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Go 100% paperless and mobile with smartphone apps and modern PACS-integrated software!

Document management is a daily routine for any healthcare enterprise. If you run a mobile diagnostic business, you surely have faced many paperwork-related issues. The most obvious of them are workflow complexity and low usability, but that’s not even half of the story. Let’s talk about some hidden pitfalls of paper record-keeping and see how modern technologies, such as PACS and smartphone applications, spare your time and effort and, at the end of the day, cut your expenses.

Workflow complexity. Typically, your staff has to create multiple documents for each patient: referral and consent forms, progress notes, eligibility approvals, reports etc. Such documents are often handwritten and manually handled, which, first of all, means time expenditures on copying, sorting, and handwriting deciphering. Besides, all these loads of paperwork have to be stored somewhere and kept in order.

Data security issues. If every document exists in a unique copy, the probability of loss increases significantly, mostly due to the human factor. On the other hand, creating multiple copies of the same document increases data security concerns.

Excessive expenditures. Another essential point is expenditures on consumables for outdated office equipment. It is probably not the highest part of your overheads, but why not cut it down?

How can a smartphone app help? We recommend looking for a solution that doesn’t just take pictures but adjusts to your workflow. Below are a few app features that we believe are the most important:

1. Capture different types of documents (consent forms, insurance cards, log sheets, patient sheets, tech sheets, referral forms—whatever is needed for your practice)
2. Integrate with your EMR. If the captured documents are automatically attached to patient records, you can save data entry time and increase data integrity
3. Integrate with your PACS. If the documents are included in DICOM image packages, your paperwork can be reliably delivered to your reading provider, together with diagnostic images

Among the main advantages of using these apps, you can expect the following:

• Automated document handling. All the paperwork is handled automatically, thus you can forget about sorting your documents manually and collecting loads of papers in your office. This feature considerably decreases the factor of human error and helps you keep things in order.
• Ease of access. With mobile apps, you can retrieve any document at any time with a single tap on the screen.
• Security. HIPAA-aware apps store patient information securely and transmit it via an encrypted connection, which minimizes the probability of loss or leak.
• Mobility. A truly mobile app can be used remotely from anywhere. Some mobile applications also allow doctors to sign their reports electronically so that you could avoid verification issues – you don’t need to decipher your physician’s signature anymore. If the app is integrated with your PACS, diagnostic images can be sent and viewed instantly without using film of burning CDs.
• Cutting down your expenses. Mobile solutions are quite affordable, so you can save your costs on office equipment.
• And finally…printing options. You can go completely paperless, but it doesn’t mean you can completely give up paper documents. No need to worry—mobile documents are still printer-friendly, and you can have them on paper too.

With paperless solutions and mobile applications, upgrading your medical business becomes much easier than you might expect. Isn’t it time to realize the new benefits and get focused on your business and patients instead of paperwork and office equipment?