The push towards going paperless in the healthcare industry has slowly but surely gained traction over the past couple of decades. Maintaining and organizing paper-based patient charts can be time consuming and error prone as crucial documents can easily go missing or end up in the wrong sets of hands. With HIPAA compliance being paramount and significant fines looming for healthcare providers found in violation, the move to a mostly or fully digital system makes sense in a lot of ways.
Keeping Patient Data Safer
Modern digital document management systems come equipped with industry-leading encryption to protect against data breaches and insider threats. Cloud-based storage becomes an increasingly attractive option when hospitals and healthcare facilities have previously had to dedicate mass amounts of storage space to accommodate paper-based patient files. This method of storage can also prevent data loss from natural disasters, fires, floods, hurricanes, as well as instances of theft.
Improved Patient Care and Efficiency
By fully digitizing patient charts and data, workflow automation can be implemented, thus streamlining processes for any healthcare organization. Hours previously devoted to manually filling out paperwork and locating specific patient files in paper form can now be spent directly treating patients. In situations where seconds count, having an easily accessible digital record of a specific patient’s data can mean the difference between life and death. A fully digitized record can also eliminate longstanding issues with legibility of handwritten doctor’s notes and foster better communication between doctors, nurses, and staff from other departments or facilities. This can be especially crucial in the treatment of a patient when the information on pre-existing conditions or patient allergies needs to be crystal clear, thus cutting down on possible mistakes.
The Lasting Impact of Digitization
Without digitization measures in place, already understaffed facilities that are inundated with paperwork and labor-intensive administrative tasks can adversely affect the quality of patient care. As more healthcare organizations lead the charge in going digital, we can expect to see improved patient care and efficiency across the board.
Contact us to see how our Data onDemand™ solution can help your healthcare organization with digital transformation.