Patient Satisfaction in Ophthalmology: The Impact of Remote Scribes

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Clinical Operations
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Patient satisfaction is a key metric in healthcare quality.
• Optimizing clinical workflow and reducing patient wait times are ongoing challenges.
• The adoption of remote scribing presents a potential solution for improving efficiency and patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between the implementation of remote scribing and patient satisfaction.
• To assess the impact of remote scribes on patient wait times and overall clinical flow.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 23 physicians transitioning to remote scribes over a two-year period.
• Collection and analysis of Net Promoter Score (NPS) data from 272,885 patient responses before and after the transition.
• Measurement of patient time spent in primary waiting rooms and exam rooms.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant improvement in NPS for both physician recommendation (9.34 to 9.44) and practice recommendation (9.54 to 9.60).
• A significant reduction in mean patient wait times: primary waiting room (14.88 to 13.41 minutes) and exam room (22.89 to 21.22 minutes).
• All secondary outcome measures also demonstrated improvement post-transition.

Conclusions:

• The implementation of remote scribes positively impacts patient satisfaction, as evidenced by NPS.
• Remote scribing is associated with decreased patient wait times, improving the overall patient experience.
• Physicians may consider remote scribes to enhance patient satisfaction and optimize clinical workflow.