinician-patient interactions, and increase job satisfaction. The study found 57% of patients said their clinician spent less time on the computer when a medical scribe was present, and 49.8% said their physician spent more time than usual interacting with their patients.”
Doctors Wasting Over Two-Thirds of Their Time Doing Paperwork
“A recently published study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that for every hour physicians were seeing patients, they were spending nearly two additional hours on paperwork. Is this really the best use of doctors’ training and ability? Isn’t this like telling LeBron James to spend the majority of his time manning the Cleveland Cavaliers ticket windows and phone lines? And isn’t this also wasting the time of patients, who came for the doctor’s medical expertise, not paperwork expertise?”
EMRs a 4,000 Click-A-Day Problem
“For every hour with patients, doctors are spending two hours on the computer … This has to change,” said Verghese. “The EMR of today is a mistake of epic proportions.”
Taming the EHR Beast: 7 Tips to Reduce Administrative Task Time
“While hiring scribes to enter information into EHRs is an added expenditure, doing so can free up providers to focus more of their time on patients, says Dickey. According to the American Health Information Management Association, experienced scribes can improve the overall quality of documentation, which can support “meaningful use” requirements and improve compliance with quality targets and billing and reimbursement.”
PROFESSIONAL LINKS
The evidence behind the administrative burden
Guidance and standards from the professional bodies that govern clinical documentation.
More Than Documentation. A Qualified Virtual Medical Assistant on Your Team.
The research below describes the burden. A SharpScribe Virtual Medical Assistant is how we take it on — documentation, in-basket, prior authorizations and front office.