If you’re still filing patient records in a cabinet, drawer, or off-site storage facility then you should rethink that strategy. With the ever-expanding volume of records that physicians manage every day, there are many reasons why you should be scanning medical records into electronic form. Here are five good reasons:

1. Save Space– No more paper files means no more filing cabinets and the like, taking up precious, and much needed, office space. Just think what you could do with all that extra space!
2. Fast Search and Retrieval– Being able to look up a patient’s medical history in a matter of seconds saves time and frustration. Patient files have become so large that navigating them can be difficult. With physician’s notes, lab results, hospital information/notes, consultation letters, etc., increasing, physically managing this information can take up a lot of time and resources.
3. Increased Security– There’s no threat of patient information getting lost in the shuffle if they’re in electronic form, residing inside of an EMR or other document management system. Fire, flood, and theft won’t reach them in there! You benefit from the added security of electronic medical documents stored in a document management system, instead of keeping paper files on-site.
4. Increased Efficiency – Electronic documents are easier to manage and simplify the administrative process. The elimination of paper charts and other information allows administrative staff to focus on core activities that enhance patient care and decrease the amount of time needed to manually manage paper files.
5. Better Patient Care – Of course, less time worrying about all those paper files leaves more time to focus on what really matters – the patient. Electronic medical records results in more accurate, up-to-date information that can be easily accessed and securely stored.

Scanning medical records into electronic form has many benefits but starting this process can be overwhelming. If you’re thinking of converting your paper files to electronic form, it will be worth your while to reach out to a reputable scanning company that can help you get started. If you choose to outsource the scanning or do it yourself, a great scanning company can offer you professional advice in order to make the transition as painless as possible!