2009 is a year of significant change, and healthcare is an issue on many people’s minds, both in management, processing, claims, benefits, affordability, and yes, heightening regulatory compliance. Despite divergent opinions about details and funding, it seems nearly everyone agrees that our healthcare system needs reform, and the tides of change are in motion; from the White House down to your company or clients; all of us are aware that healthcare is a staple that needs modification. Will the shake out affect how you sell your solution software to healthcare clients? Quite possibly.

The move toward connected (electronic) healthcare means significant changes await us.  Not only will the ‘new healthcare’ established involve powerful software, it will expand a wider use of computers, printers, fax machines, scanners, MFPs, PDAs, and the supplies and services that support them.  If you’re an equipment provider or a hybrid dealer offering equipment and solutions (and the IT techs to support them), a hotbed of opportunity is emerging.  However, you must understand the proposed changes and your own role in healthcare connectivity to make the most of it!

The recent American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), enacted in February, set the stage for transformation with $19.2 billion in provisions for healthcare information technology.

Relaxation of the Stark Law added momentum, letting hospitals bear up to 85% of electronic health record implementation for community physician offices.  In June, the first draft of the Affordable Health Choices Act was released, mentioning “data” 157 times—an undercurrent of the continuing drive toward healthcare connectivity. Transformation can’t happen quickly enough for many.  The key is efficient data capture and a centralized repository for all patient-related information.

The Need
When healthcare practitioners and administrators make decisions, they consult multiple documents. Scattered information slows access. Consider some of the standard patient-related documents that are consulted:

• Patient admissions forms
• Electronic health and medical records
• X-rays
• Lab results
• Patient risk factors
• Insurance forms
• Explanation of benefits
• Checks
• Discharge forms

Often, clinical software doesn’t ‘talk’ with admissions, billing, and other administrative applications.  However, if institutions obtain and leverage the right equipment & software, they can enable connectivity & reap its rewards.

In the future, hospital facilities, clinics, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and their staff will have everything they need to provide patients with optimal service as well as run their organizations more efficiently. Intelligent hardware, supported by electronic document management (EDM) software, will provide an unshakable foundation to support every institutional need.  Health IT will dramatically reduce administrative waste by connecting isolated silos of critical information.  Access to secure, accurate, timely information will ensure swift, quality care.

Paper vs. PDF
If the institutions you serve have digital records, then scanners, copiers, MFPs, fax machines, and shredders may already be part of their solution.  Adding desktop scanners enables receptionists to capture forms electronically at the counter as well as documents scanned by patients engaging in self service. Scanning paper documents upon receipt and using EDM software to index files thoroughly makes records and their content secure, yet easily accessible and instantly searchable.

The equipment you provide helps make sure that patients have what’s needed when paper documentation is required. EDM lets staff print to PDFs and other screen-readable formats when paper isn’t necessary.

Office Equipment – Institutor of Change
The case for connectivity is strong; it’s being talked about everywhere in healthcare circles.  Although the goal for institutions is efficiency—and reducing paper is a huge factor in eliminating waste—printers, copiers, toner, paper, and contracted services remain not only viable—they’re vital.  However, your clients will appreciate that you understand where paper-generating equipment helps to extend healthcare connectivity and patient service, and where EDM can help them avoid costly paper files, storage and/or waste.

All of us benefit from affordable, high quality care, both in business and personally.  As a dealer or reseller, you can help the vertical sector of healthcare providers take advantage of the intelligent capture devices and the connectivity offered by EDM. You can play a pivotal role in improving the quality of medical information for your clients, as well as leading to better care for yourself and those around you. 

Connectivity case studies
Many solution providers are seeing that some medical institutions have already transformed their business models, using powerful equipment with an EDM underlay and digital workflow to accelerate work and communication. Consider these office provider challenges & success stories:

Hospital health records library
Profile: A hospital health records library with patient records growing at an unsustainable pace, given current staffing and storage space. The solution provider assessed the hospital’s needs then implemented a digital solution to lead to a positive result:

Challenge:  To enable quick, secure access to patient documentation. 
Overcrowding of files in the library made access time-consuming, while posing health and safety risks to staff as they accessed records in cabinets, on shelves, and in boxes.  Papers were often in transit or not properly re-filed, complicating retrieval.

Solution: The hospital migrated to digital patient records in 2005. Typically, 90,000 pages were scanned weekly on average. The implemented digital solution allowed the hospital library to now have more than 100,000 patient notes stored electronically.  The networked system allows more than 300 users to access records securely on computers, laptops, and PDAs. 

Result: Electronic records drastically cut storage and retrieval costs, despite significant costs for additional scanners, shredders, and other equipment. Clinicians now view records easily and securely. Patients’ concerns are addressed quickly and accurately, saving the hospital considerable time and money.

Medical center surgery scheduling
Profile: A medical center in Pennsylvania performed approximately 450 surgeries per week, scheduled by 22 departments within the facility.  The solution provider assessed the medical center’s needs then implemented a digital solution to lead to a positive result:

Challenge:  To eliminate errors, improve communication, and lower administrative costs of a cumbersome surgery scheduling process. 
Previously, schedulers received 22 different forms, transmitted primarily by fax. Surgery scheduling forms, changes to surgical procedures, and cancellations were too frequently not acted upon properly due to unclear fax transmissions.  Some were misplaced, lost, or duplicated.  Mistakes cost the facility hundreds of thousands of dollars and negatively affected patient care. 

Solution: With the implemented digital solution, the hospital automated its surgery scheduling process.  Computers, laptops, and electronic forms were used, as well as PDAs and laptops.   Now, forms are generated, collected, and modified electronically.  Supporting data is captured using scanners and digitally routing faxes, eliminating ghost transmissions and mislaid paperwork.  Doctors can annotate and approve scheduled surgeries remotely using PDAs and laptops. 

Result: Timely and accurate communication ended costly mistakes from unnecessary cancellations and rescheduling. Storage space and filing staff were reduced.

Laurel Sanders is the director of public relations and communications for Optical Image Technology.  For information about the company’s award-winning suite of DocFinity software, visit www.docfinity.com or contact info@docfinity.com.