Document Scanning Company

The legal industry is constantly challenged with maintaining vast amounts of paper records and files. The amount of paperwork that is attributed to each case can be mind-boggling. Computer technology is changing and improving the way that many professions conduct their businesses, and the legal industry is no exception. To keep up with the pace of a technologically driven era, many law firms are hiring document scanning companies to manage and organize their documents electronically, so that they may be more competitive and functional in an increasingly digital world.

 

Document scanning companies can offer a variety of services that make transitioning from a paper office to a digital one, both easy and affordable. Accuracy, accessibility and security are always a prime concern for law firms. A professional document scanning company can implement an electronic record keeping system that can provide all of these desired business features, at a reasonable cost. 

 

Law firms that have transitioned to electronic documents (ED) insist that the new system has helped to reduce business expenses, eliminate storage problems, improve efficiency, and significantly enhance collaboration amongst associates. Creating an electronic records network can benefit firms that are operating out of several different offices or operating in a larger building with several different floors.

 

Gathering the necessary information to prepare for a single case was a task that previously took days and required a team of law associates to sort through boxes of paper files. Electronic files through document scanning are retrieved in a much more time-efficient manner than paper records, which saves time and money. Digital records are categorized and found in a single electronic database catalogue, so that all authorized legal associates are able to access any needed documents, at any time, without worrying about misplaced files or having to rely on photocopies or expensive courier services.

Document scanning is the process of electronically scanning paper documents to convert them into digital files. Digital files are then saved and stored on a computer or a on a compact disc. Converting office documents to electronic files is becoming more desirable for many businesses, including the health care industry, because of the many benefits that it offers. Document scanning helps businesses manage their increasing paper problems.

 

 

Many business owners agree that electronic files enhance a company in regard to organization and efficiency. However, many of them are under the false impression that it is more cost-effective for them to purchase inexpensive scanning equipment and have their employees perform the document scanning duties. While initially, this may seem like the most affordable option, research has shown that it is actually more expensive in the long-term. Inexpensive desktop scanners, the type of scanners that are usually purchased by businesses, are only capable of scanning limited amounts of documents per day. A company that needs to process a large volume of documents would need to purchase a high-end document scanner, which would cost in the area of twenty-thousand dollars.

 

 

In addition to purchasing the scanner, document scanning is a time-consuming task. It is more cost effective to outsource this type of work to a professional document scanning company for a flat fee, than to have employees perform waste their working hours scanning documents, in addition to their other everyday responsibilities. Professional document scanning companies typically charge a low per image price, and do not charge you for the amount of time needed to complete the job.

 

 

Hiring a reputable document scanning company reassures you that a team of professionals is handling the workload and it will be done efficiently and accurately. When you outsource your document scanning needs, you can be confident that the job is being done well, without sacrificing quality. The scanned images are of high-resolution and if you should be dissatisfied for any reason, or require any adjustments; your vendor is there to assist you with all of your needs.

In an effort to upgrade the present health care system, the Obama Administration has proposed an economic stimulus bill that is funded by a 1.2 billion dollar grant to help the United States implement a nationwide electronic medical records (EMR) health program. These grants will financially assist physicians with the expense of making this transition from paper records to electronic records smoother. Proponents of the bill declare that the implementation of an electronic medical record system will upgrade the current system, creating more efficiency, and saving costs in the long-term. In terms of saving money, some experts have estimated that once fully implemented, an electronic medical records program can save the U.S. health industry in the area of eighty billion dollars annually.

 

In addition to saving money, another goal of this bill is to reduce errors in patient care and reduce time that is wasted gathering patient data and records. When physicians and health care workers were questioned about their faith in the program, they agreed that an document scanning system would be a valuable time-saving strategy. Patients typically visit several different doctors and having access to all of a patient’s medical history available instantaneously, would eliminate the time that is presently wasted gathering personal medical data from various offices. However, many of them questioned how much human errors would decrease; due largely to the fact that there is always a possibility that information could be put into the system incorrectly.

 

Implementing a document scanning system in the United States has also raised concerns about the privacy of individuals. The stimulus bill does have provisions that are geared to protect patient privacy. However, defining privacy is going to be a challenge. If electronic medical data is shared through a public database, it could be available to all medical professionals without any limitations. Some privacy advocate groups support a system that allows patients to control what information a particular physician can see. They argue that it is not necessary for a dermatologist to know if a woman has had an abortion. However, the majority of health workers agree that in an emergency room situation, it is important for doctors to have a full history of the patient, so that the best treatment can be provided.

It is hard to deny that electronic medical records (EMR) can offer hospitals and other health providing facilities a better way to provide patients with health care. Concise, organized medical records can only improve the process of any type of medical treatment being provided. Hospitals and medical treatment facilities are in the process of converting their paper charts to electronic medical records (EMR). While EMR scanning can be a time consuming practice and the initial investment may appear to be costly, advocates of EMR propose that the system will eventually result in greater cost savings and produce a more efficient health care system.

 

Most health care workers know that there are many hassles in dealing with paper charts. Hand-written charts are often difficult to read and paper files can be cumbersome and hard to manage with any degree of efficiency. Also, paper charts are not a cost-effective method, because they require a great deal of available storage space. Electronic medical records that are stored in computer data bases reduce storage costs and repetitive office supply costs. In addition to consuming a great deal of office space, paper files, which are typically  handled by various people, are not the most sanitary record keeping system and sanitary concerns should always be a concern in any health care environment.  Furthermore, it is not uncommon for paper files to be misplaced because they are constantly being transferred from person to person.

 

Probably the most advantageous aspect of EMR scanning is that health care teams have greater access to medical records, which gives them a greater ability to coordinate patient care. Doctors within the same institution, or at various locations, can easily share patient information. This convenience saves valuable time because it eliminates the need for phone calls, emails, and faxes between physicians and staff. EMR technology is safer for patients and reduces physician liability because it can avoid unnecessary duplication testing and prevent any medication conflicts.

New health laws passed by the United States government are requiring that all paper medical records eventually be fully converted into electronic medical records (EMR). While most people support the conversion to emergency medical records, some medical professionals are proposing that is would be beneficial to link each person to a Universal Patient Identifier (UPI) number. The U.S. is investing billions of dollars in this endeavor and some health providers are advocates, while others strongly disagree with the new UPI system.

 

Health professionals agree that medical record scanning facilitate the process of sharing patient information amongst doctors. Those who support the use of a UPI, say that population growth has created mass confusion in identifying patients with multiple names and other similar personal data. They fear that without a UPI system there could be many cases of mistaken identity and that would pose a great danger to patient health care. In addition, they insist that A UPI would serve a better purpose than a social security number, since it is not connected to other personal information, especially financial information, and therefore it provides patients with more privacy and security. Advocates believe that a UPI system enhances the EMR scanning system because it is the safest and most efficient way to link medical patients to their personal medical data.

 

By contrast, privacy rights activist groups strongly disagree with the theory that UPI’s are the smartest way to connect people with their health records. They declare that patient medical information is currently being gathered and sold without patient consent for commercial gain purposes, and that a UPI system would intensify this already defunct system. They propose that patients would begin to purposely omit pertinent health information, in an effort to protect their privacy, and this would result in a vast deterioration of health care.

Today, more and more high school seniors are choosing to attend college in search of better paying jobs in a struggling economic environment and college application rates are at an all time high. For this reason, higher-education establishments are finding themselves in a situation where they are dealing with the challenges of storing massive amounts of paper documentation every academic year.

 

While increasing space and finances are important issues, another important factor is the preserving of school records. Commonly, many school establishments use basements to store their records. Based on random survey responses and insurance claims, research has shown that materials that are stored in a basement are frequently at risk of suffering from weather related damages, such as flooding. Furthermore, the historic buildings, that are so commonly prevalent on many college campuses, were not constructed in proper accordance to make them suitable buildings for bulky and overweight record storage.

 

Virginia Commonwealth University and Metropolitan Community College are two higher-learning facilities that have made the digital transition and are extremely satisfied with the results. Spokespersons from both schools admitted that they could justify the investment financially and also in regard to daily employee working conditions. By eliminating file cabinet storage, both institutions were able to create new working space for additional employees, which was an additional advantage that they had not previously anticipated. In addition, administrative staff, at both schools recognized that their office space was not as cluttered which made everything more manageable and the employees less frustrated in terms of completing both simple tasks and more complicated tasks.

 

With space being an issue, combined with the fact that the financial means are often not available in the budget to build newer buildings on the campuses, schools need to explore better solutions that will suit all of their storage needs for years to come. Document scanning gives schools and other establishments the ability to convert their paper document into electronic files, which makes storage and accessibility much more convenient. Document scanning that is outsourced to a reputable company is a cost-effective solution for all your digital record needs. 

 

It is common knowledge that the legal profession is highly stressful and extremely competitive. The most important reason for a law firm to convert to a digital filing system is because the practice would be more successful in a competitive market. Compared to an office that still relies on paper, an electronic office can access files and client information much more quickly. There is not enough time in the day to search for files that you need immediately. Document scanning allows you to pull of client files within seconds without having an associate readily available to deliver your paperwork. In fact, you don’t even need to be in the office to access the information you need and the days of carrying huge stacks of paperwork home or into a court room would be obsolete. By digitally scanning client files, more than one legal associate can work on a case simultaneously and you will always have access to files whenever you need them.

 

Another reason electronic digital filing systems are an asset to a legal practice is security. With proper backing-up procedures, electronic records are more secure than paper files. Paper files can easily get misplaced, lost and damaged. Electronic records can provide a law practice with peace of mind knowing that their files are safe from unauthorized access and from unexpected sources of damage.

Years ago, patients were primarily treated by one family doctor and if required, referred to a specialist. However, in today’s world, many primary physicians have needed to expand their practices to function properly to meet the needs of a growing and aging population. Consequently, it is now more common for family practices to staff many doctors within one practice. Since patients are frequently treated by various doctors within a practice, medical records are changing hands on a regular basis. This is one of the many reasons that many medical offices and hospitals are opting to transition with document scanning to a paperless record keeping system that scans pertinent patient information into easily retrievable electronic files.

 

Medical records provide doctors with important information about the patients they are treating. Electronic medical records (EMR) contain the same information as the traditional paper files. With EMR, patient information is current, and easily accessible, for every doctor that is treating a patient. Information that is typically included in an EMR includes:

 

·         Medical history

 

·         Patient release forms

 

·         Test results

 

·         Prescription history

 

·         Doctor notes

 

EMRs enhance patient care and medical treatment in various ways. First, it replaces the old cumbersome method of paper charts and records. Paper records are time consuming for staff and can be easily lost or damaged. Secondly, communication between doctors, either within the same office, separate medical offices, or within a larger medical community, such as a hospital, are able to transmit information electronically which saves time while  ensuring that they have all the information they to treat their patients. With medical professionals having all of this information at their fingertips 24 hours a day, information is up-to-date and there are fewer errors in patient care. Lastly, an EMR system is conveniently equipped to handle patient prescriptions, so that doctors may instantly transmit the prescription details to the pharmacy and the system will also cross-reference medications to ensure patient safety.

 

Electronic medical record (EMR) scanning is on the rise in hospitals. Gathering and storing patient records in a hospital environment has never been easier. Document scanning is the latest procedure which allows hospitals to utilize electronic medical records for their patients being treated. EMR/EHR (Electronic Health Record) scanning is transforming the field of healthcare dramatically for the better. Hospitals that convert to EMR/EHR practices improve communication among medical providers, which allows physicians to provide better care for their patients.

 

The Obama Administration has declared that by fully digitalizing all patient medical records and compiling them into a national database provides health care professionals with a massive amount of information of both effective and non-effective treatment plans. Medical chart scanning and EMR scanning also allows doctors to send digital medical charts between them, speeding up the diagnostic process, and eliminating unnecessary tests and procedures.

 

 

 

Reasons Why Every Hospital and Medical Office Should Embrace EMR/EHR Technology

 

•         Patient Safety - EMR technology reduces “errors” or lack of available information

 

•         Privacy - EMR ensures that documents are secure and protected from unauthorized access in accordance with HIPPA laws

 

•         Availability - Health offices and hospitals are able to easily share patient health history information

 

•         External Document Access - Patients and doctors no longer have to transport x-rays or important medical documents from one medical office to another. All records are easily accessible and on digitally filed

 

•         Improved Emergency Care - A patient who is brought into the ER is usually not able to communicate vital information to the staff members on duty. EMR/EHR technology allows for more accurate patient care when all of the medical history is digitally recorded

 

•          Accessibility of Diagnostic Data - Health care professionals can electronically share and receive any diagnostic data that is on file for a patient such as EKGs, audio files, and video files

 

Document scanning is the process of is the process of converting paper documents into accessible and useful digital files. Many businesses are realizing that the transition from paper files to digital files is cost efficient and beneficial to their companies. Since paper documents can be cumbersome, they create barriers to accessibility, profit, and productivity. In addition to being hard to manage, paper documentation are not easily protected and do not provide businesses with a secure way to manage their records. Converting paper documents into electronic documents is a simple process that produces cost saving results. Any type of paper document can be scanned. Common document scanning in business practices include:

 

 

 

·         Correspondence

 

·         Invoices

 

·         Financial spreadsheets

 

·         Human Resource files

 

·         School records and transcripts

 

·         Medical Records

 

·         Legal contracts

 

How It Is Done:

 

Document scanning can be done quickly, efficiently, and affordably by a professional document scanning company. The procedure involves passing paper documents through a scanning device that converts the image on the paper into a digital image. Information is then entered to determine how to index the file and special processes can be implemented to manipulate, read, and interpret the documents by using Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR) or Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology.

 

Advantages of Digital Document Scanning

 

Digital document scanning can reduce company costs of:

 

·         Copying

 

·         Printing

 

·         Mailing

 

·         Retrieving, sorting, filing documents

 

·         File cabinet storage and storage space

 

Another advantage is that document scanning increases the security of data with passwords, backups, and firewalls. This system provides businesses with an increased ability to access information which allows for quicker retrieval and collaboration times.

 

Why Your Business Should Make the Switch to Digital

 

Document scanning is a consistent digital formatting technique that allows increased efficiency and reduces operational costs. Necessary documents are easily accessible and can be retrieved worldwide within seconds allowing for collaboration and reducing cycle times and cost. Backing up and securing business documents digitally, eliminates the risk of security breaches and physical damage.

Budget cuts across the country are forcing school districts to meet challenges with cost-saving results. That is why more school districts are making the transition to go “paperless” by investing in “document scanning”. A document scanning services company is responsible for converting all paper records into a digital image filing system. It is a worthwhile investment with a quick return that maintains school records and improves efficiency in the districts. School districts are finding themselves in a situation where their volumes of paperwork are getting much more difficult to organize and maintain. Records are cumbersome and not able to be accessed in a timely manner. Therefore, many school districts are deciding to join the “bandwagon” and begin converting their records to digital files. Some districts have already begun the process of outsourcing their documents to a reputable document scanning company to convert their paper files into electronic digital images.

 

School districts are responsible for keeping and managing an enormous amount of student and faculty records over a period of years which is mandated by the district. The documents they are required to store range from student records and transcripts, district test scores, SAT and ACT scores, and immunization records. When some high schools are retaining a student body that consists of 3200 students, school personnel are quick to realize that this is becoming a time-consuming burden and that is an inefficient for quickly accessing records.

 

Schools that have already transitioned to a digital document scanning management system have reported inherent benefits that include:

 

·         Decreased storage costs

 

·         Operational efficiency

 

·         Easy accessibility

 

·         Preservation of records

 

·         Document security

 

·         Rapid investment payback

 

Storing paper records has many disadvantages. First and foremost, it is costly. Jan Howard, an administrative assistant with the Colorado School District went on record to say that “rooms filled with paper are a fire hazard”. Being able to retrieve digital information in seconds by searching a student’s name or school ID number makes sense and serves the school community better.

There are many companies who are certain their office could benefit from document scanning services, yet they continue to put it off. One reason for this is they are not sure if they have the resources and manpower to complete each step in the process.  A comprehensive document management strategy involves a lot more than pure document scanning; in fact, if the project is planned out properly, the scanning process will be the least time-consuming part. 

 

Perhaps your company has considered a “paperless” transition in the past, but you haven’t moved forward with it because of a lack of organizational resources.  Some businesses tackle the digital conversion over a long period of time, scanning documents on an as-needed basis, but if you would prefer to do it all at once, it makes sense to outsource the job. 

There are some real benefits to having your document conversion done quickly by a professional document scanning company.

 

•      For one, you can get all staff members on board and trained at the same time.  
•      Once the office is officially “paperless”, legacy employees will not be tempted to continue with old filing methods; they will have no choice but to learn the new system. 
•      Your document scanning services can be designed with security parameters and various access levels for viewing and editing.
•      Documents can be indexed or catalogued in a way that makes them easier to locate in a hurry.

If your office uses a lot of paper, the prospect of implementing a document management system may be daunting.  That’s where an outsourced document management company can be a great help.  They will show you exactly what needs to be done to get started, including the sorting, organizing and prepping of various document types, and bring all of the pieces of your project together into one neat and manageable package. 

 

 

If your organization has decided to take the plunge and convert office documents into a digital format, then it may be time to select a document imaging company.  While some small businesses may attempt to manage the digital conversion themselves, most paper-heavy offices find that this take too much time away from the daily operations of the business. 

 

Many office managers struggle with deciding who to call on for this service.  Some document scanning services specialize in medical, legal and financial companies, while other are considered “generalists”.  Depending on the type of business you operate, it may be a good idea to look into a specialist company, especially if privacy and confidentiality issues are regulated in your industry.  But most importantly, be sure to work with a company who will tailor the document management process to your business’ needs.  They should also be able to give you a clear vision of the structure and cost of your digital conversion. 

 

Trust is a big issue for businesses who handle confidential documents, such as financial agreements, medical records and legal filings.  For these documents, you will need to know you are dealing with a reputable, responsive and well-trained staff.  Many of these companies will offer to scan sensitive documents on site. 

 

The best document scanning services will efficiently coordinate all the steps of the conversion process and keep you and your top managers in the loop.  They will coordinate the pick-up and delivery of your documents, adhere to project deadlines, and review the process with you on an ongoing basis.

 

Be sure you are dealing with a company that has the experience, background and technical expertise to produce the end result that they promise, as well as testimonials to back up their claims. Ask about the equipment they use and how frequently they invest in new technology. 

Are you thinking about moving your business operations into the 21st century? Over the past 10 to 12 years, a lot has changed in the way that offices are managed.  From the rise of electronic medical records to the online storage and management of business documents, it is now possible for most companies to manage their businesses remotely, wherever Internet service is available.  In some respects, if you haven’t yet made the transition from paper to digital, you may be in a better position to take advantage of new technologies in document imaging systems. 

 

Even if you already know what your company needs to go digital, choosing a document scanning company can be complicated.  Depending on the needs of your business, outsourcing can be done for document scanning alone or for full-scale document management.  Some companies also specialize in electronic health records.

 

No matter which document scanning company you choose, be sure they can meet the following business needs:

 

1) They should be able to import your scanned documents to a reliable document management software program and show your team how to use it.

 

2) The team you hire should be aware of any privacy laws that affect your business and have a plan in place to keep your documents safe from prying eyes.

 

3) Whenever possible, they should be able to use OCR scanning for scanned documents that need to be archived and/or edited.

 

4) You should be given the option to store your documents online through a secure document storage service or on a secure offsite network.

 

5) If your business will be scanning confidential documents, such as medical or financial records, the company you hire should be able to archive your documents securely by storing them at an off-site facility.

 

Most professional document scanning firms now offer a range of options to meet the needs of your business.  Whether you choose a single service option or a complete digital transition, the team at Scantronix is ready to help.