To scribe or not to scribe? That is the question.

<p>"I was working at an urgent treatment center, where a busy Saturday in January would be overwhelming. At one point, I hired a scribe. She was a bright young woman interested in medicine and some alacrity with computers. It was a pleasant change of pace for me.</p> <p>She would accompany me into the exam room under instructions to remain unobtrusive and abide by HIPAA. I found that she could record the pertinent negatives and positives on the physical exam and the review of systems. She could record the assessment and plan as well.</p> <p>I was then able to give the patient my full attention during their 15-minute visit. I could even maintain eye contact and have a conversation without the distraction of a computer screen demanding my attention. I could feel like a human being instead of a data entry clerk."</p> <p><a href="https://health.usnews.com/doctors/janet-tamaren-349564" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer follow" data-wpel-link= "exclude">Janet Tamaren</a> is a family physician and author of <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09BPL5H69/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=kevcom-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B09BPL5H69&linkId=21980a9ea9e92231f4cd8b830d2788bf" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl= "https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amazon.com/Yankee-Doctor-Bible-Belt-Memoir-ebook/dp/B09BPL5H69&source=gmail&ust=1629199971880000&usg=AFQjCNGJYN39e1LgHcPjXeDqA_MGcNokXQ" data-wpel-link="external">Yankee Doctor in the Bible Belt: A Memoir</a>. She can be reached at her self-titled site, <a href="https://janettamaren.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link= "external">Dr. Janet Tamaren</a>, and on Twitter <a href= "https://twitter.com/jtamaren?lang=en" target="_blank" rel= "noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link= "external">@jtamaren</a>.</p> <p>She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "<a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/2022/05/to-scribe-or-not-to-scribe-that-is-t