What is it about?
Scribes can assist doctors when they see patients by undertaking their clerical work for them. This study describes the set up of a new program outside the USA and evaluates multiple aspects of the program. It demonstrates that it is possible and provides an instruction kit for others (including how to train scribes).
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Why is it important?
Whilst there are many scribe programs in the USA and even scribe colleges, there are very few to no programs outside the USA. Almost all scribe training and program setup is undertaken by commercial companies in the USA and information about how to set up a program is commercial-in-confidence. This is the only description, anywhere in the world, that provides hospitals with an evaluated instruction kit for setting up their own program. All hospital departments, contemplating a scribe program should read this paper, even if they intend to hire an external company to provide scribes, so they are better informed about the process and resources required and typical costs, prior to signing contracts.
Perspectives
I hope this article provides a practical resource for future scribe program directors. In an area with many opaque commercial interests, this offers an unbiased description of how to undertake the initiation and running of a scribe program outside the USA.
Katie Walker
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Feasibility evaluation of a pilot scribe-training program in an Australian emergency department*, Australian Health Review, January 2017, CSIRO Publishing,
DOI: 10.1071/ah16188.
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