The news that United Healthcare would no longer be printing and mailing paper provider remittance advice (PRAs) for most UnitedHealthcare Community Health Plans to network healthcare professionals and facilities in Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, and Washington, D.C. should not have been a major surprise to anyone. It was just another indication of an undeniable trend in healthcare: paper levels in hospitals and clinics are plummeting. Digital records, signatures and invoices are quickly becoming the status quo.
This digital transformation, however, has not been smooth sailing. There has been the inevitable clash between legacy IT systems, stacks of paper patient records and invoices, and new-age digital solutions. The task of converting a vast swath of physical documents into a digital format is significant. We must also factor in what could be termed a “generational reluctance”: many elderly people do not wish or are unable to go digital when it comes to their healthcare paperwork.
Moreover, according to Becker’s Hospital Review, “Administrative tasks and non-patient facing responsibilities such as care coordination, electronic health records (EHRs) management, and paperwork burden are issues frequently cited as some of the leading factors responsible for clinician and staff burnout.”
We all know that digital transformation is the solution to these pains, but how do we achieve minimal disruption in the process?
The answer is enterprise content management (ECM).
ECM for better healthcare
ECM solutions are platforms that facilitate digital transformation. They are used to digitize and streamline document processes. Many ECM platforms enable users to access and interact with content from anywhere, using any device, opening up a whole new world of mobility and, most importantly, productivity.
Other cloud-based ECM solutions allow healthcare staff to capture, extract and classify the information they need quickly and efficiently, be that patient records on the hospital floor or invoices in the billing department.
As an approach, it is agile, precise and invaluable during a time when budgets are being stretched and new models of remote work introduced.
ECM is about making positive change for everybody in the business."
The benefits of ECM
“We’ve crossed this path now where healthcare organizations realize and understand that technology is an incredible strategic asset,” said Chris Paravate, CIO of Northeast Georgia Health System, in a feature with Becker’s Hospital Review.
But what makes technology like ECM a strategic asset?
Let’s take a look:
- Reduced costs: Storing large amounts of paper files on or off-site saps financial and time resources. These files require transporting and maintenance, efforts that could be easily avoided by moving files to the cloud.
- Improved service: Less administrative work frees up medical professionals to focus on what matters most in hospitals and clinics: patient care. “Going paperless is a very important part of scaling up in healthcare,” says Manish Goomar, the director of digital systems for MIMIT Health. Moreover, by reducing the administrative burden on staff, healthcare institutions also drastically reduce the risk of human error when it comes to processing invoices, appointments, and other tasks that can be easily automated.
- Security: By moving patient records to the cloud, hospitals avoid the scenario whereby files are left lying around at reception or in the wards. This simple step ensures sensitive and confidential data remains secure.
- Agile working: With ECM, professionals across multiple departments are able to access the files they need on the go. It helps different units to work as one, leading to a more connected approach to healthcare.
- The more sustainable option: Processing, scanning, and sharing documents via the cloud reduces paper waste across all departments. Printing will still be a necessity for many but with ECM, these organizations can optimize the value from the money they invest in printing. For example, doctors and hospitals can prioritize printing medical documents for patients that request them directly, which is the likely case for the elderly who tend to lack the digital skills and/or resources to go online. While it is not yet possible to go completely paperless for every healthcare organization, ECM helps to make printing physical documents an exception rather than the norm.
“Private sector companies are providing a digital experience for their customers, and patients expect the same experience from health systems. It’s no longer an option,” says Kishore Reddipeta, director of web systems and technologies for Stanford Children’s.
While there is no “one size fits all” ECM solution, the good news is that it won’t be hard for you to choose the best fit for your healthcare organization – and with Kyocera you have a trusted partner to help you during every step of your digital transformation.
Is ECM right for my industry?
Check out our series of informative articles about ECM and how it can transform different industries.
- Why ECM is a must-have for financial businesses
- Why do I need ECM for my school?