Scribe Program Overview
In September of 2005, NACS initiated the Scribe Program for students pursuing a career in medicine. NACS currently staffs six Legacy Health emergency departments in the Portland Metro and Southwest Washington area including: Emanuel, Good Samaritan, Meridian Park, Mount Hood, Randall Children's, Salmon Creek and Silverton.
What We Do
Scribes provide real-time charting in Emergency Department (ED) settings. The scribe follows the ED physician into every patient room, records the patient's history and the reason for coming to the ED, and transcribes the physical exam as the doctor dictates. The scribe records the results of diagnostic tests, phone conversations with consulting physicians, and patient reexaminations. The scribe transcribes the patient's diagnosis, the physician’s clinical decision making and the plan for follow-up care.
Benefits to Doctors and Patients
- Improves patient care - the physician can spend more time maintaining eye contact with the patient rather than documenting while the patient talks
- Increases efficiency of the physician - many physicians spend up to 50% of their time documenting
- Makes the physician record a more complete document for clinical communication, billing, legal and quality assurance
Benefits of Being a Scribe
- Learn the responsibilities of being a physician
- Observe numerous patients with injuries and disease
- Craft an individual clinical style by learning from different doctors
- Be exposed to different medical specialties
- Become fluent in the language of medicine
- Become accustomed to electronic medical record documentation
- Prepare for medical school interviews
- Improve time management skills
- Master note taking skills
- And so much more!