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showing 1 - 15 of 33 post(s)
By: / on: 01-30-2012
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.
By: / on: 11-22-2011
The new trend of medical facilities converting their patient personal health records (PHR) to electronic files has been a slow, but steady process. Paper records, such as patient charts are becoming the dinosaurs of record keeping. Anyone that works in the medical field can attest to the fact that paper patient charts are inconvenient in a variety of ways:
· they are easily misplaced or lost
· they are not always easily located when needed
· they are not easily shared in-house and between medical
establishments
· patient care and tests can easily be duplicated for no reason
compromising patient safety
· they are easily damaged
· they can be unsanitary (can be bloodstained, etc)
· hand-written information is often illegible
Whether a medical establishment uses a paper system or a paperless system for managing their record keeping needs, how the staff utilizes that system can be the difference between an effective system and an ineffective one. By outsourcing the electronic medical records (EMR) transition to a trusted, experienced and reputable company who is experienced at handling all of your document scanning needs is the most resourceful way any business can approach this transition and improve quality care.
Implementing an electronic health record document scanning system is more than just a neat and convenient way of conducting business; it is actually safer for both health care workers and patients. For medical workers, records that are not accurate can cause errors in treatment and can lead to unprofessional liability. For instance, when health records are not clear, and cannot be easily shared between health professionals there is a good chance that health tests can be unnecessarily repeated. Repeated tests can pose a variety of health risks for patients, liability for physicians, and it also escalates health care costs and insurance premiums.
By: / on: 10-04-2011
Having a paperless office offers a business many advantages. Implementing electronic document scanning technology to your business, no matter how small or large is easy, convenient and it will improve the management of your business files. By reducing clutter and increasing space, electronic files can organize your business more efficiently.
When a business is able to respond to customer demand quickly, clients are satisfied and this can significantly increase the productivity of the company and provide a business with a competitive edge in their industry. Prices are affordable, and the return on your investment is well worth the initial cost. For medical offices, law offices, banks, universities, or small businesses, the value of this technology is unsurpassable in a competitive market.
Cost Saving
·Electronic file cabinets reduce the amount of space required that was needed to store paper files
·Reduces number of employees needed to manage paper files
Time Management ·Files that took days to locate can be accessed quickly by a computer leading to more production during work hours
Neatness/Organization
·A clutter free environment is easier to manage and has physiological benefits to employees that are exposed to it
Secure Records
·Electronic documents are secure and less likely to be accessed by unauthorized personnel since they are often encrypted with security codes
Disaster Recovery
·Paper records are easily destroyed over time, by water damage, fire, etc. Electronic records have longevity, however they must be backed up regularly and stored in a safe environment
Easily Transportable and Accessible
·Electronic documents can be transported and accessed by a laptop computer or a portable electronic pad
·Employees are able to share important documents with various team members in the company regardless of location
Environmentally Friendly
·Using less paper products saves trees and produces less trash
A company that establishes a paperless office can operate with more efficiency and professionalism than an office that is drowning in paper files. Electronic document scanning files are quickly becoming the logical way for businesses to operate. Many companies are taking the leap and moving forward with the conversion. By: / on: 09-12-2011
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.
By: / on: 08-23-2011
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
By: / on: 06-07-2011
As if the medical community needed more proof that electronic medical records are a necessity, last week’s devastating tornado in Joplin Missouri made that point loud and clear. A recent article from the Daily Mail reported that winds carried debris up to 70 miles away from its place of origin, including medical records and x-rays from a local hospital which were found in Greene County, Missouri.
According to the National Weather Service, the damage caused by this twister made it one of the worst natural disasters in Missouri’s history, and the deadliest tornado to hit the United States since 1953. It’s not every day that a storm packs winds of up to 198 mph and affects the lives of so many people, but as these storms become more common, the medical community is increasingly convinced of the need for electronic health records.
The case for Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
The call for healthcare organizations to scan medical records goes beyond the HIPAA privacy laws, which are certainly a concern when records are strewn over a 70-mile radius; it also speaks to the need for keeping a patient’s x-rays and other test results in a single electronic health record (EHR). When patients are in need of emergency care and their records are inaccessible, doctors could easily put a patient at risk by prescribing the wrong type of treatment or medication.
It shouldn’t take a storm of this magnitude to make medical practitioners think long and hard about medical records scanning. In fact, most major hospitals are already on board with this technology. If the x-rays that were lost in the Joplin tornado had been scanned and saved to the patients’ electronic health records, they would still be accessible from any healthcare facility. When emergency treatment is needed, EHRs provide clinicians with valuable patient information to aid in diagnosis and treatment.
Is your business prepared to keep going in the event of a natural disaster?
Other businesses can learn the same lessons from this tragedy. Any office that had traditionally relied on paper files could suffer irrecoverable damages from an unexpected natural disaster, whether it is a tornado, flood, hurricane or wildfire. Document scanning and web-based digital recordkeeping allows organizations the flexibility to run their day-to-day operations from any computer with Internet access.
Find out how your healthcare organization or business can be prepared for the unexpected by enlisting the help of Scantronix, a nationwide document scanning an e-document storage company.
By: / on: 04-12-2011
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.
By: / on: 03-31-2011
If you walk through the aisles of a computer store, or look at all the document management software available online, it would appear that the transition to a paperless office is easy, but do-it-yourself document management isn’t for everyone. Most small to medium sized businesses need more than a software program or an online document management account; they need a document management “solution”.
What is the difference between document scanning software and a document management solution?
More often than not, a professional document management system relies is web based. This allows employees to access their office files without physically going into the office. Much more secure than a paper document file or network based storage, an online document management system requires passwords to access files. Each employee has “clearance” to access certain file types, and their security level may also determine whether they can edit or add to a file.
The larger the company and the more people who “touch” a given document, the more complex a document management system becomes. The actual scanning of paper documents is just the first step along the way to a paperless office. It is what happens afterward, and how well the system is managed, that will determine its success.
Working with a professional Document scanning company will give your business certain advantages over the do-it-yourself methods:
· Reduce employee “downtime” by taking the scanning project off of their hands · Securely scan and archive paper documents for later retrieval without interrupting daily business activities · Install and customize a document management system, using a variety of tools, and ensure a compliance with federal and state privacy laws · Set up the database and train employees on how to use it
Now that document management systems have reached critical mass in many industries, businesses are looking at all of their options for a digital office. While it is certainly possible to manage the process internally, it may be a lot more cost-effective to work with a team of document management professionals. By: / on: 03-23-2011
Up until recently the primary focus of document scanning and online document management has been to get medical practices and law offices into the 21st century. This was immediately followed by the financial and insurance industries. Now that so many businesses are managing everything digitally, other companies may find it easier to switch to a paperless office.
As the American labor force becomes more accustomed to electronic documents, the use of paper in an office seems a lot more cumbersome. Gone are the days when there was a line at the copy machine and a stack of manila folders on every worker’s desk. Without even trying, today’s worker has gradually changed the way they manage paper documents in an office environment.
It’s hard to say when it happened, but at some point it become redundant to keep a file of paperwork for each client, when there was already an electronic file in existence. It probably happened around the same time that people started “trusting computers” and realizing that their documents wouldn’t be lost in a computer crash. IT professionals have become very adept at maintaining back-up files and ensuring the safety of network drives. In most modern offices, client documents and important files are saved to a network drive instead of existing solely on a workers computer. As a result, the average worker feels a lot more confident maintaining electronic document scanning without the requisite paper file.
This shift has impacted various industries in different ways, but there are very few businesses that still operate in a paper-only model. In the interest of efficiency, it appears that the American business owner is ready to follow the example of medical and legal office and embrace electronic document management solutions.
Getting started with a document management solution for your office may require the help of a document scanning company. These digital imaging professionals are the most effective way to make sure every employee is on the same page with the transition, and they can recommend the right software to securely manage employee document access. In addition to actually document scanning and archiving your paper documents, most document scanning firms offer training for your employees. By: / on: 03-03-2011
As an “institute for higher education”, it is impossible to imagine an admissions office without stacks of paper on every desk, and administrative offices are not far behind on the “paper trail”. But with law offices, dental offices, hospitals and financial services businesses realizing efficiencies by going “paperless”, it seems like higher education is taking a bit longer to make the transition. One reason lag may be the fact that higher education offices are dealing with so many different external parties while also maintaining on-campus activities and all aspects of student life.
Every document scanning project has to start somewhere though, and even an organization as complex as a university can find a way to eliminate mounds of unnecessary paperwork. In a college environment, there are necessary evils, some of which may never be entirely eliminated. These include financial aid forms, tuition bills, transcripts, contracts and order forms. But with so many schools cutting their operating budgets, a document management program can save a university time, money and resources.
For example, just the ability to implement an online tuition payment system will cut down on printing, postage and administrative time. Sending out class schedules online and having students print them at home is another savings. Even the application process has been digitized, and many schools have stopped accepting paper forms.
With so many elements of a school’s administration going digital, it is important to have a back-end system in place to ensure the documents are accessible yet secure. For example, a student’s personal records would have a different security level than their class schedule and syllabi. In the admissions office, their transcript may be viewed by more administrators than their financial aid application, and so on. Implementing a full-scale document scanning management system for higher education institutions may seem like an arduous task, but the end result will be a much leaner and more efficient operation for school administrators, faculty and students.
By: / on: 02-10-2011
Ever since Microsoft introduced its SharePoint software program, more solutions than ever have been added for imaging and capturing documents. As a primary solution builder in this space, SharePoint focuses on workflow and solving problems related to running a business digitally. Below is an overview of some of the most important trends affecting the document imaging and scanning industry, and what they are doing to make document management stress free.
ADE, or Advanced Data Extraction, is a function that will automatically view and extract the Meta data to make processing key business document more efficient. Now an affordable element for any document scanning management system, ADE reduces the amount of staff time needed to look up data and re-enter it into a new document or program.
Fax processing is a secure, point-to-point method of imaging and communication that is ideal for businesses that need a high level of security. Whether in the financial services or medical fields, inbound faxes can be processed and routed to appropriate departments and repositories to improve workflow and efficiency throughout an organization.
Redaction is another way to keep confidential information secure, and prevent overexposure of sensitive data within digital or paper documents. Automated redaction is an application that parses the text of a document to obscure certain information from being seen. These can include tax ID numbers, social security numbers, and sensitive medical information.
Once the document scanning is complete, the real work can begin, by adding the appropriate document scanning management software and related tools to improve workflow, security and overall efficiency in the workplace. With so many medical, legal and financial practices using digital and online document storage, the natural next step in the process is to do so securely and efficiently. Tools like ADE, fax processing and redaction are just a few of the most important new trends in document management. By: / on: 02-02-2011
As small businesses become more automated, the use of 2D barcodes is becoming a familiar new technology for organizing document scanning. By holding important preset data within the barcode and attaching a 2D barcode into an organization’s documents, it is easy to capture the necessary information that goes along with a document when it is scanned. Where this type of technology works best is in medical and financial organizations, where personal information must be kept confidential and duplication of this data is kept to a minimum.
Basically, a 2D barcode is an image that would mean nothing to the viewer, and appears to be an amorphous blob of dots, but within that pattern, up to 7,089 characters can be stored. When compared to a uni-dimensional barcode, which stores up to 20 characters, this is a vast improvement in barcode technology.
When fast access to important data is needed, or new information updated regularly, 2D barcodes are the simplest and smartest way to communicate that data. These new graphical interfaces are often used along with smart phone cameras to interpret the encoded URL. Once accessed, a smart phone simply connects to the Internet, where they can view the web site that corresponds with the barcode. This new technology has proven particularly useful in mobile marketing, where some barcodes are designed to connect users with messages that would otherwise be too long to send.
As this type of technology expands to the mainstream marketplace, expect to see more 2D barcodes attached to products in stores, where they can be scanned with a smart phone to show additional product information. The news media has already started using these encoded images to link mobile readers with developing coverage on an important story.
In the medical, legal and financial fields, 2D bar-coding is a natural complement to a paperless office, as it allows patient or client information to be encoded in a secure document scanning format and attached to printed forms, medical charts, investment information and contracts.
By: / on: 01-24-2011
By allowing users to store documents in a structured, digital environment, document management software helps small business owners to be more organized and flexible in running their business. By including metadata to describe the contents of each document in the system, automated document management software provides much-needed structure and hierarchy for important documents, and puts them into a more intuitive workflow for user accessibility. Some of the latest document management programs are so sophisticated that they can automatically add Meta tags to office documents. Known as “auto tagging”, this process works by dragging a document scanning file into a folder that allows it to “inherit” the metadata information from other documents in the same folder. Software programs such as FileHold will store and manage nearly every type of file, but even more importantly it can also search these documents for specific text and index them accordingly. Supported documents include any Microsoft Office format, plus similar programs like Lotus, WordPerfect, Corel, Freelance and others. It will also work with HTML documents and PDF files. With so many employees “touching” a file, and sharing administrative rights, it may seem like revisions would be difficult to manage. However, document scanning management software can maintain a virtual paper trail, showing who viewed or changed it and when, and better yet, it will also retain all versions of the document so an earlier version can be recovered. Images can also be stored in a document management system, and they can be stored in their original, or native, format. While it is recommended that users convert images to PDF files for optimum efficiency, it isn’t necessary to do that. Just like text documents, images are indexed using metadata tags that include important keywords and phrases pertaining to the image. By: / on: 12-13-2010
A professional document scanning company may have taken a mountain of work off of your hands by scanning and cataloging each document that was once taking up space in your office. They may have shown you how to catalog, store, retrieve and archive all of your newly scanned digital files and set you up with the software to do so. In many cases, you may have learned a lot about OCR scanning and searchable PDF files as well. But at some point or another, your new paperless office will need to be outfitted for the maintenance of continuous scanning and indexing of paper files. Law offices and medical practices are often challenged by this task, as much of their staff is still learning how to use the new software.
Once your office has set up standards for digital storage and cleared away the excess filing cabinets, you will need to be prepared to maintain these new parameters over the long term. Below is an overview of the hardware requirements for a paperless office:
Buy or lease a scanner that has the capacity to perform quick scans and can handle the volume of paper you expect to be scanning on a daily basis. The cost of this equipment will depend on whether your office can get buy with a desktop scanner or needs a full-service digital document center. What’s nice about a digital document center is that it can be used as a copier as well.
Be sure the speed of the scanner you buy is fast enough to scan the volume of paper you will typically be scanning in a day, given your allocated resources. Scanner speed is measured by page-per-minute (PPM) rates.
Do you need a document scanner that can do double-sided or oversized scanning? How about color scanning? Some of the latest equipment will scan directly from the scanner to a digital file, email, or document management system, which could make a significant difference in office efficiency.
Most professional document scanning companies will recommend very specific equipment based on your budget and the needs of your office.
By: / on: 11-22-2010
Online document scanning storage is quickly becoming the “norm” in the business world. It is a key element of any document management solution because it allows individuals to immediately retrieve documents from any computer that has an internet connection, but some businesses are skeptical about its usefulness in the management of accounting processes.
How will online document storage improve the efficiencies of your company’s accounts payable and receivable departments? Here is one example to consider. Now, instead of rifling through several filing cabinets in search of an invoice or delivery document, an Accounts Payable clerk can quickly see all of the documents related to a statement, whether they were delivered successfully and who signed for the shipments. Not only will he or she be able to find these documents online in one place very easily, it will be easy to determine whether the bill is accurate.
Practically speaking, every accounting department could streamline the way they store and retrieve documents, and improve company processes to achieve greater productivity. When all of the documents relating to an invoice are easy to find, it is possible to take advantage of early payment discounts and save the company a lot of money over the long term.
Companies who are looking to implement an online document scanning storage solution across all departments often express concern about the security of the documents, but the technologically advanced encryption processes used in these programs make financial records much more secure than they would be otherwise. In addition, most businesses customize the accessibility of these documents to prevent unauthorized employees from viewing or altering them.
If your company is looking for an online document management solution, be sure to include the accounting department in the first wave of the transition. The cost of going “paperless” is usually justified by the added security and savings that online document storage affords.
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