Go Green with Document Management

Introduction

Thanks to recent government regulations, most healthcare organizations now depend on Electronic Health Records (EHR) to access critical patient information, but many still rely on paper documents in areas like claims processing, finance, and Human Resources (HR). According to the American Medical Association (AMA), primary care physicians spend, on average, over five hours a day on data-entry and other EHR-related tasks. Incorporating Enterprise Content Management (ECM) software can help providers close this significant technology gap.

The Dilemma of Old Paper Charts and a New EMR

What should you do with all of your paper charts when you convert to an EMR?  Should the charts be scanned and migrated into the EMR, or should you “start fresh?”   

While there is certainly something to be said for a fresh start with a new EMR, it might be wise to consider all of the data that resides in the paper charts.  At the very least, some of the data from the charts must be migrated into the EMR, and, equally important, all of the data in the charts must be retained for legal purposes and be protected for patients’ privacy.