ED leader: Scribes have many benefits
When Saddleback Memorial Medical Center, a five-hospital system in Laguna Hills, CA, hired scribes for its two EDs and eliminated the need for physician assistants, it saved a significant amount of money. However, that's not the only financial benefit the EDs have realized, says Marc Taub, MD, FACEP, medical director of the Saddleback Memorial ED.
"They allow our physicians to see more patients per hour, which means more revenue," Taub says. He points out that his physicians probably see at least one more patient per hour each since the addition of the scribes.
What's more, he adds, his facilities' performance outshines some of the others in his organization. "We serve with over 50 hospitals in a large physician organization [California Emergency Physicians], and we have some of the lowest levels of down-codes in the entire organization," Taub notes. "That's definitely dollars saved."
While the scribes are used for a variety of tasks, Taub makes one important exception. "We do not use them for CPOE [computerized physician order entry]," he says. "That would probably not be the safest option."
An added benefit is that this approach provides valuable experience for the pre-med students who fill the positions, Taub says. "It's an amazing experience for them. They learn about labs and disease processes," he states. "It's a huge win-win."
When Saddleback Memorial Medical Center, a five-hospital system in Laguna Hills, CA, hired scribes for its two EDs and eliminated the need for physician assistants, it saved a significant amount of money. However, that's not the only financial benefit the EDs have realized, says Marc Taub, MD, FACEP, medical director of the Saddleback Memorial ED.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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