Cintas releases EMR adoption best practices
“When migrating to an EMR system, healthcare organizations should take an inventory of all their files to see what they are actually storing,” begins the recently released best practices for adopting an EMR system from specialized service provider Cintas.
“This will enable an organization to have complete visibility regarding its records to make decisions based on financial and clinical needs. In addition, it will provide the foundation to develop a program that will meet the organization’s clinical needs,” stated the Cincinnati-based company.
Cintas released the document to assist physicians, clinicians and staff to be more efficient and spend more time with patients. According to the company, best practices for adopting an EMR system also include:
Set retention schedules: Once the inventory is complete, each department must review and set retention schedules for every type of medical record based on clinical and government regulations. It is critical that only the most relevant, up-to-date patient information resides in the system. By setting retention schedules and policies by department, organizations will remain compliant with government regulations and can expedite the destruction of out-dated medical records to ensure a clutter-free system.
Select the right document management vendor: The document management provider should have the capability to deliver physical records in an electronic format that can be easily ingested by the facility’s EMR software platform and be equipped to perform data conversion from legacy systems and proprietary systems. In addition, sites should select a secure document management provider that provides a complete service offering which includes imaging, storage and shredding services.
Don’t wait to begin imaging: By completing the preparation work in advance, the document management provider can perform a data merge to move the repository library into the new system when ready. In turn, when the system is turned on, organizations will be ready to operate in a digital environment immediately.
Evaluate other areas of your organization: Other paper-intensive departments such as accounts payable, accounts receivable and human resources could benefit from an imaging tool.
“This will enable an organization to have complete visibility regarding its records to make decisions based on financial and clinical needs. In addition, it will provide the foundation to develop a program that will meet the organization’s clinical needs,” stated the Cincinnati-based company.
Cintas released the document to assist physicians, clinicians and staff to be more efficient and spend more time with patients. According to the company, best practices for adopting an EMR system also include:
Set retention schedules: Once the inventory is complete, each department must review and set retention schedules for every type of medical record based on clinical and government regulations. It is critical that only the most relevant, up-to-date patient information resides in the system. By setting retention schedules and policies by department, organizations will remain compliant with government regulations and can expedite the destruction of out-dated medical records to ensure a clutter-free system.
Select the right document management vendor: The document management provider should have the capability to deliver physical records in an electronic format that can be easily ingested by the facility’s EMR software platform and be equipped to perform data conversion from legacy systems and proprietary systems. In addition, sites should select a secure document management provider that provides a complete service offering which includes imaging, storage and shredding services.
Don’t wait to begin imaging: By completing the preparation work in advance, the document management provider can perform a data merge to move the repository library into the new system when ready. In turn, when the system is turned on, organizations will be ready to operate in a digital environment immediately.
Evaluate other areas of your organization: Other paper-intensive departments such as accounts payable, accounts receivable and human resources could benefit from an imaging tool.