Medical and Undergraduate Student Perceptions on Scribing in an Emergency Department

Ilya Abelev; Jacqueline Fraser; Donaldo D Canales; Natasha Hanson; Paul Atkinson; David Lewis

doi:10.7759/cureus.13836

Medical and Undergraduate Student Perceptions on Scribing in an Emergency Department

Cureus. 2021 Mar 11;13(3):e13836. doi: 10.7759/cureus.13836.

Authors

Ilya Abelev¹, Jacqueline Fraser¹, Donaldo D Canales², Natasha Hanson³, Paul Atkinson¹, David Lewis¹

Affiliations

¹ Emergency Medicine, Dalhousie University/Saint John Regional Hospital, Saint John, CAN.
² Research Services, Horizon Health Network, Saint John, CAN.
³ Research, Saint John Regional Hospital/Horizon Health Network, Saint John, CAN.

Abstract

Background A shift towards electronic medical records (EMR) has increased physician burnout and decreased physician satisfaction and productivity. One solution to alleviate EMR stressors is the implementation of medical scribes. Scribes have been shown to increase physician productivity and satisfaction. The study objective was to elucidate medical and undergraduate student scribing experience to determine if that experience can incentivize scribes to work in the emergency department. Methods Ten students scribed and shadowed at a tertiary ED between July 4, 2019, and August 10, 2019. Medical students participated in two scribing and two non-scribing (shadowing) sessions, each lasting four hours. Undergraduate students only had a scribing condition. To facilitate scribing, a laptop with a wireless keyboard was provided, as well as a stand-up laptop tray. An exit survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted after the scribing experience. The majority of insights were extracted from interviews. Transcripts were coded into thematic coding trees and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results All undergraduate students preferred volunteering in the ED over other volunteer experiences. All undergraduates cited direct access to the medical field, resume building, and perceived value added to the health care team as motivators to continue scribing. Most students credited demystification of the medical profession as a motivator. Most medical students felt scribing should be integrated into their curriculum. Based on survey results, five undergraduate students would volunteer 40 hours/week. Conclusion Our study showed that a volunteer model of scribing is feasible. Importantly, scribing may be an invaluable experience for directing career goals and ensuring that students intrinsically interested in medicine pursue the profession. Although a volunteer model may not provide the desired benefit in terms of ED efficiency, it may be an integral part of training the next wave of physicians.

Keywords: research in emergency medicine; scribe.