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PPV: Don’t let voluminous paper overwhelm you during transition to an EHR

EHR Connection, May 5, 2008

Imagining a time when medical records are simply a mouse click away may be difficult—especially when you’re surrounded by endless stacks, files, or even entire rooms full of paper charts.

Determining how to handle paper records during the transition to an EHR is a challenge for many hospitals, and a task that can intimidate even the most prepared HIM director. “The question is really from a policy perspective. How do you want to provide access to those records for physicians or other staff?” says Heidi Echols, chair of the Health Information Technology Affinity Group at McDermott Will & Emery, LLP, in Chicago. “Do you want to retain two sources of records or not?”

An EHR transition is just that—a transition from a paper to an electronic medium. Simplifying the process and providing easy access to an often fragmented record is a difficult task, says Echols. Many hospitals are choosing to scan paper records into the electronic system; but how far back should you scan? Hospitals can consider various options.

Click here to learn about these options.

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