Jeremy Kaplan
The job of medical scribe is very similar to the job of a personal assistant, only the medical scribe works for a doctor. Their job is to help research and prepare documents so that doctors don’t have to do so.
This allows the doctors to focus on the patient themselves, and also gives the medical scribe a chance to work with a doctor and learn even more about medicine. From helping calm anxiety to easing pain and inflammation, here are some things to expect from medical scribe jobs.
Secretarial Work
When people think of personal assistants, this is the category that they tend to think of. Medical scribes do a lot of secretarial and clerical work. They write letters, send faxes, and find medical records. In addition, this job requires quite a bit of typing, as the medical scribe is responsible for taking detailed notes of the interactions that the doctors and nurses have with each patient. Other duties include speaking on the phone, and the mailing and faxing of letters and records. Medical scribes are expected to be responsible, on time, and able to perform many different jobs. They also should not take attention away from the patients, since the patients are the reason that the hospital or clinic is open.
Medical Work
Although medical scribes do not examine patients, they do perform other tasks that help lighten the load of the doctors they work with. Since their job is to help lighten the load of the doctors that they are working with, they can have a wide variety of assignments. Medical scribes can check on and record the results of tests that are run, as well as go to other hospitals and clinics to get additional records. Medical scribes also check medical records and other forms to make sure that they are accurate. These forms also must be filled out using the proper procedures, and kept confidential.
Training Opportunities
While scribes don’t practice medicine, they are working one-on-one with a doctor. As a result, they are able to learn how to take notes and write in medical shorthand quickly and efficiently. This job allows them to see firsthand what the life of a doctor truly is, and to practice things like reading test results. Scribes also attend training on a variety of other topics. They learn about technology in the hospital, legal terms and what they mean, how to follow the laws, and how to effectively keep records and work in the billing department. Scribes also work as editors, making sure that their team has records that are as error-free as possible. These skills all require some form of training to perfect.
The job of a medical scribe is an important one. Although it can vary from day to day in tasks, the overall job remains the same. The medical scribe is there to help doctors help patients. By the two working together, more people have access to health care, the scribe learns valuable skills about the medical profession, and the doctor has someone to help them keep up with their paperwork.
