Healthcare Providers Should Take Planned Approach to Adopt Digitized Records
December 16, 2011
According to a report from the Clinical Advisor, Texas-based healthcare IT consulting firm the AC Group recently released a whitepaper that highlighted several of the pitfalls of speeding an electronic record deployment.
Backed by several federal initiatives, President Obama and the U.S. government have pushed healthcare providers to digitize their paper documents and shift to an electronic medical record. This push highlights why healthcare providers should take a planned approach to the adoption of digital records. According to a report from the Clinical Advisor, Texas-based healthcare IT consulting firm the AC Group recently released a whitepaper that highlighted several of the pitfalls of speeding an electronic deployment.
While a shift to electronic medical records appears inevitable, it's important that healthcare providers embrace the technology in the proper manner. For the most part, that means relying on both paper and digitized records at least for the time being.
The report also suggested that healthcare providers take a measured approach to their EMR deployment. Currently, there are very few systems that can provide an organization with all of the functionality required, including drug-lab alerts and drug interaction checks, among others, the report found. Until such capabilities are universal, a hybrid approach, combining both paper and electronic records, will be prevalent among healthcare providers.
The reality is that healthcare organizations will be living in a world of hybrid (both paper and electronic) records for years to come. Providers need to include in their plans provisions for connecting paper and electronic systems. Only with these provisions in place can providers deliver care which is strengthened by having access to complete patient records while reducing legacy costs and redundancies.
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Do you have questions about Healthcare Information Management Solutions? Read additional Knowledge Center stories on this subject, or contact Iron Mountain’s consulting services team. You’ll be connected with a knowledgeable product and services specialist who can address your specific challenges.
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