Softwords Blog

Electronic Document Imaging Case Study

Dr. Rose Kung - Case Study

"For more than three years we have enjoyed the luxury of having an office with no filing cabinets bulging with patient charts, files and documents. Yet we still have all patient information at our fingertips – or more accurately, at just a few clicks of our computer mouse.” – Dr. Rose Kung

The Headache

I operate a busy ob/gyn practice at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto. As my practice grew, the storage and retrieval of patient charts along with all the associated examination documents became a burdensome task, not to mention the cost of filing cabinets, file folders and my assistant’s time taken to access and file the relevant material for each patient’s visit.

Also, it was not uncommon for an occasional document to be misplaced or misfiled, resulting in additional time being needed to locate the missing material.

Since we were already using computers in the office to handle such administrative tasks as our billing procedures I began to consider whether a computer could also be used to speed up the process of storing, accessing and archiving all data in our patient files. ... Thus, we were introduced to A&L’s Document Console.

The A&L Solution

It has since proven to be a good decision. Our office efficiency has improved and there have been no adverse effects on patient care. In addition, I am happy to say that a further important benefit has been an improvement financially. For the number of patients I service, I would need two large filing cabinets to store their charts and documents in the traditional manner. With the document imaging system I have no need for filing cabinets. I also save costly floor space. Likewise, there are no hanging files or file folders to purchase. The cost saving thus realized paid for the A&L Document Console software.

I can understand a physician’s reluctance to destroy hard copy patient documents. I also experienced this trepidation. But over a period of time, the reliability of the system convinced me that it was no longer necessary to save them. After all, this would defeat the purpose of having the system in the first place. Of course, our database is backed up every day by the hospital’s Information Technology department; so if something does happen to our computer system we always have a copy of our files from which the database can be easily recreated. Now our hard copy documents are regularly sent for shredding every two weeks or so...

Security of patient information is not an issue since password protection is provided by the system. Also, different types of access capabilities can be assigned to staff at the time their passwords are established.

Another advantage the system provides is the ability to send copies of patient documents to another physician anywhere in the world, directly from my computer, as long as that physician has the capability to receive information electronically. This can be done by fax or by an e-mail attachment and avoids the necessity of having to make a hard copy of a document as well as the expense incurred in mailing it. In the same manner, electronic documents can be received from other sources and easily attached to a patient’s file in my database...

The Conclusion

All in all we find the convenience and time saved by using this system to be a great advantage to our office operations. It also presents an efficient way to archive inactive patient files, and in my type of practice they are in the majority. After having used this system for over three years now, I would not want to return to the manual method for storing patient charts and files.

To find out more about the Document Console click here

What is the Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC

Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition has all the capabilities of Windows XP Professional, extending the core operating system with pen, ink, and speech functions. The Tablet PC offers a more natural and intuitive mobile computing experience by integrating pen capabilities more deeply into the operating system and the programs.

Windows XP Tablet PC Edition enhances productivity by delivering deep pen-and-ink integration. You can share your ink documents with others—even if they are not using a Tablet PC.

Significant improvements to word and case recognition in Tablet PC Input Panel include a dynamic ink-to-text conversion process and the option to make corrections before you insert text. Using an ‘electronic’ pen to annotate over a document or template and save the file with your own handwriting, truly enhancing your paperless office solution. Let us show you how A&L Document Console, in conjunction with XP Tablet Edition, can improve your office or business workflow.

A&L Document Console

Records Management and Document Imaging

Imaging is the process of converting original (source) paper documents into electronic images. This process is accomplished by passing each document through a scanner (much like a copier), which transfers the image onto a computer. The image is then compressed and indexed. The next step is to transfer the images onto another medium, such as a Compact Disk, DVD-RW, Optical Disk, Hard Drive etc. for storage. Document Management can also include the storage and organization of various types of data.

Recording the image is a relatively easy step. The key however is retrieval. Once the data is stored, how do we get them back? From a software standpoint, however, you need a system that accurately indexes each piece of paper or data stored.

Some points to remember on good features for a Document Management application.

1. Robust database on which to conduct retrieval / searches
2. An alternate storage method that replaces paper and microfilm
3. Ease of use
4. Built in security levels to limit access within your organization
5. Ability to have software data encrypted so that no one from outside the system can access
6. Can integrate into existing system/network
7. Notes can be attached to any of the imaged documents to better know what they are for
8. The data is portable to any storage medium

General cost justification for a business

CD/DVD can hold up to 1 full filing cabinet:

- Save on cost of file cabinets
- Save on floor space

Labor saving:

- Speed of retrieval greatly enhanced
- Negates moving overly heavy boxes
- No refilling of documents
- No searching for lost documents
- Reduces number of people needed to “file paper”

Security:

- No lost documents
- Duplicate CD/DVD or other media can act as a backup and be stored off site

Eliminates Paper:

- Printing multiple copies unnecessary - Access can be shared
- Copies can be faxed or emailed directly from the computer
- You can cross search in seconds

Storage Space:

- Use space for productive money making area
- All data in one location

Click here if you are looking for an Electronic Document Management Software solution

Increasing Document Security PIPEDA

Many of us have heard the various media reports detailing instances of identity theft or of personal information being misappropriated in some fashion. While we may focus in on the after effects of information theft, we often don’t give much thought to the sequence of events that allowed it to occur in the first place; most often, a culture of complacency surrounding traditional paper or electronic media handling.

Reviewing PIPEDA, the federal government’s new Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, one becomes aware of how much this law will change the way many practices manage personal information in their care. Among a host of other requirements, safeguards must be in place to protect personal data against loss or theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification, regardless of the format in which it is held. If you need to find an alternative to insecure bulky paper files or a method of controlling access to and sharing electronic documents, A&L’s document management application, Document Console, might be something to take a closer look at.

In many traditional filing systems, paper is the medium used for information storage, and as noted above, considerable time is spent accessing this material in order to retrieve relevant information. With electronic based systems, the medium is typically a legacy type computer system consisting of a display monitor, floor-standing CPU, mouse and keyboard. This is ideal for environments where users have a static location from which to access Document Console, but it is not efficient or practical for those who require a high degree of mobility in their day-to-day routine.

Notebook computers, while capable of providing limited mobility, are still somewhat unwieldy, especially when compared to the portability of the new generation of Tablet PC’s. These devices have now matured well past the point of being an expensive novelty and are quite capable of withstanding the rigours of day-to-day use while providing the computing power and storage capabilities required by today’s applications. Perhaps most importantly, they are folio sized, pen-based systems, allowing users to interact with them in a manner as familiar as … well … paper and pen. Combining a Tablet PC, Wi-Fi or wireless technology and Document Console can allow immediate, yet secure access to all of your files from wherever you happen to be in your office.

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Click here if you are looking for an Electronic Document Management Software solution

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Note: All issues from the year 2000 are provided in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To view these files, you need to have Adobe Acrobat® Reader installed on your computer. You can download this free software from the Adobe Web site.

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Multimedia applications of Document Imaging

Document Imaging, a process mentioned most notably in the October 1998 edition of Softwords, turns your computer into a virtual filing cabinet where any and all of your everyday forms, reports and other space-consuming papers can be stored conveniently and accessibly. This you may already know – articles concerning this technology and its application to The A&L Document Console in this newsletter are quite numerous – but what you don’t know is the extent to which imaging technology can be applied. New this month to The A&L Document Console is a feature that extends its capabilities considerably: the ability to not only store the contents of sheets of paper within your computer, but audio and video clips as well.

Some of you may be familiar with common computer audio and video formats – the current publicity surrounding both the RealMedia and MP3 formats being a prime example – but it is more than likely that even if an office wants to transfer its raw video or recorded audio to a computer-readable format, it lacks both the time and skill to see such an application through. Enter Document Console, which gives the user an easy-to-use interface through which sound and video storage can be done quickly and with a minimal knowledge of the technology behind such a process. Plus, with this new feature, it becomes possible to index every single item which enters your office in a single program, increasing overall organization and making sure you won’t be misplacing important clips and such.

Click here to read the entire article in publication

Click here to view other Softwords publications

Note: All issues from the year 2000 are provided in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To view these files, you need to have Adobe Acrobat® Reader installed on your computer. You can download this free software from the Adobe Web site.