E-learning Training Program to Prepare Medical Scribes to Work in a Hospital Emergency Department

Trains Pre-Medical and Pre-Professional Students to Record Information About the Comprehensive Medical Encounter as Instructed by a Physician

This web-based training course prepares a medical scribe to accompany a medical provider on each patient encounter to abstract and transcribe the electronic medical record (EMR) during the provider’s interaction with a patient. On average, emergency department providers spend only half of their time with patients and half reviewing test results, recording treatment and discharge orders, writing prescriptions and reviewing test results. A scribe program can reduce this documentation load, allowing providers to focus more on patient diagnosis and care. But scribes must understand and use medical terminology accurately and also learn to anticipate the workflow of an emergency department.

Researchers and clinicians at the University of Florida have developed a web-based learning platform that integrates all the learning objectives necessary for scribes to become integral members of the medical team. This training course can replace classroom training, allowing students to learn at their own pace and to have around-the-clock access to learning resources. It also gives training coordinators a platform to give individualized feedback. The platform adheres to Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) specifications, technical standards for e-learning products that ensure content and learning management software works together.

Application

Web-based training program with integrated objectives for medical scribes in the emergency department

Advantages

• Expedites patient flow through the emergency department, decreasing the duration of individual patient visits
• Integrates learning objectives, providing a comprehensive emergency department experience
• Provides 24/7 access to learning resources, allowing self-paced learning
• Gives training coordinators a feedback platform, allowing individualized attention
• Potentially reduces emergency department training costs
• Improves provider satisfaction

Technology

This e-learning course teaches medical terminology, documentation and charting procedures, and emergency department workflow. The course includes 120 hours of instruction, up to two weekly hands-on training shifts in the emergency department, and weekly quizzes. This program meets SCORM specifications.