Document Scanning Blog

According the Government Accountability office (GAO), the September 30th deadline for having interoperable electronic health record systems in place is looming large. Progress has been made in this herculean effort, but according to GAO officials the agency still has a lot of work to do to improve its internal capabilities.

A recent study done by Investigators for the GAO found that while most departments have made progress in creating the Department of Defense (DOD) / VA interagency program office, the office is not yet ready to be fully accountable for the project. In order to become fully operational as an “interagency” office by the end of fiscal 2009, the DOD/VA department must enable the use of electronic health records (EHR) and electronic medical records (EMR) between the various agencies and departments that interact with them.

The six objectives outlined by the interoperability program office include:

• Sharing DOD electronic records and histories using EMR scanning and medical chart scanning, etc.
• Sharing data provided on physical exams (also available through EMR scanning and data storage systems)
• Demonstrating secure document storage and expanded bandwidth for the sharing of information
• Exchanging (with one another) all periodic DOD health assessment data
• Demonstrating the DOD’s initial ability to scan medical records belonging to service members

While GAO agreed that the first three objectives have been met, each department only partially achieved the objectives for exchanging medical records, the expansion of DOD’s inpatient system, and demonstration of their document scanning capabilities.

GAO said the first three goals had been met, but the departments have only partially achieved their objectives for exchanging health assessment data, expanding DOD’s inpatient system and demonstrating initial document-scanning capabilities.

Navy Rear Admiral Gregory Timberlake said that in spite of these challenges, he expect the interagency program office to meet the objectives by the September 30th deadline.

For a law firm, making a successful transition to a paperless office requires a complete mental shift in how information is processed and handled. This can be a difficult transition for many attorneys, especially those who are not as computer savvy or who don’t like change.

For existing paper files, the document scanning itself can be outsourced, which I highly recommend if you want to get it right, and most document scanning companies will also securely store and archive your paper files in case they need to be retrieved at a later date.

Even if you choose to scan your documents internally, you must be sure you use the proper scanning equipment, which can be difficult given the various pieces of evidence and unusual sized documents used by most law firms.

Once existing documents are scanned and set up on a web-based, editable, and secure platform for retrieval, it is time to revisit how your firm processes information. Much of the information that lawyers exchange with their clients and the court system is on paper forms, pleadings, letters and petitions, which are often signed, notarized, copied and filed with the appropriate legal entity. But whether a firm is generating, copying or retaining the documents, most of them pass through a copy machine at some point in their journey.

In a paperless law office, instead of copying, the documents are scanned with imaging software, producing digital copies that can be securely stored, electronically. The preferred method of document scanning for law firms is the PDF (portable digital format).

Once document scanning is complete, the PDF files can be accessed via the network by any authorized user. Just think of how much easier a lawyer’s or paralegal’s job can become, thanks to document scanning and secure document storage! Not only are the files more conveniently accessed, they are more secure and save on office space, something every law firm needs.

Medical centers everywhere have entered the digital age, in an important move that could not only save money – it could save lives! Medical chart scanning and other healthcare related document scanning has led the way to more than just a paperless practice; it will help reduce healthcare costs for millions of Americans while improving the quality of the care they receive.

Moving to a paperless medical records system, also known as Electronic Medical Records (EMR scanning) allows hospital and doctors’ office staff to pull up any patient’s entire history electronically using specific web-based databases. The information on EMR allows them to take better care of a patient’s unique medical needs. When they visit the healthcare facility or receive external testing, doctors simply scan their notes into the paperless EMR system, where staff and nurses can later retrieve them.

In addition, with EMR scanning, healthcare professionals can immediately know when a patient has had prior health conditions, including allergies, high blood pressure, fractures, hemophilia, and cancer. Access to these records reduces the number of doctor errors, reduces risks, and prevents duplicated work. In addition, with some systems, it enables physicians and pharmacies to communicate openly about a patient’s prescriptions, reducing the chance of drug-interaction issues or duplicate prescriptions.

EMR scanning and medical chart scanning represents a vast improvement in the quality of healthcare, particularly when a patient is disoriented, can’t speak, or doesn’t have a family member present. Medical officials expect a dramatic change in the way care is administered once all doctors’ offices, hospitals and clinics switch to EMR scanning and digital patient record management.

All the experts say, it’s time to make digital imaging, or document scanning, an integral part of your document management solutions. Not only will it save on overhead costs and make your office more efficient, federal regulations like as HIPAA, Gramm Leach Bliley and FACTA require the protection, confidentiality, and limited access to customer and patient-related documents.

Document scanning offers an effective solution to limit unsecured access to your confidential papers. By removing the paper version of these files from your premises and requiring secure access to digital images, you can rest assured that you are in compliance with privacy laws. Just as paper shredding and secure record storage are a part of this process, document scanning now plays a major role in professional records management.

• Document scanning saves time and money:Using a professional document scanning company can speed up the time it takes to access your important files. Because scanned documents can be indexed however you want, and professional document scanning companies understand this, they can provide indexed storage solutions to meet the specific needs of your business.

• Document scanning improves customer service:Having your scanned digital images available online will help reduce the response time to your customers’ questions, eliminating the telephone tag and servicing customers faster.

• Scanning documents can reduce occupancy costs:Because document scanning services can fit two filing cabinets onto a single CD, and host them on an external server, there is no need to store these documents on your premises. They can often be securely stored by your document scanning company, many of whom will pick up files from your office and deliver them to a secured facility.

• Document scanning will eliminate problems caused by lost or misfiled records:By eliminating the possibility of your important documents being lost, stolen or misfiled, document scanning will reduce the costs associated with undocumented claims or lost business.

• Multiple users can access the same files:Once your files are securely scanned and uploaded to digital files, more than one person can have access to these files at the same time, thus increasing your company’s productivity.