.png)
This article was originally published in XTalks.
Did you know that medical record management costs a staggering $125 billion per year in the US?
This inefficient system is heavily based on paper records and is putting healthcare providers at a significant disadvantage. On average, clinical staff spends 20 percent of their daily time chasing down patient records. Moreover, paper medical records occupy valuable storage space in hospitals and offices. Even worse, these records are virtually unsearchable, making it nearly impossible to track a patient’s history or locate specific information in a timely manner. Additionally, paper records are prone to irreversible damage. If a coffee spill occurs, critical information related to a patient’s life could be lost forever.
Many of us can recall instances when doctors printed out prescriptions, lab requests or X-ray orders and asked us to bring them along for medication or imaging procedures. We may have also experienced frustrations when pharmacies or doctors’ offices claimed they did not receive faxed prescriptions or lab results.
