S. 3035

Maximizing Efficiency and Improving Access to Providers at the Department of Veterans Affairs Act of 2016

This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out an 18-month pilot program to increase the use of medical scribes to maximize the efficiency of physicians at VA medical facilities. A "medical scribe" is defined as a member of the medical team hired and trained to perform documentation in an electronic health record to maximize the productivity of a physician.

The program shall be conducted at not fewer than five medical facilities: (1) that the VA determines have a high volume of patients; or (2) which are located in rural areas, at which there is a shortage of physicians, and each physician of which has a high caseload.

To carry out such program, the VA shall enter into a contract with one or more appropriate nongovernmental entities that train and employ professional medical scribes who specialize in the collection of medical data and data entry into electronic health records.

The VA shall collect data to determine the effectiveness of the program, including information on changes in the average wait times for veterans to receive care, the average number of patients that a physician is able to see, the average amount of time such a physician spends on documentation, physician satisfaction and retention scores, and patient satisfaction scores.