According to a recent survey, 70 percent of hospitals expect to claim stage one meaningful use incentives with implemented electronic medical records, but 78 percent of hospitals still plan on using paper records in conjunction with EMRs for up to five more years, according to a news release from information management company Iron Mountain.
The survey of 200 health information professionals also looked at how hospitals are scanning paper patient records to make a full transition to EMRs. Forty-nine percent of respondents said they've scanned the paper records they need within their budget, and 72 percent rely on full-time employees to scan documents. After scanning is complete, 58 percent said they will shred the paper records, while 38 percent will store the records onsite or in an offsite facility, the release said.
"Reaching those [meaningful use] incentives involves changing the way paper records are used and accessed by hospitals, a process that leaves most hospitals in a prolonged period of using 'hybrid' records — both paper and electronic," said Ken Rubin, senior vice president and general manager for healthcare at Iron Mountain, in the release. "Without a formalized and efficient process for scanning records, many hospitals will struggle in this hybrid period to manage their records scanning process and drive physician utilization of a fully-electronic EMR system."
Read the news release on EMRs and paper records.
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The survey of 200 health information professionals also looked at how hospitals are scanning paper patient records to make a full transition to EMRs. Forty-nine percent of respondents said they've scanned the paper records they need within their budget, and 72 percent rely on full-time employees to scan documents. After scanning is complete, 58 percent said they will shred the paper records, while 38 percent will store the records onsite or in an offsite facility, the release said.
"Reaching those [meaningful use] incentives involves changing the way paper records are used and accessed by hospitals, a process that leaves most hospitals in a prolonged period of using 'hybrid' records — both paper and electronic," said Ken Rubin, senior vice president and general manager for healthcare at Iron Mountain, in the release. "Without a formalized and efficient process for scanning records, many hospitals will struggle in this hybrid period to manage their records scanning process and drive physician utilization of a fully-electronic EMR system."
Read the news release on EMRs and paper records.
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