Medical and dental offices benefit from adopting paperless solutions

More and more medical and dental offices are implementing electronic document management software in order to better organize patient files. These systems can provide professionals with easier access to patient information, which promotes more efficient and higher quality care.

In an interview with Healthcare Global, Dr. Paul Shannon, medical director at CSC, explained that better care coordination is one of the major benefits of digitization. With an electronic record-keeping system, organizations can minimize medical records and avoid duplicate treatment. Shannon explained that manually transporting health records to colleagues can take a significant amount of time. By making these files accessible digitally, professionals can ensure that all information is consistent and accurate while making quicker decisions regarding a patient's diagnosis and treatment. 

According to The Daily Herald, digitization has provided a range of benefits for dental offices, allowing users to easily view x-rays and records from a variety of devices. Dr. Jim Haberman, a dentist from Edmonds, explained that the electronic system has allowed him to better interact with patients as he can more easily go over test results and other information with them.

"If I want to talk to the patients about something, I'll grab the tablet and sit side by side and go over it with the patient," he told The Daily Herald. "I feel like it's really personal."

He further revealed that he can enlarge certain x-rays and images to allow him and his patients to quickly spot problems. The process of converting to digital records and x-rays through document imaging technology began last November, and he told the source that his goal is for the office to be completely paperless in a year.

Sharing information
The Daily Herald reported that Haberman's office is just one example of the digital trend in the health profession. Dr. Serve Wahan, an oral surgeon at OM3, told the source that 80 percent of dentists in the Everett, Mill Creek and Smokey Point areas have either already switched to an electronic system or are in the process of doing so. Currently, all new patients at OM3 have their information entered electronically. Wahan explained that the digital system allows his staff of 20 partners in three separate locations within the Snohomish County to quickly access patient records, even when they are away from the office. The technology has enabled Wahan and his partners to send prescriptions directly to a pharmacy, track patients' medications to better identify dangerous drug interactions and monitor patients' blood pressure and other conditions.

Medical professionals rely on the rapid availability of information for accurate and informed decision-making. By utilizing a digital system, doctors and dentists alike can improve the entire treatment process.

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