Medical Scribe Certification
Medical Scribe Certification 2024
A study published in the JCO journal ‘Oncology Practice’ found that over 100 doctors surveyed agreed that using a medical scribe greatly facilitated their patient consultations. Doctors reported that using a scribe saved them valuable time per patient, allowing them to provide more focused and attentive care.
A medical scribe is a paraprofessional who documents practitioner-patient interactions in real time. They are responsible for creating a complete and comprehensive record of the consultation session, ensuring its verification by the practitioner (doctor, registered nurse, or other professional), and coordinating with healthcare staff to update the patient's electronic health record (EHR) for easy access and retrieval.
The demand for medical scribes continues to grow. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a significant increase in the need for medical assistants who can handle both administrative tasks and clinical duties, with an expected growth rate of 18%—resulting in over 100,000 new jobs created each year until 2030.
Qualities and qualifications of medical scribes
A medical scribe, variously termed a Clinical Scribe, a Documentation Assistant, or simply a Scribe, functions like a Personal Assistant (PA) to a physician or health-care practitioner, documenting in detail the interaction between the practitioner and each patient, and subsequently updating the online medical records database or EHR.
Although the medical scribe community includes individuals from diverse backgrounds, the most typical profiles among medical scribes are:
Medical Scribe Certification
Current medical scribes or Certified Medical Assistants (CMAs) wishing to update their skills and knowledge
Pre-med and pre-health students (Undergraduate university students completing the required coursework for entry into medicine, dentistry, optometry, veterinary science and others)
Students waiting out a ‘gap year’ after being accepted into one of the health-care major courses like medicine
Those studying for associate/ bachelor degrees in associated health-care fields like nursing, counseling, sports medicine and rehabilitation therapy
Individuals with a high school diploma, with a strong background in biology and/or chemistry and proven communication skills
A medical scribe tracks, processes and records information of a highly technical nature in a time-critical fashion, often working in a high-pressure environment such as an Emergency Room (ER) or a Trauma Care Center. To do this, it is essential that s/he must possess the following characteristics:
Have an excellent command of language skills, especially listening comprehension
Possess a very good vocabulary and advanced spelling skills, with the ability to spell new and complex medical terminology by approximation
Demonstrate an ability to type at speeds between 60 and 70 wpm4
Excel at organizing information through notes, charts and checklists
Be capable of focusing on a single stream of information in a complex, dynamic situation
Example Scenario5: A medical scribe working in an ER may be surrounded by high noise levels, emotional content (pain and distress) and potentially confusing data, as medical terms and patient information are being discussed by multiple health-care staff such as nurses, EMTs, etc.
In addition to the above skills, successful medical scribes also possess certain common qualities. Unlike the verifiable skill-set listed earlier, however, these traits go deeper, are harder to assess, and might not be easy to acquire through training or certification.
Importantly, practitioners and medical scribes alike agree that these qualities are crucial in furthering a medical scribe’s career. In fact, one study summarized the five characteristics of an outstanding medical scribe, based on a survey of dozens of practitioners as well as medical scribes6:
1. Not afraid to ask questions
Survey respondents ranked this as the #1 quality of a good medical scribe. In order to ensure the accuracy of information entered into a patient’s EHR, a scribe must unhesitatingly ask questions and clarify details with the practitioner.
2. Able to handle pressure and criticism
Since health-care is often delivered in crisis situations, a medical scribe must be able to adapt to rapidly changing, sometimes turbulent situations, and to withstand criticism, since health-care professionals are also functioning under pressure.
3. Good at blending in and being unobtrusive
To put patients at ease, and to minimize distraction for both patients and practitioners, it is essential that a medical scribe should be able to function in ‘low-key’ mode—in the survey, many people characterized a good scribe as, “the fly on the wall”.
4. Quick learner
Given the huge amount of medical terminology and technical jargon that a medical scribe needs to master on the job, it is not just desirable but imperative that a scribe should be able to quickly grasp concepts and terms, and to remember and use them appropriately.
5. Genuinely interested in medicine
Not every medical scribe intends to become a health-care professional. Nonetheless, it is highly desirable that a medical scribe should have a real, deep interest in medical practice, and particularly, in improving patient outcomes through health-care.
Where medical scribes work
A medical scribe may be affiliated with any of the different types of health-care facilities7, including but not limited to:
primary care centers
urgent care services
specialist care clinics/ hospitals
emergency care centers
in-patient care clinics/ hospitals
What medical scribes do
In any and all of the above settings, a medical scribe’s portfolio includes most or all of the following duties8:
Listening in during an ongoing practitioner-patient consulting session (either on-site or through a remote interface)
Compiling notes on the relevant case details
Completing the required checklists, charts and tables in the EHR
Ensuring that any medical jargon and abbreviations used during consultation are correctly spelled out and entered in long form
Tracking the entry of the patient’s physical exam, vital signs and medical test results (lab work, scans, etc.) into the patient’s EHR
Entering billing-related coding into the EHR under practitioner supervision
Following up with practitioners to ensure verification and approval of documentation
Retrieving a previously created EHR for a patient’s follow-up visit
Why medical scribes are important
The accuracy of a patient’s medical record is critical for multiple reasons. While some are obvious, others have more indirect or long-term implications. Well-documented medical records lead to better health-care outcomes, by:
Improving patients’ ability to comply with recommendations regarding medication dosage, schedule, dietary and lifestyle adjustments9.
Allowing practitioners to track and monitor patients’ progress closely10.
Facilitating hassle-free health-care billing and insurance claims filing11.
Augmenting scientific knowledge of diseases, their prevention and cure12.
Evidently, medical scribes fulfill a critical need, helping providers deliver better quality patient care13. Not only that, the high-stakes nature of health-care means that there is very little margin for error in a medical scribe’s performance and output.
If all of this has made you conclude that being a medical scribe sounds like an extremely responsible and challenging job – you’re absolutely right!
How much do medical scribes get paid?
Estimates of the average pay for a medical scribe vary, ranging from $30,225 (talent.com) through $32,506 (glassdoor.com) to $32,616 (indeed.com) and the highest at $35,922 (salary.com).
Although not high-paying, the average hourly rate of roughly $14 for a medical scribe far exceeds the minimum federal hourly wage of $7.2514 paid by service industry positions open to students and individuals without advanced degrees.
In fact, income is not the primary incentive for most aspiring medical scribes, as outlined below.
Top motives listed by the majority of scribing candidates
1. Exposure to medical practice:
Being a medical scribe offers an unparalleled opportunity to experience health-care delivery up close. Therefore, it represents an ideal way to:
develop familiarity and comfort with complex medical terminology
gain some understanding of the process of health-care delivery, and
evaluate whether one is fitted for a career in health-care
2. Ability to contribute to health-care delivery
Not everyone may be fitted for a career on the frontline of health-care, because of a variety of physical, psychological or economic constraints. Working as a medical scribe allows individuals to contribute meaningfully to improving health-care without the need for direct involvement in patient care.
3. Enhanced career opportunities
A long-term career as a medical scribe is only one of several options. Gaining experience as a medical scribe is typically a gateway to other lucrative careers, such as:
Medical records and health information specialist: Generally found in the records departments of large health-care facilities. Although some organizations require specialist certification, many consider candidates experienced in medical record-keeping, particularly experience in EHR. The median salary for this occupation is estimated at $51,84015.
Insurance verification specialist: Required to be proficient in medical and drug terminology, EHR coding, data entry and management, as well as verbal and written communication. The median salary for this occupation is estimated at $60,93616.
Of course, a significant percentage of medical scribes go on to earn degrees in health-care, which enables them to pursue careers such as:
Registered Nurse (RN): median salary estimated at $75,33017.
Nurse Practitioner (NP): requires an advanced degree in nursing, median salary estimated at $111,68018.
Physician Assistant: median salary estimated at $115,39019.
Physician: median salary estimated at $208,00020.
Tele-scribing in a Post-Pandemic Era
The COVID-19 pandemic caused an upheaval in health-care practices, forcing health-care seekers as well as providers to rely on tele-medical consultations instead of in-person visits. As tele-medicine becomes a major method of health-care delivery in the long-term, the profile of medical scribing is rapidly adapting to this change.
‘Tele-scribes’ or ‘virtual scribes’ as they have come to be called, perform a very similar set of functions to medical scribes who work on-site at health-care facilities21. The major difference arises because of the remote location of a tele-scribe, which requires him/her to observe and record the consultation session through tele-conferencing and screen-sharing.
A tele-scribe is typically required to log in and access the medical records database through a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA-compliant, secure, encrypted connection. One of the major, unique responsibilities of a tele-scribe is ensuring data security, by following the prescribed protocol for log-in, data entry and log-out.
S/he may also be required to share screens with the practitioner, allowing the latter to oversee the process of compiling notes and updating the record. An additional challenge is the need for a tele-scribe to schedule interactions with the practitioner for clarifying information and verifying the updated medical record.
Why medical scribe certification and why it matters
At present, medical scribing is an under-regulated sector, meaning that it is possible to be recruited as a scribe with little to no prior experience or certification. The previous section outlined the diverse backgrounds of medical scribes, while highlighting the traits and abilities essential to doing well in the profession.
However, there are several sound reasons why an aspiring medical scribe should first complete an accredited certification program such as the ACMSO medical scribe Training or MST:
1. ACMSO’s program is developed and taught by physicians experienced in training medical scribes
What this means is that the ACMSO medical scribe certification actually prepares you for everything you need to know and deal with as a medical scribe, whether on-site or as a tele-scribe.
2. The ACMSO MST is comprehensive, with a wide coverage of medical specialties and health-care contexts
As an ACMSO-certified medical scribe, you can be confident of coping with the rigors and requirements of diverse specialties, from cardiology to dermatology and everything in between, including neurology, respiratory medicine, gastroenterology, endocrinology, psychiatry and numerous others.
The program has an especial focus on infectious diseases, geared towards preparing medical scribes to support practitioners in coping with outbreaks and pandemics like COVID-19.
3. Certification through ACMSO equips you to handle practitioner-patient consultations
Physicians widely use the ‘SOAP note’ (Subjective – Objective – Assessment – Plan) approach to structure patient consultations, and accurate documentation of this forms a crucial part of a medical scribe’s task. ACMSO MST certification training will allow you to develop not just familiarity but expertise at recording all important aspects of SOAP notes, including:
Subjective elements such as CC (Chief Complaint) and HPI (History of Present Illness)
Objective details like ROS (Review of Systems), vital signs and physical exam findings
Assessment by the practitioner, including problem and differential diagnosis
Plan of action, outlining practitioner-recommended tests, scans and any additional consultations and/or referrals, as well as medications, therapy and other suggested treatments.
4. The format of the ACMSO MST courses is designed to optimize attention and absorption
ACMSO maximizes your returns on the time and effort you invest in certification, by including a strategic mix of infographics, text and video material that heighten your cognitive engagement, in addition to practice modules of real-life cases that evaluate your retention and application of what you’ve learned.
5. ACMSO MST certification courses are fully online, and can be completed at your own pace
Many trainees enrolled in the ACMSO MST are busy professionals or students handling heavy work-loads. Accordingly, the program offers great flexibility, allowing trainees to complete individual modules at any time of day or night, and to pace the coursework to suit their schedules. This also makes it ideal for trainees who can dedicate several hours of study every day, allowing them to fast-track certification and complete in as little as two weeks.
6. Through ACMSO MST, you gain experience in working with all major EHR systems currently used in health-care settings
Due to the multiplicity of EHR platforms available at present, it is crucial that aspiring medical scribes must develop versatility in navigating and using different systems for recording and tracking patient medical records. ACMSO offers training in all major EHR systems, including EPIC, Cerner, Meditech, CPSI, Allscripts, Medhost, Netsmart and Athena.
7. The newly revised ACMSO MST certification course integrates all essential facets of training required for tele-scribes
Due to the COVID-19 induced shift in health-care delivery, a major proportion of practitioner-patient consultations have moved online, apparently for the long term. The ACMSO program assures that its trainees emerge with the competencies required to handle tele-scribing with ease and integrity.
8. The MST certification offered by ACMSO has solid accreditation
ACMSO’s MST program is accredited by two of the country’s most trusted medical organizations – the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
9. Completing the ACMSO MST confers multiple benefits
As an ACMSO-certified medical scribe, you are also eligible to receive letters of recommendation, such as those required for a medical school application. You can additionally have your résumé reviewed by the experts at ACMSO and get ACMSO support in medical scribe job placement.
10. The ACMSO MST certificate highlights all modules of the course
Your ACMSO MST certificate details your training in human biological systems, medical terminology, patient history and EHR platforms. By doing this, it effectively showcases your competencies to recruiters, enhancing your chances of getting hired quickly.
Tips from the pros for aspiring medical scribes
As the need for medical scribes and tele-scribes grows, these occupations represent an exciting opportunity for building a rewarding career with great growth prospects. As you set out along this path, do take a minute to look over the insights shared by some of the best medical scribes in our community – they share their experiences on what helped them most on this journey:
1. Be a medical scribe to find out if health-care is right for you
Most pre-med and pre-health students who have current or past experience as medical scribes recommend this path as the best way to figure out if the field of health-care is a good fit for you.
“No matter how much you study, or if medical dramas are your favorite, there’s only one way to find out if you’re cut out to be in health-care… go be a medical scribe!” was the way that one former scribe who’s now in med school summed it up.
2. Build your confidence as a future health-care practitioner vicariously
Even if you’re absolutely sure that you’re going to enter health-care, the idea of being responsible for people’s health and their lives can be scary. Working as a medical scribe is a really good way of gaining confidence in your own ability to carry out a patient consultation.
“By the time you’ve been a scribe for a year, you’ve done hundreds of consults, and you know you can do it on your own, when the time comes,” said one of our early trainees.
3. Maximize your exposure and versatility by scribing for different specialties
Many students enter health-care training without having a clear idea of what specialty they’d like to go in for. The medical scribes we spoke to affirmed that their scribing experience played an important role in helping them gain that clarity.
As one scribe who was recently accepted into medical school explained, “I realized that ER and psychiatry wasn’t for me… I’m clear now that what I want to do is pediatrics.”
4. Scribing takes 100% focus and high energy
All the scribes we surveyed were clear about one thing… there’s no room for distraction on the job! In fact, our interviewees recommended that even off the job, medical scribes should be careful about getting derailed by excessive social drinking, partying and similar activities that could leave them with low energy and poor attention on the job.
One former scribe summed it up like this, “The medical record you create is supposed to help someone live a healthier life. That’s a serious responsibility.”
5. The first few weeks are overwhelming – don’t quit!
Not surprisingly, nearly all the scribes in our survey had this suggestion for aspiring medical scribes. No matter how well-prepared you are, they all said, you’re likely to find it tough going at first. As one scribe declared,
“Don’t worry, it gets better. Give yourself time – you’ll surprise yourself!”
References:
Gao RW, Dugala A, Maxwell J et al.2020. Effect of medical scribes on outpatient oncology visits at a multidisciplinary cancer center. JCO Oncology Practice. 16(2): e139-e147. DOI: 10.1200/JOP.19.00307
Abdulahad D, Ekpa N, Baker E et al. 2020. Being a medical scribe: Good preparation for becoming a doctor. Med Sci Educ 30: 569-572. DOI: 10.1007/s40670-020-00937-w
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/medical-scribes-let-the-doctor-focus-on-you-2018110715249
https://www.britannica.com/video/214179/Job-description-medical-scribe
Horwitz LI, Moriarty JP, Chen C et al. 2013. Quality of discharge practices and patient understanding at an academic medical center. JAMA Intern Med 173(18): 1715-1722. DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.9318
https://www.wphealthcarenews.com/benefits-of-ehr-software-integrated-with-a-medical-billing-system/
https://www.statnews.com/2019/08/07/scribes-transform-health-care-structured-data/
Piersa AP, Laiteerapong N, Ham SA et al. 2021. Impact of a medical scribe on clinical efficiency and quality in an academic general internal medicine practice. BMC Health Serv Res, 21 (686). DOI: 10.1186/s12913-021-06710-y
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-records-and-health-information-technicians.htm#tab-5
https://www.salaryexpert.com/salary/job/insurance-verification-specialist/united-states
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physicians-and-surgeons.htm