Medical practices large and small are saving money as well as improving patient care by getting rid of traditional record files and going paperless, according to Lee Lafayette, president of Physicians Support Group Inc., a Dallas, TX technology consultant who is introducing Laserfiche Document Imaging to his hundreds of clients.

“Ignorance of electronic document management is costing medical groups millions of dollars in extra payroll costs and hurting the morale of office staffs,” Lafayette said. “It is relatively easy to demonstrate immediate return-on-investment (ROI) for converting traditional files to electronic images to practice administrators; I have numerous references ready to share their successes, too.”

Lafayette said most medical practices began introducing automated billing and scheduling software within the past 10 to 15 years. Many have since introduced electronic medical records systems (EMRs) as well. But the key to streamlining offices staffs and improving productivity is to tie those technologies together with Laserfiche, a sophisticated electronic records management system enabling office staff to access all stored records on their computer desktops.

Physicians Support Group next intends to launch a regional educational program to show medical practices how to use technology to improve operations. Lafayette is planning an ambitious campaign throughout the Sunbelt to advise specialty groups how to securely convert every paper document, including patient identification, explanations of benefits, “superbills” (which itemize all services, diagnostic and medications) and medical records, into searchable electronic records.

“My goal is to show that creating the ‘ideal medical practice’ is within the grasp of any group willing to employ today’s technology.” Lafayette said. “This will allow physicians to devote their full attention to patient care, reduce the number of support staff while improving the morale and productivity of those processing documents for payment and eventual archiving. This is really a win-win for medical groups.”

Many medical groups around the nation have in recent months explored and selected Laserfiche for compliance with federal HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act) requirements, according to Stephen Wheeler, Laserfiche’s National Health Care Sales Manager. Laserfiche’s advanced security features are critical in that regard, but Wheeler said integrating document management with other office automation products provides the comprehensive solution required in today’s health care market.

Lafayette’s ROI calculations factor in Laserfiche’s ease of installation and short training cycle, which means workers become quickly productive when using the software. The Laserfiche intuitive interface, combined with its filing structure which mirrors traditional filing methods, make immediate sense to workers.

“Clinic administrators like the idea of replacing copiers, which spew thousands of pieces of paper a day, with affordable scanners, which generate electronic images for paperless files,” Lafayette said. “Once an electronic file is created, it is stored on a hard drive, where it can’t be lost and can be immediately retrieved without time-wasting trips to dusty file rooms. And all electronic records can be backed up and stored off site, providing desirable disaster recovery requirements.”

Tags: Healthcare, medical billing, Medical Records, ROI

Posted on Wednesday, September 24th, 2008 at 11:04 am under Customer Stories, Healthcare. You can comment on this post.