Why Document Management Solutions ?
Enhance Patient Care, reduce cost of operations and increase revenues through Document Management Solutions.
The burden of administrative and clinical documents in a medical practice is considerable. Busy offices lead to inaccessible administrative documents and charts; whether misplaced, lost, or in use by another staff member. Physician practices continue to seek a solution to reduce or eliminate the increasing volumes  of paper within their organizations. The optimal product would eliminate the issues of overcrowded office space and storage facilities as well as the problems associated with paper medical records such as lost or misplaced patient charts, patient EOBs etc …. Medical staff and providers demand a user friendly HIPAA compliant solution that enhances patient care, reduce cost of operations, while increasing revenue and generating a rapid return on investment (ROI).
A document management solution is a cost-effective way to meet those needs, by automation of administrative and clinical documents management. Typically, document management solutions don’t force you to change your office workflow instead it can adapt to it or be configured for “best operational practices”. In addition, they work in conjunction with your Practice Management software and Electronic Medical Records software (EMR/EHR). In most cases document management solutions are better suited to manage medical records than traditional EMR/EHR.
The following are some benefits:
Workflow can be applied to automate business processes by routing electronic documents to appropriate departments or individuals to expedite patient care. With automated business processes, organization’s can more effectively track access to information and produce a substantially more accurate audit trail of who has had access to the patient information.
Workflow processes range from simple to complex, short-term to long-term, interdepartmental to worldwide. Many concurrent users can retrieve, view, or make business decisions based on the items in their queues.
Workflow allows you to complete large business processes at the individual user level. When accessing workflow, the system presents a user with a list of items associated with each task; when the current item is complete, a click of the route button presents the next item. Visual notifications, audible alarms and text messaging alert users when items arrive in a queue and ensure items are acknowledged and processed efficiently. Your employees need not search for work - it is simply delivered to them with the click of a button.
Some examples are:
- Insure that all documentation has been collected for patients based on certain criteria .i.e. admission, first patient visit etc.
- Review and approve lab reports
- Review and approve other provider completed medical charts
- Approve prescription refills
- Manage transcription process
- Manage lab orders
| Easy Electronic Document Storage and Retrieval |
While networks are available to share data most important business information is still on paper. As a result a considerable number of hours are wasted searching, retrieving, and re-filing documents.
Archive and retrieval can assist by converting paper-based patient information into electronic documents that can be stored and easily searched. Accessing electronic data is much faster enabling physicians and office staff to access all patient information leading to more accurate diagnosis and ultimately improved healthcare. Additionally faster access to patient information ensures healthcare facilities can be more forthcoming with it to assist with regulatory guidelines such as HIPAA.
Paper-based files are often lost or misfiled. It is not uncommon for a patient file to be in the trunk of a doctor’s car. It is also feasible that a patient file may not be re-filed before they return to the healthcare facility. As a result, physicians see patients an estimated 40% of the time without a completed chart resulting in potential errors.
| Authorized Access to Documents from Anywhere |
Yet another problem is that a paper document can only be in one place at one time. However, it is often the case that numerous people need access to the same document. In a paper-based system, when a file is removed from the filing cabinet, work is interrupted for everyone else who requires access to the file. This elevates the frustration level among office personnel.
This problem is addressed with document imaging systems. Allowing multiple users to access electronic documents simultaneously from the office, a hospital, home. This makes information flow more freely using our system. Your user has immediate access to the documents they need, anywhere in the world and at any time with the proper security access information through a simple internet web browser. The benefit is straightforward: immediate access to documents when needed results in higher office efficiency.
Electronic document distribution can be used to electronically distribute documents using the internet eliminating the time and resources required to fax documents for referrals and second opinions. Many hospitals and medical offices are finding they can scan and send prescriptions and lab requests faster than manual processing.
Faster access, retrieval, and distribution of patient information due to on-line access will enable physicians to provide more accurate diagnosis, and prescribe more appropriate treatments that will ultimately lead to higher quality and more successful healthcare.
| Disaster Recover Protection |
When a disaster strikes, whether a fire, flood, tornado or other dangerous event, the initial damage is only the beginning of disruptions that can last weeks to years.
The absence of adequate backup plans for paper hampers recovery efforts, resulting in significantly greater recovery time - if recovery is even an option. With a document management system, the solution to document disaster recovery is simple; download the document from your backup system an restore it in your system and you have full access to original documentation in a matter of minutes.
One of the inherent benefits of an electronic document is that a copy of it can easily be created and stored off-site. Although enterprises routinely backup their servers, the problem lies in that 90% of an organization's knowledge resides in paper. The return on investment for this benefit is not measured in dollars and cents, but in peace of mind.
The HealthCare industry is heavily regulated by guidelines such the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Under this act patients have the right to inspect their records for six years. Also patients have the right to know who has had access to their records and for what purpose. This is forcing healthcare providers to seek technology that can ensure the privacy and physical protection of patient information.
| Better Document Access Control |
Document management solutions allow better control and track access to ensure the privacy of patient information and to produce more accurate audit trails to demonstrate regulatory compliance.
Some document management solutions provide the ability to generate template driven documentation. This mechanism allows your staff to quickly create pre-filled letters, medical notes and other correspondence. Patient pertinent information is automatically imported from the system database saving office staff considerable time.
In addition to improving the quality of healthcare, implementing document imaging can help healthcare entities achieve significant cost savings and return on their investment.
- Cut costs associate with photocopy, faxing or using courier services to transport patient information. One healthcare facility reports that it costs them ten cents to photocopy a patient’s document and only six cents to image. Additionally, it is estimated the cost to courier one packet of information is between eight to fifteen dollars versus the minimal cost to send a document electronically via the internet.
- Reduced physical storage requirements for patient health information. Many healthcare providers have reported that have repurposed their file rooms to facilitate additional physicians or for more examination rooms.
- Significant decrease in record administration enabling physicians to see more patients. In many cases, healthcare facilities have reported a reduction in staff requirements.
- More accurate healthcare reducing the threat of timely and expensive malpractice suits.
- By using forms software for transaction processing healthcare organizations are able to recover the payments for services faster improving their cash flow.
- By managing patient information more efficiently, ensuring its privacy and physical protection, healthcare facilities reduce the risks of litigation and financial penalties for not meeting regulatory requirements.
| Who can Use Document Management Solutions? |
The HealthCare sector provides significant opportunities for Document Imaging software and hardware including document scanners as this market is currently paper intensive and prospects are looking for ways to manage information more efficiently and to ensure the privacy and physical protection of patient information.
This sectors includes numerous prospects including the following:
Hospitals,
Multi-physician practices,
Solo-physician practices,
Pharmacies,
Drug manufacturers,
HealthCare Plans,
Dentists,
Assisted living facilities,
Nursing homes
Optometrists, and
Insurance providers. |
