By Julie Duck

You can see it. You can touch it. You can feel it. Paper. It comes across your desk every single day in the form of bills, accounts receivables, orders, prescriptions, requests, and sticky notes. At times, you would not know what day it was were it not for your paper calendar hanging on the wall. But the future of healthcare is moving toward a paperless environment. With government mandates for electronic health records (EHR), to the streaming efficiency that computers have brought to offices across the nation, it seems only natural to consider going paperless for your own practice.

Can you live without paper?
Do you envision holding onto your travel cards for all eternity, while your office manager clings to the patient scheduling book? Have no fear, because many software options are available to help you go paperless. From full suites that include goodies such as documentation, billing, patient scheduling, and even patient education, to individual modules that you can put together to meet your own needs, the ability to ditch paper is possible - and very possibly a good idea for you.

When you think of the benefits of a paperless office, you might imagine having less clutter on your desk. This is just part of the many pluses of going paperless. One of the biggest is that it saves time. Keeping accurate patient documentation is time-consuming. Going back over your handwritten notes and entering them into an inefficient electronic format intrudes on your time with patients, family and yourself. With the right software, you can create patient notes in mere seconds that are accurate and legible.

And what of patient scheduling? Toss out that notebook and enter the age of electronic sign-in. Not only does this document that the patient was actually in your office, it tracks that patient’s progress, what room they are in, and in some cases it can tell you if follow-up visits need to be scheduled.

Additionally, with integrated billing software, your

staff doesn’t have to fret over proper codes, collections, authorizations, reminders and other gobbledygook found in outdated processes. Good software dances well with your documentation and patient scheduling software, so you don’t have to take three steps back just to take one step forward.

Protect yourself without paper
In January 2011, a recently passed electronic health records mandate will take effect that dangles incentive payments in front of you and your colleagues who accept Medicare and Medicaid – and have an EHR software solution already in place. However, if you do not have the ability to create electronic health records by 2016, then the government can penalize you. In other words, what you do today will have a great impact on your practice and profession tomorrow.

Additionally, there is the constant threat of an insurance company audit. One wrong move in the documentation of a patient visit can put you at risk and close down your practice. A good software program will make sure that your documentation is in a legible, logical and portable format – and that it matches your billing. Should an insurer request your notes for a particular patient case, you can send it to them with the click of a button, instead of frantically searching through paper files, transcribing handwritten notes, and putting yourself in the red flag zone.

What changes do you need to make?
Implementing a paperless office is by no means an instant process, but it doesn’t have to be painful. Several manufacturers offer ongoing training to ensure you and your staff have the tools you need to put paper away for good. There will be a learning curve, but the eventual benefits of going paperless will make everyone in your office a much happier camper - not to mention that you might finally be able to see your desk.

Julie Duck is the former editor of Chiropractic Products and a healthcare writer with more than 16 years of experience. She can be reached by e-mail at juliechiro@cox.net.