Soon, nearly 10 million active duty personnel, military retirees and their families under the care of the U.S. Defense Health Agency will be able to take advantage of a highly progressive and sophisticated health records systems: MHS Genesis.
MHS Genesis is managed by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)’s Healthcare Management System Modernization Program Management Office under the Program Executive Office, Defense Healthcare Management Systems and already deployed at several military facilities throughout the United States.
As an electronic health record (EHR) system, MHS Genesis replaces existing DoD legacy inpatient and outpatient systems for medical and dental information. The project enables the application of standardized workflows, integrated healthcare delivery and data standards for an improved and secure exchange of medical and patient data, delivering benefits such as:
- Integration of many disparate systems into a single integrated patient record that uses emerging EHR technology and related solutions.
- Enhanced ability for medical personnel and support staff to monitor patient safety, outcomes and operational and medical readiness.
- Higher quality of healthcare, from point of injury to military treatment facilities, with the ability for patients to control their own care in a highly secure manner.
- Better data access and sharing across the spectrum of military operations, the Department of Veterans Affairs and civilian health organizations.
The critical role of EHR scanning
One of the challenges of implementing a solution like MHS Genesis is turning paper records into electronic ones in a secure manner.
The digitizing of health-related documents can lead to expediated patient visits, improved health care delivery, enhanced records management, better regulatory compliance and reduced care and operational costs. Digitizing health care records can also help reduce storage, improve record security, eliminate manual processing and increase employee productivity, all of which results in better patient care.
For people implementing, managing and using health records systems—from receptionists, medical records clerks, office managers, medical professionals, IT staff and patients—high quality scanners are key. Here’s why:
- Office personnel can start building a health record system by bulk scanning high volumes of paper-based or archived healthcare artifacts and images, such as radiographs, clinical photographs, electrocardiographs, waveforms and documents.
- Admissions people check patients in quicker and more efficient by scanning IDs, insurance cards and registration forms at front desks.
- Claims and accounting clerks can save processing time by scanning health- and insurance-related documents in back offices.
- IT and office managers can ensure greater regulatory compliance through better record keeping.
- Medical professionals can gain a more comprehensive view of patient health as systems integrate and share medical records.
The benefits of high-powered scanning
Here is a quick look at how large medical facilities have advanced health care quality through the use of fi Series document scanners.
The University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) has a large network of facilities and services, with more than 120 clinics that treat more than 1.5 million outpatients. This health care provider is using fi Series document scanners with an in-house patient arrival application to digitally capture and record the appropriate information for each admission. UMHS is realizing benefits such as:
- Improved quality assurance, feedback and training by having images of actual cards to reference.
- Improved efficiency in working registration related edits and rejections.
- Reduced time spent by billing and registration staff on insurance determination.
- Quicker resolution of enrollment issues.
As the largest, most comprehensive, nonprofit healthcare provider in the Greater Seattle area, Swedish Medical Center has over 70 clinics and four hospital locations. To improve the communication between various locations and consolidate archived patent information, the medical center wanted to employ an enterprise-level electronic medical record (EMR) system which would require a reliable, cost effective and intuitive document imaging device. This system would replace copy and fax machines in the office and move stored records into a central repository for quick and easy access. As a result of this effort, the medical center has:
- Implemented over 240 fi Series document scanners into various locations, digitizing over four million pages of documentation and eliminating the need for photo copying and faxing.
- Equipped staff within the various clinics with the resources to decrease the time that it took to manage and retrieve health records and claims and increase workflow, patient uptime, safety and satisfaction.
- Prepared health records and insurance and billing claims for instant retrieval within the various facilities.
- Reduced the time personnel spend searching for paper charts and gained the ability to access medical records from many locations.
GSA-
Scheduled fi Series Document Scanners
We have GSA schedule-compliant scanners that fit any need, from front office models for volumes up to 500 pages per day to workgroup and departmental scanners that accommodate up to 6,000 pages per day. We also have larger low- to mid-volume production scanners that can process up to 100,000 pages per day.
To find a GSA authorized dealer, visit here. Other medical facilities can contact (888) 425-8228, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. PST.
This blog post does not constitute or imply the endorsement of, or recommendation by, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. General Services Administration, or the U.S. Government.