Walden bill establishes pilot program to relieve administrative burdens for VA doctors

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors would face fewer administrative burdens and have more time to spend seeing patients under legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) this week.

The VA Medical Scribes Pilot Act would enable physicians to use medical scribes — assistants that focus on electronic health records (EHR) documentation and information gathering for patient visits — to help ease administrative burdens, giving them more time to spend with veteran patients.

“The legislation we’ve introduced is really going to be important for our veterans all across Oregon and America because it frees up doctors to do what they do best: take care of patients,” Walden said. “Our plan will set up a pilot program to bring scribes in to do paperwork and record-keeping in the VA process. One thing we’ve learned is that there aren’t enough providers in the VA process to take timely care of our veterans.”

The use of medical scribes in the private sector has resulted in a 59 percent increase in the number of patients that physicians see per hour, studies have shown.

Walden, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, introduced the legislation with U.S. Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN), the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee.

“This legislation should free up the providers we have to actually see the patients and take care of them with their medical needs, and allow others to do the paperwork,” Walden said. “I think it makes a lot of sense for our veterans and for the VA, and I look forward to seeing this legislation moving through the Veterans Affairs Committee.”

Charles Schmidt, the national commander of the American Legion, said the medical scribes pilot program would greatly assist VA doctors by helping to relieve administrative burdens.

“This would enable VA doctors to see more veterans per day and spend more time with each patient,” Schmidt said. “Providing doctors medical scribes would help the VA improve the work environment, reduce physician burnout and recruit and retain quality physicians. The American Legion wholeheartedly supports this proposed legislation as currently written.”