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.