By Stephanie Ocano
The paperless revolution is taking the world by storm, so it’s no surprise hospitals across the United States are jumping on the paper-free bandwagon.
From digitized patient files to paperwork and documents sent by email, the medical community is embracing a paperless lifestyle.
When it comes to the big switch, here are just a few reasons your hospital management team should consider going paperless.
Hospitals and Electronic Health Records
Changing from paper records to electronic health records is a huge change that your hospital management team should not take lightly.
Chances are your hospital has already adopted a paperless lifestyle, but there are probably areas that have yet to make the transition.
According to a U.S. News & World Report, four out of every 10 hospitals in the country are now equipped with electronic health records and similar health information technology. However, only 42 percent of hospitals that have made the switch meet federal standards for collecting health data.
If your hospital hasn’t committed to a full paperless transition, your management team needs to begin taking the necessary steps.
Paperless patient records are one thing, but your hospital’s tax preparation documents, accounting documents, and any regulatory compliance paperwork should be paperless, too.
Improved Health Record Exchange
Paper records are difficult to share between physicians and medical communities, especially in times of urgency. Scanning and faxing documents is time consuming and inefficient, but electronic health records are in a digitized format from the start.
As the following article notes, creating a fully electronic patient record system is just one of “5 Steps to a Paperless Life” for your hospital.
With electronic health records, your hospital staff is better able to exchange important patient records instantaneously. Whether it’s sending a prescription to the hospital pharmacy or updating a patient’s chart, digitized records create a more efficient workplace.
Enhanced Security
Although massive software security breaches make headline news more often than not, electronic health records are still more secure than the traditional paper format. Anything can happen to paper records that are stored on-site, from theft to misplacement to fire and water damage.
Digital records on the other hand are stored safely and securely in an off-site data center.
Even if your management team decides to install on-site servers, there are a number of ways to restore and recover digitized documents.
In addition, with electronic health records, there’s no fear of misplacing files because searching for digitized records is fast, easy and thorough.
Eco-Friendly Effect
Going paperless is also a great way for your hospital to go green.
Transitioning to electronic health records means your hospital will use less paper products as well as less ink, which is an environmentally friendly approach to hospital management. An eco-friendly hospital is also a budget-conscious one.
That’s right, by taking paper, printer, and filing costs out of the equation you’re helping to lower the hospital’s operating costs. This, in combination with the environmental advantages, is a win-win for your hospital.
From the cost benefits to the efficiency, it’s plain to see that going the paperless route is the best route for hospitals all across the country.
