Despite the adoption of electronic medical records (EMR) systems, medical practices still face serious space constraints due to the storage of physical patient files. And in a medical practice, space is money—meaning every square foot occupied by physical records represents thousands in wasted resources. Shelves upon shelves of cumbersome files are siphoning resources that might otherwise be allocated to increasing efficiency, prioritizing patient care and improving employee happiness.
Reclaim space and resources with document scanning
Thanks to professional document scanning and management services, your medical practice can stop leaking revenue into rooms full of unnecessary paper.
How?
First, patient records are scanned and uploaded to a secure, cloud-based document management system. HIPAA compliant document management software ensures that all patient information is safely stored and easily accessible from any computer. Now, medical staff can quickly and reliably retrieve any information required, when required—without wading through heaps of paper to get there.
Document scanning and HIPAA compliance
When selecting a professional document scanning and management company, be sure to confirm that the document management software you choose can be integrated with your existing EMR system. This integration allows healthcare professionals to access any scanned patient record from within the EMR system with the tap of a shortcut key—no need to waste time juggling between multiple programs.
Finally, it is important to ensure that you outsource scanning your patient files to a HIPAA compliant document scanning company, meaning that document scanning is carried out in accordance with HIPAA guidelines by HIPAA-trained professionals. Once all patient files have been scanned, your paper files are securely stored in a HIPAA compliant system rather than taking up valuable practice space.
Benefits of reclaimed space
Once your practice is free of paper records, you can convert old file-room resource sinks into brand new revenue-generating spaces!
More space = increased profit
Did your patient files occupy an entire room of office space?
If so, removing those files might free up a new exam room or consultation room. By eliminating paper records, your practice can produce new revenue in additional patient visits every day. Moreover, added patient scheduling results in increased flexibility and availability of care—top priority for any medical practice.
More space = better workflow
Were your practice’s hallways, nursing stations, or check-in and checkout stations stacked with boxes and unusable filing cabinets?
If so, removing those obstacles can improve the overall feel of your practice, providing a sense of calm for both employees and patients in place of previous clutter. This improved mood combined with clear paths and open areas can improve employee efficiency as well.
More space = higher productivity
Did your patient files occupy a sizeable open area?
If so, removing those files might free up space for an employee break room. Employees who are happier and more relaxed thanks to an improved work environment—even through something as simple as a break room—will repay your investment several times over in increased productivity.
Additional benefits of paperless records
Increased efficiency
With paper records, simple human filing errors can result in hours of time wasted at your practice every single day. Records are easily misplaced, requiring file room staff—and sometimes even medical professionals!—to dig through recent patient charts for the necessary information before the next patient can be seen.
When medical records are scanned and stored by document management software, it is no longer necessary for employees to spend hours searching for misplaced documents. Any scanned file can be pulled up at the touch of a key; doctors and staff can spend their time on patient care rather than wild-document chases.
Patient security and HIPAA compliance
With paper records, anyone could potentially gain access to your patients’ sensitive information. In even the most well maintained practices, patient files are often left lying around. Charts that are set down on a desk for a few minutes, for example, can easily find themselves in the wrong hands—whether or not this is done intentionally.
With secure cloud-based record storage, though, all patient files can be “locked,” with access allowed only to certain medical professionals or staff. You can even track scanned records to determine who has accessed them and for what purpose—a new level of peace of mind for both patients and healthcare providers.
Document scanning combined with EMR-integrated document management software allows your medical practice to save valuable space and, as a result, to save valuable resources. Ultimately, this means that your healthcare providers and staff are able to devote more time to ensuring quality of patient care.
To learn more about how you can use document scanning and document management software to reclaim office space with paperless medical records and EMR integration, please call us at (888) 634-7684.