Document Scanning Blog

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.

When considering the conversion to digital documents, most business look at the big picture from a financial perspective, such as how document scanning will save money on storage costs and create more efficiency for employees. However, most companies fail to consider how digital documents fit into their overall marketing strategy and database management. With communications flowing from organizations to recipients happening in greater numbers than ever, one challenge to effective document management is the ability to capture customer data for future marketing initiatives. Using a number of unsynchronized databases can be a challenge when moving from customer relations to mailing, tracking sales, and accounting. The Database of the Future The ideal scenario is to have one database that captures customers throughout all stages of their relationship with your company – from prospect to client and from post-sale to up-sell. It would connect with external partners and feed market intelligence back into the system at the customer level. By structuring a document management system in such a way, companies can realize greater effectiveness in their targeted marketing efforts and achieve more meaningful relationships with customers. Managing the digital document lifecycle requires an understanding of enterprise content management (ECM), as well as archiving and storage. Using the right document scanning company with the resources to implement a strategic storage system for live documents allows companies to harness documents and make them work for us, instead of against us. Organizing all of this information, and keeping it secure, is at the heart of successful content management. Business documents are a vital part of your company’s strategic, financial, intellectual and operational assets, and managing them effectively across vertical processes is essential. When searching for a document imaging service, consider how your digital assets will integrate with your existing databases, with the goal of optimal flexibility.

While paper records still remain the most prevalent method of document management for healthcare providers and hospitals, most providers have begun to increase their use of electronic medical records (EMRs).  This has created a new challenge for the medical industry, as they deal with the new hybrid world of managing both paper and electronic data. A hybrid record means that professionals in the health information management (HIM) industry must spend more time compiling records, since most requests for information now require information to be released in both paper and electronic formats.  This has created a time-crunch for HIM professionals, who must find each record in their respective systems in order to fulfill each request. While many healthcare providers are moving toward an all-digital office, it is likely that hybrid records will continue to exist for a long time to come.  Only when providers are able to fully implement EMRs will the demise of the paper record occur.  But this will require a lengthy, and costly, process of scanning all paper records into an electronic system.  Only those who implement the most sophisticated EMR systems will be able to completely eliminate paper records.  However, with professional document scanning and EMR management, providers may reduce the headaches associated with paper-only storage. In the medical industry, HIPAA regulations have created a growing demand for increased accuracy, confidentiality and privacy of patient information.  The release of medical records is now a highly regulated and complex procedure that can result in substantial fines if HIPAA regulations are violated. Due to the inherent complexity of maintaining hybrid medical records, it is imperative that providers use a professional document scanning company with an understanding of HIPAA laws and other privacy concerns.  In addition to making health providers more efficient, intelligent document scanning solutions for managing EMRs can cut down on the time and cost associated with the proper release of medical information.

The slow but sure transformation in how patient records are stored and gathered has been dramatically sped up, now that the economic stimulus package has promised $19 billion for electronic medical records (EMR).  EMR scanning is a big part of this transformation in healthcare.  Not only will medical chart scanning and EMR scanning /storage improve the infrastructure of communication among healthcare providers, it will also allow physicians to better care for their patients. Today, only 1.5 percent of private hospitals have a comprehensive EMR system in place, with an additional 7.6 percent having at least one unit using fully electronic records.   According to the Obama administration, fully digitizing all medical records into a massive national database will provide medical researchers a wealth of information about which treatments work and which don’t.  EMR scanning, and other forms of medical chart scanning will also allow physicians to send and receive digital medical charts, speed the diagnostic process, and eliminate the need for unnecessary procedures and tests. Some other examples of how electronic medical records and advanced technology has changed the medical industry can be seen at a number of institutions.  At the Oakland Medical Center, doctors and nurses use flat-screen computer tablets - no larger than a sheet of paper - to access a patient’s medical record.  ER staff at their Kaiser Permanente facility can use device to find out about a patient’s medical history, medications, and test results. They can also be used to show a patient their x-ray. At Pittsburgh Medical Center, because they all wear ultrasound ID tags, whenever a hospital staffer enters the room their name and job title pop up on a wall-mounted, flat screen monitor.  All the appropriate medical chart data is also available on the screen, showing nurses the medications to provide, and doctors recent updates on their patients’ condition. While some institutions are still far behind in converting to digital records, EMR scanning and medical record scanning and storage are much more widely accepted today than they were a year ago, and we finally have the funding to make this happen  - quickly.

Scanning documents is only half of the process involved in digital document management, but what do you do once all of your documents are scanned and converted into PDF format? First, you will need a system to file and retrieve your documents.  An electronic file system is fully digital, so you can create all the subfolders you want for organizing your information.  Simply drag and drop the document icons from one folder to another.  Unlike paper files, digital files are also easily searchable.  In fact, basic searches can be done using Windows Explorer or the Mac equivalent.  However, if you need a more advanced search system, consider using Worldox, which provides industrial strength document management. Or, if you are looking for a customized solution, programs such as TimeMatters, GroupWise or Amicus Attorney offer varying degrees of document management specialization. For online document storage, you can start by storing scanned documents on a network drive, either an internal hard disk or a storage appliance.  When deciding which option to use, consider the speed you will require.  Most businesses prefer a fast hard disk drive (7200-10,000 rpm).  Or, if your documents need to be available across a network, consider a fast Ethernet (100 MB per second).  However, using a standard Ethernet and 801.11(b) wireless will not provide sufficient bandwidth for retrieving and storing larger documents. In general, storing the same amount of information as is typically stored in a file drawer will require 500 MB of storage, which is equal to less than a single compact disc, which typically holds 700 MB.  Thus, an entire four drawer filing cabinet will only require 2 GB of space.  A single DVD holds 4.7 GB, or the equivalent of two four-drawer filing cabinets.  Using this as an illustration, it’s easy to see how quickly you will save space by converting to a document scanning / digital storage solution.

Paper based medical records might have lots of error in them. Having errors in the medical records is not good for any healthcare institution. Healthcare institutions are having lot of competition today and hence to survive in this competitive world, it has become very important for the healthcare institutes to transfer all their medical records to electronic form through document scanning. Medical record scanning has really become a must for every healthcare institute today. Medical record scanning is providing a great way to avoid any errors in the medical record keeping. You don't have the tension of losing your important files or records. With the help of medical record scanning it has also become very easy to keep any information confidential. Access to some information can be limited to only few people with the help of this record scanning methodology. With the increasing need to digitize the medical record of each and every patient in a healthcare institute, there is also on increasing demand for electronic health record systems and electronic document imaging. Electronic health records are one the best ways today to avoid making any serious mistakes in a patient's medical history. Any individual needs a proper treatment for his problem and if all his history and record of his problems is saved electronically, then there are best chances of him getting a proper treatment. The benefits of digitized medical record storage do not end just there. To hear more about the benefits of scanning medical records contact Scantronix, an authority in the field of document imaging solutions.

A surprising and somewhat dismaying fact is that even in 2009, an alarming number of hospitals and private medical practices are mired in antiquated and often (sometimes tragically) dangerous methods of medical record storage: methods that for all intents and purposes are indistinguishable from the medical document storage practices of eighteenth century physicians. Ironically, many of these same medical practices regularly utilize cutting edge diagnostic and treatment technologies that didn’t even exist last year but somehow that same forward thinking approach to quality healthcare is absent when it comes to tracking their patients’ medical records. Why? It is difficult to say. Perhaps some healthcare providers are unaware of the new technologies involved in medical records scanning even though the “new” technologies have existed for years. Or perhaps they are aware that the digital document imaging industry exists but they are unaware of the fact that it is a substantially more secure way to store and maintain medical records. (Some healthcare providers are even under the false impression that paper records are superior to online document storage with regard to physical damage caused by fire, flood, theft, spills, misplacement, and privacy. The truth, however, is quite the opposite). Other medical practices are concerned about the cost of digitized document storage. But the fact is that the costs involved with paper storage far surpass those of digital storage and document scanning. Perhaps the biggest cost savings involved in making the switch to digitized medical record keeping is directly connected to the time wasted searching for and maintaining paper records in contrast to the simple click of a mouse needed to retrieve digitized records. Another rationale for some medical practices’ reliance upon paper records is quite similar to the explanation given by the last generation of bookkeepers that wouldn’t (or couldn’t) make the transition from paper balance sheets to computerized accounting programs: they were locked into their old ways of doing things. And now they are retired or otherwise out of a job. Similarly, some doctors are creatures of habit afraid of making the change to digital document imaging just because it is new. But as those same doctors ought to know, indeed change can be difficult but alas, it can be good for you too. Contacting a reliable and helpful document scanning company such as scantronix will aide healthcare professionals in taking the first step toward efficiency and reliability.