Community

• Blogs
  • Expert Blogs
  • Community Blogs
  • Create a Blog Entry
• Discussions
  • Start a Discussion
• Job Center
• Chapters

The Plague of Paperwork is Over: The New Reality of Healthcare

• 
• 
• 
• 

Healthcare has clearly lagged behind other industries in the adoption of automated digitizing solutions.  That trend is quickly changing, as electronic health record (EHR) adoption is increasingly becoming a reality thanks to the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. The HITECH Act has marked the stage for some of the most significant changes to the U.S. healthcare system in generations, and it is rapidly reshaping the implementation of document capture technology.

HITECH is aimed at improving healthcare outcomes, facilitating access to records and to simplifying care. These goals will be met when EHR is used in what the government calls a “meaningful way.” The Meaningful Use Rule consists of 25 measures that health care providers have to comply with in order to be eligible to receive thousands of dollars in stimulus funding.

For example, one of the Meaningful Use items states that 80 percent of a medical office’s records must be held digitally, including X-rays, test results, and medication lists, so that information can be freely sent to patients when they request it.  Healthcare institutions must be able to provide patients with this information so that if they need to see a specialist, their medical history can instantly be sent so that nothing is overlooked.

With the government incentives starting now, there’s no better time to introduce powerful and accurate recognition and data extraction tools. By digitizing and centralizing medical records that can be sent to different providers, EHR will help institutions avoid mistakes and provide better care for patients. Additionally, implementing data capture and OCR technology will allow organizations to streamline documentation, lessen wait times, and reduce costs.

Comments

Submitted by Jim Wade October 07, 2010 - 10:02 AM

I have to admit I have only read the summaries that have been published of the Meaningful Use document, rather than read the entire 500 + pages. I have come to the conclusion that full meaningful use could be achieved without converting the existing paper files to an electronic format to meet the meaningful use requirements.

The reader digest versions of the Meaningful Use document that I have read state that a physician or medical facility must provide patients with an electronic copy of their heath information – which includes lab results, problem list, medication list, allergies, discharge summary, and procedures – upon request.
My interpretation of this is that the EHR/EMR software collects this data in fields in their applications. I am reading your post as you see this as capturing the documents electronically and providing all of the documents electronically.

As a ECM professional I hope your interpretation is correct. Can you elaborate on how you arrived at your conclusion?

Report

Was this helpful? Yes No

Reply

Subject  

Comment  

Submitted by October 12, 2010 - 3:43 AM

Easy accessibility of client records and other documentation is important for smooth operations in any organization; more so in the health care field. This cannot be fully achieved unless the data is converted to or generated in a digital format.

As patient information is confidential, it is important to secure the documents while storing them, working on them and transmitting them over electronic channels. A document management system that meets these needs will help health care organizations and professionals comply with the law on the one hand; and deliver information in the desired format to the parties involved on the other.

Report

Was this helpful? Yes No

Reply

Subject  

Comment  

Submitted by Curtis Williams October 13, 2010 - 10:45 AM

Many in the technology field have learned hard lessons about implementing a solution within a seemingly welcoming environment that suddenly turns hostile. Technology must be presented from the very onset as a way to increase an individuals quality of life at work in order to be accepted and adopted.

I have found that many medical groups will "accept" the benefits of a solution such as electronic records but fail to actually "adopt" the system they have chosen. Time and again I have walked into offices that have full blown EMR/PMS systems in place that are printing out what they have created in the systems and placing it in physical records. They may be utilizing the electronic system because they have accepted the need but they have not adopted it.

I guess my point is that the electronic record movement must look at all levels of an orginization and pinpoint the benefits for the receptionist up to the admistrator. To identify and demonstrate that although the implementation may increase a work load, the end result is an environment that increases their ability to do their jobs without increasing the work it requires to do so.

Report

Was this helpful? Yes No

Reply

Subject  

Comment  

This post and comment(s) reflect the personal perspectives of community members, and not necessarily those of their employers or of AIIM International