Document Scanning Blog

While still in the early phases of implementation, healthcare reform is making waves throughout the medical community. Instead of being some distant, futuristic concept, many predicted advances in information technology will now come to pass. Patients, doctors, hospital staff and insurance providers will soon share in a learning process about electronic medical records (EMR scanning), an eagerly awaited IT development.

Thanks to advances in document scanning technology, secure web-based technology and mobile Internet access, it will soon be possible to access information about healthcare based on an individual’s unique health history. Imagine shopping for health insurance, finding out about eligibility, and measuring the quality of service using “smart access” that is based on your own electronic health information. Because medical data will soon be recorded much like a personal credit report, it will be possible to learn about health plan access in a way that is designed specifically for your needs.

EHRs are often comprised of digital records that got their start as paper charts, x-ray films and blood tests from various healthcare providers, but were integrated into one cohesive record for an individual. While this may seem a bit invasive for patients, remember, it is also designed to make healthcare providers accountable. For example, how could one gather honest statistics about the quality of care available through a particular hospital or doctor if it were not being monitored using real patient data?

Rather than only the patient being judged by insurance providers based on health records, the insurance companies and providers will also be judged by the patients. Medical document scanning, EHRs, data mining and statistical analysis will make it possible for patients to review quality-measure reporting before deciding on a specialist or surgeon.

In addition to accessible online records, healthcare reform experts the future release of a “smart card” to manage a patient’s health records and insurance. This would cut back on repetitive paperwork and the human error associated with transcribing paperwork.

Technorati Tags: Document Scanning, document scanning new york, emr scanning, medical chart scanning, medical record scanning

The modernization of personal health records (PHRs) is helping to take a several scattered pieces of medical information and put it into one web-based record. When you think about all the places where an individual’s medical information is currently stored, you will realize how tedious this process can be. Everything from your physician’s scrawled notes on your chart, to immunizations, hospitalization records, lab results and your prescription drug history will eventually be made into one cohesive PHR.

Since the advent of medical records scanning and electronic medical records (EMRs), a number of healthcare providers have taken on the challenge of going fully “online” with their medical practices. While this whole transition has prompted privacy concerns from patients, as well as a whole host of new HIPAA regulations, it will ultimately help patients better manage their own health.

While patients wait for their providers to catch up with technology by implementing EMR scanning and electronic document storage, they can take on some of the responsibility themselves by creating their own PHRs using software designed for the personal computer. These programs are just as simple as checking your email and the information doesn’t belong to your doctor – it’s all yours. Using these software programs, you can manage your own family’s health history, which can be easily gathered from healthcare providers. Plus, most of these programs offer some cool tools that will show you how some of your medications may interact, or allow you to track weight loss.

Ultimately, all providers will be expected to use electronic document imaging to upload your information to a PHR on your behalf, which is expected to improve the flow and quality of data, reduce costs, and benefit your overall health. But for now, you can get started with your own PHR using software provided by your health insurance company. Some programs offer ways to access records that you can send to a new doctor, order prescriptions, and keep track of any new information about your conditions or prescriptions.

In addition to software, some web-based programs make tracking your health records quite simple. One such company is PassportMD. They offer a fee-based subscription that will collect your information for you, including test results and prescription drug records. Applications on GoogleHealth and Microsoft’s HealthVault allow you to upload blood pressure and glucose readings directly from a home device to your online record.