5 Reasons Your Hospital Should Go Paperless

February 8, 2010

Hi guys! This is a sponsored post, so its pretty off-topic.

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All hospitals are looking for ways to improve efficiency in order to cut costs and increase profit. There are many options, but none more effective than reducing or eliminating paper. Many hospitals have already gone paperless, and many more are making the move in that direction. If your hospital hasn’t gone paperless, here are five reasons why you should take that important step toward efficiency.

 

1. Eliminating paper reduces patient errors. Paper gets lost more easily and can be more easily misinterpreted because orders and meds are hand written. Typed notes and electronic charts are easier to read and can more easily be counted on to be complete. Reducing patient errors should be goal number one for every hospital. Patient errors increase hospital stays, increase readmissions and can cause complications or even death. The reduction of patient errors alone should be reason enough to make the switch. One study by the Leapfrog group looked at the reduction in prescription errors that occurred when physicians went to Computer Physician Order Entry for prescriptions rather than writing them by hand. They found that CPOE reduced prescription errors by as much as 85% - and CPOE is only one aspect of going paperless. Today, in order to be considered for Leapfrog Group’s list of top hospitals, a hospital must have implemented CPOE and had it tested by Leapfrog Group.

2. It saves doctors and nurses time. Reviewing and updating electronic patient charts is faster than reviewing and updating paper charts, saving doctors and nurses time and allowing them to see more patients.

3. Transfer is easier and less expensive. Faxing paper charts to other doctors and hospitals is expensive and time consuming. Electronic charts can be transferred quickly and easily.

4. Storage is simple and takes up virtually no space. Electronic charts are stored electronically, as opposed to paper charts, which are stored in boxes and take up large amounts of space. Hospital storage space can now be converted to more useful real estate, like patient rooms or emergency space. And, when you need to find an old chart, it’s much easier to do so when they’re filed electronically.

5. Paper is costly. Consider the amount of paper used in a hospital each year. The direct cost of purchasing the paper and shredding it when it’s no longer needed is significant. This is a direct cost that can be significantly reduced by going electronic. And, it’s much better for the environment.

 

The switch away from paper can be a bit painful at first. There’s much training that must be done, and there is a capital outlay for the equipment that’s required. Older doctors and nurses may prove to be resistant, as well. However, when you look at the benefits, there’s no question that in order to remain competitive, hospitals have to make the move away from paper as quickly as they can. New healthcare reform is going to force cost cutting and efficiency from all medical organizations. This one is a no brainer.

 

 

Mary E. Ward writes about how to obtain an MHA degree.