In praise of medical scribes

[Wall Street Journal, April 06, 2014] Dr. Alan Bank, a cardiologist at United Heart & Vascular Clinic, St. Paul, writes in the Wall Street Journal about how medical scribes are saving money and improving patient satisfaction:

We often think that a complex problem (such as health care in the U.S.) requires a complex solution (Obamacare). Yet some important issues that are not adequately addressed with the current health care overhaul include decreased patient and physician satisfaction, reduced access to care, and the increasing cost of care.

For instance, the electronic medical record-keeping that has been mandated as part of new health-care policy has complicated the lives of many physicians and led to substantial physician dissatisfaction. Read the full article at the Wall Street Journal online (subscription required).