Throughout our Provider Enablement series, we’ve explored the what and why of provider enablement. Here’s what we covered:

What is provider enablement?

It’s a simple idea with big potential for impact: thoughtfully redesigning your care team strategy to incorporate methods and tools that promote better provider engagement.

When every member of a care team is an expert at what they do, and no one is left picking up the slack or multitasking to handle administrative burden, care teams and patients tend to be happier, producing better outcomes. 

Why do we need provider enablement?

When providers aren’t supported to do what they do best (see also, working top-of-license), both healthcare providers and patients suffer. Burnout is still very real and very prevalent.

“A late 2023 study collected and compared the results of 37 different studies on burnout. A majority of the studies they analyzed found that EHR use in general contributed to physician burnout. Additionally, a number of studies measured time spent on virtual tasks and identified that increased time spent in the EHR correlated with increased rates of burnout (Alobayli et. al.)”

From “What is Provider Enablement?” by ScribeAmerica

We also need to prepare for the coming care team shortages. With fewer available team members, we need to work smarter, not harder. That means recentering care on the patient, first and foremost. 

“Talent retention and top-of-license work are both crucial for the future as we move towards larger and larger predicted shortages in the United States. The U.S. is expected to face a shortage of 86,000 physicians by the year 2036 (Spoehr). Larger still is the gap for registered nurses, where 2032 faces a predicted nursing shortage of more than 193,000 RNs (AACN).”

From “Provider Enablement: Preparing for Future Healthcare Shortages” by ScribeAmerica

What is top-of-license care?

Top-of-license care refers to care team members performing at the height of their abilities. A cardiologist could welcome and greet patients, but other care team members wouldn’t be able to do a cardiologist’s job. Therefore, top-of-license care focuses on making sure team members are doing the job they are most qualified to do. 

“With top-of-license practice comes greater pride in the work that individuals do. Being caught up in smaller menial tasks can be demoralizing for team members, breeding resentment and frustration, all contributors to burnout. Allowing care team members to focus on the work they are passionate about (and if not passionate about, at least uniquely qualified to do) can help improve patient throughput, boost morale, increase patient access to care, and overall clinical efficiency.”

From “Provider Enablement: Top-of-License Care and Why it Matters” by ScribeAmerica

What is point-of-care?

Point-of-care refers to the interaction between a patient and a doctor, focusing on that interaction above all else. There is a lot that goes into a healthcare interaction: intake, pre-screening, chart prep, vitals, patient triage, charting and documentation, referrals, scheduling, discharge instructions. But all of that is secondary to the moment that a provider and patient connect, and the health needs of the patient are assessed.

“Provider enablement should prioritize direct care support, emphasizing the importance of quality, face-to-face interactions with patients above all else. This shift in focus improves quality of care, enabling providers to be more focused and less distracted. It also often restores the passion of the calling for providers, enabling them to do the work that is most impactful and important to them. Focus on point-of-care ultimately improves metrics such as Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS), patient survey scores, and readmission rates.”

From “Provider Enablement: Point-of-Care as a Priority” by ScribeAmerica

What is the impact of provider enablement?

It doesn’t just matter that providers have enough time to see and interact with their patients. It also matters that patients feel like they are being taken care of by someone who cares. Patient perception of doctors impacts health outcomes, affecting things like patient throughput, readmission rates, cost of care, and more.

“Last year’s A model of contributors to a trusting patient-physician relationship: a critical review using a systematic search strategy, evaluated what physician factors contribute to patient trust, discovering that communication, active listening with eye contact, smiling, and the time patients and providers spent together were all important determining factors. Specifically highlighted was the fact that “physicians appearing rushed was a barrier to a trusting relationship.” All of these factors are more likely in happier providers with more time on their hands, not less.”

From “Provider Enablement: Point-of-Care as a Priority” by ScribeAmerica

What did we learn?

Provider enablement isn’t just helpful, it’s essential. As we face continued burnout and healthcare worker shortages, we must guard provider experiences and work to make their roles easier, not more difficult. By focusing on point-of-care, all care team members are able to work top-of-license, promoting pride in their work, reducing burnout, and increasing productivity. The addition of special

How can ScribeAmerica help?
ScribeAmerica’s customizable solutions encourage provider enablement with documentation support, turnkey workforce staffing, and ambient AI technology. Want to learn more? Contact us.