Let’s talk Electronic Health Records or EHRs. EHRs, although transcending us into the future of healthcare, can fail to completely eradicate our paper usage leaving us with warehouse sized paper data storage to combat. Faxed physical orders, lab testing results, or even just checklists are all some of the things in your very institution that may still be on paper. This may not seem like a big deal, though The Paperless Project suggests that organizations on average lose a paper document every 12 seconds, which translates into costing anywhere between $300-750 per lost document.
How do we make our paperless efforts more paperless?
In order to cut down on the amount of paper that occupies that warehouse sized burden, scanning can be an option. Though, it is not always the best option. It is true that scanning documents can help digitize your documents, shorten wait times for information retrieval, and cut down on paper that needs to be saved, but it does not give a full real time information upload that is strived for in healthcare settings.
Using point of entry technology when capturing documents such as physical orders or lab results allows seamless transfer of electronic information. An example of working smarter and faster is, instead of passing around the lab results in an exchange of multiple hands, simply uploading the results to a place where all necessary people can access them easily. This eliminates time wasted from the exchange of hands and creates a common place to find information fast and simple.
Not only is the information available almost instantly, but the information is available to multiple people, like the physicians and nurses who care for that patient. An improvement on collaborative care, which data management is encompassed in, is a strategy that delivers better care before visits, during visits using real time availability, and after each hospital visit the longer point of care document capturing is used. By taking the time to understand the processes in house and helping facilitate those processes more efficiently is paramount to increasing efficiency and decreasing cost.
The Bottom Line
Paper, in almost any industry but especially in healthcare, is more than likely never going away. That does not mean reduction of paper usage cannot be achieved. We can eliminate large quantities of paper by using smarter strategies that both cut costs and increase the productivity of the time used. By decreasing the paper we store and use from warehouse sized capacities to small rooms is the ultimate goal of creating better care and larger efficiencies in healthcare. Cutting down on paper and using smart solutions that upload data using real time helps everyone give and receive better patient care.
And that’s where we can help.
Want to know more?
Our experienced systems experts would be happy to answer your questions, help you explore your options and develop a customized plan for you. Learn more at stratixsystems.com or call us toll-free 1-800-444-2943.