| is made about the advent of the Electronic | | | | Bilinear-Interpolation Feature? |
| Medical Record, and with good reason. The | | | | It sometimes can seem like it’s easier to |
| technology that allows medical practitioners to | | | | build a lunar module than to scan Patient Charts |
| access real-time information and patient history | | | | into your shiny new EMR or EHR System. And |
| with the click of a mouse has already proven | | | | then, once you’ve gone ahead and |
| itself and undoubtedly helped to save lives. | | | | purchased the scanner, you’re faced with |
| Now, with the federal government providing | | | | the reality that someone will need to pull all of the |
| incentives that will allow more and more medical | | | | staples, sort the pages, and then sit in front of a |
| practices to take advantage of these | | | | computer and scan all of these charts and tag |
| technologies, the number of practices and facilities | | | | them with patient data. |
| using these systems (EMR, EHR, etc.) is multiplying | | | | If this process seems like more work than |
| rapidly. | | | | you’re willing to take on, take comfort in |
| There’s an important component of these | | | | knowing that there is another option to fill your |
| systems that is being overlooked, however, and | | | | EMR or EHR System with all of your paper charts. |
| that’s the legacy Patient information that | | | | There are professional companies that specialize in |
| has historically been stored in paper charts. As the | | | | outsourced scanning of medical charts, and many |
| number of implementations of EMR Systems | | | | of these companies will make this process a |
| skyrockets, Medical Practices across the country | | | | breeze. |
| are looking at hundreds, if not thousands, of | | | | For a low, per-page price, you can send your |
| paper-based charts and asking themselves the | | | | patient charts out to a Document Conversion |
| same question – “What do I do | | | | service center that will perform all of the |
| with all of this?” | | | | document preparation, scanning and indexing, and |
| The reality of the situation is that it takes an | | | | will also help to upload all of your scanned data |
| inordinate amount of time to sit down in front of | | | | into your EMR or EHR System. |
| a screen and perform manual data entry from | | | | When choosing to outsource the process to a |
| paper-based charts, and that scanning is a more | | | | document conversion service provider, and |
| efficient way to deliver content to these | | | | especially with Medical Records such as Patient |
| systems. | | | | Charts, it’s critical to work with a |
| Most, if not all, of the leading EHR and EMR | | | | company that has experience, however. You |
| platforms have some really great utilities to allow | | | | should ask to speak with references of other |
| practices to retrieve and view images, and by | | | | practices that the company has worked with, and |
| scanning legacy patient history into these | | | | also obtain a HIPAA Business Associates |
| systems, Practices, Hospitals, and Clinics can start | | | | agreement to have peace of mind that |
| to truly take advantage of all of the benefits | | | | you’re information is being kept |
| these systems have to offer. | | | | confidential. |
| But where do you start? For most practices, the | | | | Once you’ve found the right partner |
| logical course of action is to procure a scanner. | | | | though, you should be able to be up and running in |
| There are many great models to choose from, | | | | a few short weeks with all of your patient history |
| and the choices may seem dizzying to some. Do I | | | | and paper chart information loaded into the |
| need a scanner with an ADF? Does it need to be | | | | Electronic Medical Record System, available when |
| Duplex? Should it have the good old | | | | and where you need it. |