Business Week predicted in 1975 that business offices would soon be going paperless. Due to the new usage of computer records, businesses were expected to completely stop using paper. In the next twenty years alone, paper used in the work place actually more than doubled.

We have all heard businesses of all sizes and values Going Paperless. While it may help your company stay organized and keep our environment happy, going completely paperless is hardly ever possible. More often than not, going paperless means implementing a computer or web-based way of keeping records. It can be hard to change a system that has been in place for years or even decades. While the idea of being a paperless business seems valuable and important, the idea is often far-fetched. Nowhere is that more apparent than in a hospital setting.

Going paperless, or creating a hospital or business that uses less paper-based products, often means these are a “visible institutional goal of implementing Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) and Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems.” EMR refers to a computer-based record of patient files and data. CPOE is a system that doctors, nurses and other professionals use to order medications, test, and services. Both of these systems are used to break away from the paper-based system of the past. These systems also highly automate the service provided, causing better efficiency and safety of care.

Once you have decided to go paperless or to utilize an EMR or CPOE system, you must take time to consider the roles and requirements that will be impacted while switching to a paperless hospital environment. To make this transition easy and successful, consider making a list of all the personnel roles needed. Make sure the role is descriptive and as well thought out as possible.

When deciding these roles, consider the following questions:

Who will be responsible for maintaining firm data locations, drawers, and folders?

Who will be responsible for training staff members?

Who will scan which documents? Will this responsibility differ at all?

Aside from the above questions, it is also important to consider the quality of your hospital’s current hardware and computers. You will want to make sure your computer infrastructure will work well with all appropriate upgrades.

It is essential to think of all these important ideas when branching into the paperless business structure. If things are not thought out well enough, the paperless system could be useless to your hospital. When the people that are using the system are not well trained, or if they do not understand why or what they are doing, all the time and effort spent switching to the EMR or CPOE system could be a waste.

Sunlit Cove Healthcare Consultants

We provide management and consulting services to help healthcare businesses run efficiently. Navigating the dynamic and complex revenue cycle management is a challenge for many health plans, health care vendors, and providers. Our consulting services are available to assist with your day-to-day operations and provide expertise in growth and change management. We manage all aspects of your enterprise from the development of the revenue cycle management process to the completion of your business cycle.

Related: Revenue Cycle Interim Management