INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Software for Business
After the paper transition is planned and executed , the organisation is ready to go live , with the Electronic Medical Record and Electronic Health Record solution providing access to information electronically .
During the transition phase , there may be a slowdown , but once the system has been adopted , time and cost savings will be incremental . To ensure that transition is smooth , you need to make sure everyone in the organisation is on-boarded , establish security protocols , conduct routine maintenance and backups for the system , and develop a disaster recovery plan .
With today ’ s wide variety of hard copy patient records , including faxed prescriptions , physician orders , referrals , collections of signatures , medical charts and other accumulated patient information , it is hard to imagine how to convert to a paperless office .
To ensure successful migration of paper charts and information to an Electronic Medical Record system , it is important to first determine what approach you want to use to convert your documents , files and charts .
These include :
• Manual in-house process , where documents are scanned directly into the solution
Key takeaways
• Electronic Medical Records systems are designed to keep track of a patient ’ s health and medical history in an electronic format
• Selecting the right scanning solution is the first step to becoming a successful paperless environment
• Transitioning any healthcare organisation from a paperbased environment to a digital one can be a complicated proposition
David Whitton , General Manager of Kodak Alaris , Middle East , Africa , East Europe , Turkey , Russia .
• Purchase a solution that provides sophisticated information indexing and allows users to scan charts into the solution
• Outsource the project to a service provider that specialises in document conversion for healthcare systems
When converting existing data and considering scanning options , first and foremost organisations need to ensure the integrity of data and image quality . They also need to consider ease of use : Is it a simple push-button process , or is it more complicated . And , of course , speed : How many pages scans per minute are expected . Also , is a backup scanner needed . This is important when considering the high volume of paperwork being transitioned .
You need to consider level of service from the solution provider . Will the scanner provider replace or fix a unit if there are break-downs . How promptly will they be able to correct a fault . Will they provide guidance to help make the transition smooth . These are questions that should be considered when selecting a solution provider .
Scanning is a relatively simple method for capturing electronic images of paper documents and storing them for online reference , either through a stand-alone solution or an Electronic Medical Record or Electronic Health Record or Enterprise Content Management solution . This process simply replaces paper charts with images of paper documents that are readily accessible , and most providers offer solutions that integrate with existing healthcare applications .
However , what you really need to consider is how well the scanning solution performs and whether they can be customised to work with your Electronic Medical Record system . The most important features to consider when selecting a scanning solution are quality of image scanned , ease of use , speed and service .
Selecting the right scanning solution is the first step to becoming a successful paperless environment . Once you have taken the leap to become digital , you need to consider the most effective way to incorporate all existing patient documentation and information . A documented conversion protocol must be established and followed as part of your organisation ’ s transition to digital .
Selecting a suitable scanning solution for transition to Electronic Medical Record is a critical first step that includes the conversion of paper files into electronic images that can be imported into your Electronic Medical Record platform for access . To make this transition seamless , you need to ensure your solution offers the appropriate scanning volume and high-quality images . Otherwise , this step may be a slow and arduous process .
Many organisations mistakenly believe they can get by with a commodity scanner , they already have in the office . Shaving dollars off your document conversion programme will result in wasted man-hours and frustration on the part of employees , ultimately diminishing the quality of care delivered to patients . Efficiently converting back-files and day-forward documents is an important step in your organisation ’ s transition to Electronic Medical Record transformation .
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