• E-mail
• Print
• RSS

Who says you have to go cold turkey when transitioning to a paper-free office?

Credentialing Resource Center Connection, September 10, 2009

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Credentialing Resource Center Connection!

Dear readers,

Those in-the-know have been recommending paper-free offices for a while now. Benefits of such a set up include saving space, saving money, and saving the environment. With the push for electronic medical records getting a bigger boost from potential healthcare reform funds, a paper-free medical staff services department seems right around the corner.

And yet, many MSPs have been hovering around the corner for a while without making the turn. Who wants to undertake such a massive project by choice when there are other pressing concerns that must be done? And what will happen when the department shreds all credentialing files after scanning them only to discover that not all the files were scanned, and some were shredded by accident?

No one says you have to go cold turkey when transitioning to a paper-free office. Once you’ve set that goal there are a few techniques to make the transition easier. Start by setting realistic timelines for each stage of the transition. Perhaps your office can start sending out electronic credentialing applications next week, and in three months, scan all of the older credentialing applications into an online database. After that, maybe you can move on to a similar transition for privileging files.

Also, if you’re really worried about shredding duplicate, paper copies of electronic documents, don’t do it. That’s not to say you should keep them around forever, but set a timeline for shedding so that you are comfortable working with the electronic files before completely removing the paper ones. Treat your duplicate paper copies like the files you put in the recycling bin on your computer’s desktop. You can retrieve them if you need to, and in a month or two, you delete them with barely a second thought because it’s been so long since you’ve used them.

No transition is completely stress-free, but with a little planning your transition to a paper-free office can be a little easier.

Sincerely,

Emily Berry
Associate Editor

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Credentialing Resource Center Connection!

• E-mail to a Colleague
• Print
• RSS
• Archive