I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1848 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program 

on the use of medical scribes in Department of Veterans Affairs medical 

centers. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 3, 2017 

Mr. ROE of Tennessee (for himself, Mr. WALDEN, and Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 

a pilot program on the use of medical scribes in Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Affairs Med5 ical Scribe Pilot Act of 2017’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL 

7 SCRIBE PILOT PROGRAM. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

9 shall carry out a two-year pilot program under which the 


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1 Secretary shall increase the use of medical scribes at De2 partment of Veterans Affairs medical centers. 

3 (b) LOCATIONS.—The Secretary shall carry out the 

4 pilot program at the 10 medical centers of the Department 

5 as follows: 

6 (1) At least four such medical centers located 

7 in rural areas. 

8 (2) At least four such medical centers located 

9 in urban areas. 

10 (3) Two such medical centers located in areas 

11 with need for increased access or increased effi12 ciency, as determine by the Secretary. 

13 (c) MEDICAL SCRIBES.— 

14 (1) HIRING.—Under the pilot program the Sec15 retary shall— 

16 (A) hire 20 new Department of Veterans 

17 Affairs term employees as medical scribes; and 

18 (B) seek to enter into contracts with ap19 propriate entities for the employment of 20 ad20 ditional medical scribes. 

21 (2) DISTRIBUTION.—The Secretary shall assign 

22 four medical scribes to each of the 10 medical cen23 ters of the Department where the Secretary carries 

24 out the pilot program as follows: 


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1 (A) Two scribes shall be assigned to each 

2 of two physicians. 

3 (B) Thirty percent of the scribes shall be 

4 employed in the provision of emergency care. 

5 (C) Seventy percent of the scribes shall be 

6 employed in the provision of speciality care in 

7 specialties with the longest patient wait times 

8 or lowest efficiency ratings, as determined by 

9 the Secretary. 

10 (d) REPORTS.— 

11 (1) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 

12 180 days after the commencement of the pilot pro13 gram required under this section, and every 180 

14 days thereafter for the duration of the pilot pro15 gram, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit 

16 to Congress a report on the pilot program. Each 

17 such report shall include each of the following: 

18 (A) A separate analysis of each the fol19 lowing with respect to medical scribes employed 

20 by the Department of Veterans Affairs and 

21 medical scribes performing Department of Vet22 erans Affairs functions under a contract: 

23 (i) Provider efficiency. 

24 (ii) Patient satisfaction. 

25 (iii) Average wait time. 


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1 (iv) The number of patients seen per 

2 day by each physician or practitioner. 

3 (v) The amount of time required to 

4 hire and train an employee to perform 

5 medical scribe functions under the pilot 

6 program. 

7 (B) Metrics and data for analyzing the ef8 fects of the pilot program, including an evalua9 tion of the each of the elements under clauses 

10 (i) through (iv) of subparagraph (A) at medical 

11 centers who employed scribes under the pilot 

12 program for an appropriate period preceding 

13 the hiring of such scribes. 

14 (2) COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT.—Not 

15 later than 90 days after the termination of the pilot 

16 program under this section, the Comptroller General 

17 of the United States shall submit to Congress a re18 port on the pilot program. Such report shall include 

19 a comparison of the pilot program with similar pro20 grams carried out in the private sector. 

21 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

22 (1) The term ‘‘medical scribe’’ means an unli23 censed individual hired to enter information into the 

24 electronic health record or chart at the direction of 


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1 a physician or licensed independent practitioner 

2 whose responsibilities include the following: 

3 (A) Assisting the physician or practitioner 

4 in navigating the electronic health record. 

5 (B) Responding to various messages as di6 rected by the physician or practitioner. 

7 (C) Entering information into the elec8 tronic health record, as directed by the physi9 cian or practitioner. 

10 (2) The terms ‘‘urban’’ and ‘‘rural’’ have the 

11 meanings given such terms under the rural-urban 

12 commuting codes developed by the Secretary of Agri13 culture and the Secretary of Health and Human 

14 Services. 

15 (f) FUNDING.—The pilot program under this section 

16 shall be carried out using amounts otherwise authorized 

17 to be appropriated for the Department of Veterans Af18 fairs. No additional amounts are authorized to be appro19 priated to carry out such program. 

Æ 


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