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So you've finally decided to computerize your office. After much
research and conversation, weighing the pros and cons, you've realized
that it is, after all, the right thing to do.
And in making that right decision, you suddenly
discover an 800 pound gorilla, sitting inside your clinic, staring
you right in the face: shelf after shelf after shelf of paper charts,
those dreaded Old Medical Records.
At this point you perhaps have the following choices:
- 1. A great big bonfire.
Though certainly the most fun choice, and no doubt wonderful memories
that you and your staff can share with the grandkids; both your
lawyer and the local fire marshal would probably have some reservations.
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2.
Box them all up, put them in storage, and forget about
them. A better choice than 1) above, but probably not the best
choice.
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3.
Hire someone to scan all of your Old Medical
Records into the computer.
Then cart the paper charts off to storage.
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4.
Keep the Old Medical Records
in your clinic, at least for now, and scan them into your computer
on an as needed basis, that is based on upcoming Appointments.
It is usually not a good idea to try to scan in charts
alphabetically.
The
steps to implement choice 4) might be as follows:
- Step 1. A
patient calls to make an appointment.
- Step 2. Add
the Patient's name and address into the Team
Chart Concept (if not already
there) and then create the Appointment.
- Step 3. Find
the patient's Old Medical Records.
- Step 4. Using
a high-speed scanner, scan the patient's Old Medical
Records into the
Team Chart Concept.
- Step 5. Put
the patient's Old Medical Records
in storage or in a different location in your clinic reserved
for Old Medical
Records that have been scanned
in.
- Step 6. From
this point on, this patient's record is maintained electronically
within the Team Chart Concept.
A good rule of thumb is to attempt to stay 2
weeks ahead on scanning in your Old Medical Records.
Eventually, you'll have the paper charts scanned in and you'll wonder
how you ever managed to see patients with paper charts in the first
place.
If you do not want to scan in your Old Medical Records,
yourself, there are services that will scan in your Old
Medical Records for a fee (typically on a per page basis).
Please understand, that the actual mechanics of scanning in the
Old Medical Records is only half of the battle.
Before you can scan in a paper chart, someone has to 'prep' it.
That is, organize it in such a way that it can be quickly scanned
in for fast access within the
Team Chart Concept.
For example, all lab results may need to be grouped together and
sorted chronologically. All dictation done by the provider(s)
should be grouped together and sorted chronologically as well.
This way, when seeing that patient again using the
Team Chart Concept,
the provider will be able to quickly find scanned in information
for the paper chart based on date and/or information type (e.g.
EKG, Dictation, Labs, etc.) Someone in your office will probably
have to do the chart 'prep'.
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Old Medical Records
