It’s Time to Outsource Your Medical Record Scanning

 

Paper medical records are cumbersome to keep and store. Often they are filling up filing cabinets and taking up valuable office space. Paper records are also susceptible to any fire or water damage. 

Paper records can also be harder to keep in compliance with HIPAA laws. The way to avoid all of these problems is through medical record scanning. Medical record scanning allows all the paper patient charts to be transferred to electronic health records.

At River City Data, we are here to help you with all of your medical record scanning, organization, and indexing needs. We are a Kofax Capture Certified Document Conversion Center that is HIPAA certified.

 Our team has gone through extensive background checks. Your company’s security is our number one priority.  

What is an EHR?

EHR stands for Electronic Health Record. According to HealthIT.gov, an Electronic Health Record (EHR) is a digital version of a patient’s paper chart. EHRs are real-time, patient-centered records that make information available instantly and securely to authorized users. 

Differences between paper charts and electronic charts? 

Patient paper charts have a set of shortcomings. One physician can only view paper charts at a time in one office. 

When other medical professional needs access to the patient’s medical records, the file has to be copied and delivered to the new location. Limited access can cause problems in emergencies, especially if the treating physician does not have access to the Patient’s file. 

Another downfall is the costs that an office can incur with paper charts. There are costs of ink and paper for printing the charts. There is also the financial aspect of having a paid administrator to organize, locate, store, copy, and deliver health records. 

Hard copies can also lead to fragmented documents and gaps in recoded care. A specialist might make updates to a patient’s chart at a different location. The updates usually don’t get added to the patient’s file at his regular doctor’s office. 

Contrary to electronic health records, a patient’s chart is accessible to many physicians in real-time. Switching to an electronic health record reduces the gaps in the patient’s medical history.  

An electronic system allows doctors to see the patient’s lab and test results as well as x-rays or any significant medical history. A computerized system is insurmountably safer than paper charts when it comes to patient care. 

What Are the Benefits of Outsourcing Medical Record Scanning to River City Data?

• Our process is smooth and through, and we are happy to work on your timeline.
• Our team of skilled professionals has designed the process to maximize the quality of your images and always double-check for data accuracy.   
• We have the highest standards when it comes to quality control. We take pride in our work and strive to deliver the best product to you. 
• We have a multitude of high-end scanners that are capable of digitizing a variety of documents with high-speed scanning abilities. 
• Our clerical team is highly skilled and capable of handling all types of documents, even weathered and worn documents. 
• Security is our number one priority. Our staff members are all HIPAA certified, fingerprinted, and have put through background checks and BCA approved. 
• We scan all of our documents onsite and are capable of scanning a variety of records. Records including Patient’s labs, microfilm/microfiche, x-rays, EKG/ECG strips, physician notes, fetal monitoring strips, etc.   

Medical Records Scanning

At River City Data, we are HIPAA certified and ready to handle the process of scanning your medical records. We will ready your documents to ensure that they are the best quality possible. 

Step 1: Prep for Scanning 

• Remove all paperclips, staples, sticky notes, etc. that could mess with the quality of the digital copy 
• Check the documents for any damages that might need to be repaired
• Count and verify the number of documents
• Straighten out all the paperwork and remove any folds or creases to ready them for the scanner
• Organize the documents to make sure they’re all in order and streamline the scanning process
• Double-check to verify the documents are in the correct record.

Step 2: Indexing

• Index all of the documents by type
• The documents are indexed to make them easily searchable once they are electronic 
• Verify the correct patient information
• Ensure that the patient listed on the paper chart matches the information on the EHR.

 Step 3: Record Scanning

• Leaf through all of the documents and shake them to ensure that all staples and paper clips have been removed
• Choose the appropriate scanner(s) to complete the project
• Clean the glass of the scanners to make sure that the digital copies are as clear as possible
• Begin scanning the documents while watching the quality of the electronic copies on the screens

Step 4: QA Checkpoint 1

• Remove any blank pages
• Verify all document thumbnails match
• Organize and re-index documents as needed
• Flag and rescan any necessary documents

Step 5: Data Entry

• Review all of the indexing
• Enter data into the correct fields
• Ensure consistency between documents

Step 6: QA Checkpoint 2

• Another of our HIPAA experts will ensure that data is correct
• Ensure all rescans have been completed
• Double-check for all accuracies
• Scan all large documents, photos, microfilms, and other exceptions 

Step 7: Deliver Documents 

• Transfer the files to a USB, hard drive, CD, DVD, FTP, or upload to a cloud
• Ensure media content is congruent with the company’s needs
• Upload all of the data to the client

Step 8: Complete the Process

• Prepare and send our invoice 
• Either return original documents or send them to authorized destruction
• Send all data to a secure backup system

 Making the Switch from Paper to Electronic

When you are used to an old paper system, it may seem like a daunting task to switch to EHR. However, making the switch benefits both the patients and the providers. With today’s technology, it has never been more simple to make the switch.

At River City Data, we can guide you through the switch. We will help step you through the process and address any concerns that you may have. Contact one of our experts today to help get you started on the process. 

source https://rivercitydata.com/its-time-to-outsource-your-medical-record-scanning/