Healthcare data are the most important data of medical organization. Earlier, healthcare information was recorded in paper documents but these paper documents may deteriorate in the long run. Hospitals and other medical units have realized the importance of document conversion with the help of data conversion services. By scanning medical records with the support of a document scanning company, health information can be stored, distributed, migrated, replicated, retrieved or accessed quickly.
It is important for hospitals and healthcare units to have a systematic way of storing important data, information and other relevant details with the objective of easy accessibility at the time of treatment. Healthcare records consist of personal data, diseases, modes of diagnosis, recommendations etc that help physicians provide better care to the patients. These records are vital to make sure that patients receive appropriate treatment. Moreover, they serve as a legal document if there is any malpractice. Maintaining digital health records is essential when it comes to improving the efficiency of health industry.
According to a recent survey, 85 percent of patients say that they have to wait for 30 minutes or more past their appointment time to see the doctor and 63 percent call this the most stressful part of a doctor visit. The reason for waiting time is due to switching of doctors. The study also found that increased waiting time lowers ratings for doctors on review sites and also lowers the chances that a patient will recommended the doctor to others. According to the study, 30 percent of patients have decided to the leave the appointments due to long waits.
Doctors can improve their efficiency with the use of technology. When patients abandon their appointments, it affects customer satisfaction and it also impacts patient outcomes. However, these wait times can be minimized. Researchers have shown that patient satisfaction drops after 20 minutes. So healthcare units should keep that in mind and take steps to minimize the waiting period to within 20 minutes. The second step is to analyze at which stage the waiting period is lengthy. This is where technology can help. Practices can use strategies like staggering long-wait and short-wait patients, resize appointment slots and also refer patients to other doctors at the time of overflow of patients. Appointments can be at any time of the day and the appointments that are towards the end of the day are likely to get delayed. Studies have shown that Tuesdays are more likely for more appointments.
Earlier, collecting such data was a herculean task and prone to errors too. But medical practices can digitize their patient intake and all related data and use modern wait management technology that enables patients to get in line and wait virtually with their mobile devices. It also enables to structure data detailing and other wait related statistics like what kind of visit a patient was in for, which doctors/staff members they interacted with, etc.
Storing and archiving of data requires adequate storage facilities and it should be separately stored from the records maintained for quotidian care. Digitization of health records helps in removing the clutter of paper documents in healthcare units. It also saves your money and ensures security for your documents. With the help of a reputable document scanning company, huge volumes of data can be digitized with excellent accuracy and speed.
