Digitizing The Irregular Documents Of Healthcare By Douglas T. Butts, BÖWE BELL + HOWELL Scanners

Information integrity and security are big concerns for most companies today. But when human lives depend on a healthcare facility's ability to accurately capture and retrieve patient data, nothing can be left to chance.

Over the last several years healthcare providers have made a collective move toward electronic records. Driven initially by regulations, providers have recognized how fast and secure access to healthcare data can help them track patient history, monitor quality assurance standards, comply with regulatory guidelines, and achieve timely billing and reimbursement.

While the benefits of electronic health records are undisputed, digitizing healthcare data comes with its share of challenges. Healthcare facilities process thousands of different types of documents, including patient evaluations, charts and lab reports, prescriptions, legal and insurance papers, and billing statements. Medical scanning lineups also include oddly sized documents, such as physicians' notes scribbled on index cards, tri-fold logs used by nurses to track patient progress and electrocardiogram (EKG) strips that can run hundreds of feet long.