You have to keep records on all of your patients if you want to be a doctor. That’s a given. But whether you use electronic health records (EHR) software or paper-based medical records is (and has always been) a huge decision that every practitioner has to make for themselves. Show
You already know what you have to do to securely store paper medical records and the pros and cons for both paper and electronic records systems according to doctors who use them. Round one: TimeThe challenge: Doctors have a need for speed when it comes to locating records and taking notes. The winner: EHRs. The why: Electronic health records are, hands down, the faster option—once users learn their way around them. That important caveat has kept a lot of practices from making the switch because the process of learning an electronic system after using paper charts for so long is inevitably going to take a while, but practices that power through the transition are able to operate a lot more efficiently. Electronic records allow for significantly faster retrieval of lab and imagery results, they generally come with ICD-ready coding and billing features to make claims filing go a lot quicker, and they go a really long way to cut down on human errors (like sloppy handwriting and misplaced files) that slow down workflows. Round two: CostThe challenge: Independent practices have limited budget, and saving money is a priority for a lot of doctors. The winner: EHRs. The why: I know this one might be a bit of a surprise. While there are some free and open source EHRs out there, most of these software systems cost money to obtain and maintain, whether you’re purchasing a license or paying a monthly fee. But you have to think long-term here. Over time, electronic charts are going to save your practice money by speeding up workflows, reducing labor costs, increasing the number of accepted claims, and reducing operational costs. Meanwhile, paper records will continue to slow you down as features such as interoperability and revenue-cycle management become more electronic-based. Round three: SecurityThe challenge: Losing or incorrectly handling protected health information (PHI) is bad news for doctors who will face serious consequences for this type of HIPAA violation. The winner: EHRs. The why: I know there are stories in the news about cyberattacks and ransomware that’s been used to attack health organizations and steal data, and that’s not something to be taken lightly. However, the risk of a HIPAA violation is still a lot bigger with paper records than with electronic ones. EHRs have built-in security measures like password protection and data encryption to prevent attacks, whereas a physical record simply has to be left in the wrong place to be a violation. If users are smart and careful with their EHRs, these systems will do a lot more to protect practices from HIPAA violations than paper records will. Round four: EligibilityThe challenge: Doctors who rely on Medicare reimbursements need to qualify to submit those claims if they want to get that money. The winner: EHRs. The why: This one isn’t even a fair fight as federal regulations for reimbursement qualification require use of an electronic records system. With the latest version of MACRA and MIPS scoring, practices are evaluated on their use of EHR tools to facilitate more meaningful and successful interactions with patients. Paper charts don’t even come close to being useful here. And the winner is…Electronic health records by a knockout. There are plenty of factors you must consider when selecting an EHR that will work for your practice, but here’s the most important takeaway for now: If you’re one of the many doctors who have yet to make the switch from paper charts to electronic records, you’re not doing your practice any favors. Every practice that hopes to still be open in 10 years can only do that if it’s running on an EHR. As much as I understand how intimidating the process of transitioning to an entirely new records system is, resistance to software is a disadvantage in every way. But the very good news is that most EHR providers come with training and customer support to get practices ramped up as quickly as possible. If you’re ready to begin your search for the ideal EHR system, you can start by checking out a few of our resources here:
From there, you can reach out to our team of advisors to learn about specific EHR systems that fit your unique requirements. Schedule an appointment or start a chat today. What's the difference between paper charts and electronic charts?The biggest single advantage of electronic charts over paper systems to the professional navigator is the ease of correction. Both raster and vector systems allow for automatic electronic correction of the charts onboard, with no real work on the part of the navigator.
What is the difference between paper based records and electronic records?Paper documents are difficult to search, carry, copy, and modify. Paper documents are easily damaged, misfiled or misplaced. Electronic documents are delivered by networks, disks, flash memory and CD/DVD and are stored on a file system. Multiple users can read and review electronic document simultaneously.
Why electronic records are better than paper?Encryption Keeps Information Secure
A paper record is easily exposed, letting anyone see it, transcribe details, make a copy or even scan or fax the information to a third party. In contrast, electronic records can be protected with robust encryption methods to keep crucial patient information secure from prying eyes.
What are the key differences and similarities between paper and electronic medical records?Paper records require more personnel to manage and maintain paper files, accesses and organize countless documents. However, an electronic system means less man power, time and physical storage space are needed.
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What is the difference between using a paper based vs an electronic based chart?
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