Incorporating OCR into your EHR

Electronic health records (EHR) are now a working reality, one of the problems that remains is how to get the notes into the EHR. If you can't put a terminal on the floor and make sure every care professional has access to the program in the moment, then you may want to start looking at document processing software. OCR has come a long way since it debuted in the 90s as part of the office suite of tools. Companies like WiseTrend have been leading the way into creating viable document scanning software for high paced environments that can handle handwriting and printed texts. With a product like their FlexiCapture, you can even scan in drawings with notations.

Getting the process in order
If you don't want to overburden your MDS department you can use document scanning software on the floor at points of service. It is far faster to have a physician scan in their notes then to have them find the time to sit and enter in the notes to the computer. Another plus to a point of service scan is it can radically reduce errors. The reliability of the scans is enhanced by the actual image being preserved. This makes it easy to double check an entry against the original. Instead of having to request the original from data storage – which may not even be on-site – you can pull it up immediately.

Data storage made easy
In the healthcare field, storing data is essential. Doing it by paper is cumbersome and makes accessing files time consuming and difficult. Storing your records in the cloud allows you to get the information you need with a few clicks. The data processing software can integrate with your whole CRM system by creating files that can be tagged and associated with other applications as well. This means being able to track clinical notes and billable hours from the same document without having to go through the process of double entry.

Better patient care through technology
In the end, adding in document scanning software can increase the quality of your patient care. It keeps more time on the floor for hands on work, and puts paperwork into the background. By giving your staff the ability to scan their documents, and to then quickly search the database of documents you are improving their ability to deliver at the point of service. The standardization and reliability of the data entry that results from document processing software use is also going to decrease audit instances. If you really want to improve your ratings, and your use of EHR, then providing your team with document processing software is the way to go.

Getting started is easy
Getting started with scanning software is easy. Contact a representative and talk to them about the medical and healthcare solutions that WiseTrend offers. They can help you create a document scanning package that is ideally suited to your environment. Whether you need the FlexiCapture for notes, or are interested in their check scanning programs for billing – getting up and running with it is easy.