Read this clip that I found on the web. You would get a better understanding for your question. The cite has more details.
ONE SOLUTION: SCAN MEDICAL RECORDS AND STORE THEM AS IMAGES
Problems with paper storage, particularly demands on space and time, can be eliminated if the charts are transferred to digital media by scanning them into a computer. Scanning and saving to the computer is particularly vali...
Read this clip that I found on the web. You would get a better understanding for your question. The cite has more details.
ONE SOLUTION: SCAN MEDICAL RECORDS AND STORE THEM AS IMAGES
Problems with paper storage, particularly demands on space and time, can be eliminated if the charts are transferred to digital media by scanning them into a computer. Scanning and saving to the computer is particularly valid if your state allows the paper copies to be destroyed. Virginia law, for example, permits records to be stored by “computerized or other electronic process or microfilm, or other photographic, mechanical, or chemical process,” so long as “the process creates an unalterable record.”iii Check with your state medical society to see if such laws apply to your paper records. Scanning has become practical in the last two years, thanks to inexpensive high-capacity hard drives, and inexpensive, fast scanners equipped with automatic document feeders. By using scanning, physicians can remove old paper records from the office, enable staff to locate records without leaving the front desk, and curtail offsite storage expenses. The initial scanning of records remains the most significant impediment. Available software, however, makes the process easy enough that a high-school student can scan thousands of records in a few weeks in the summer.
oncologynetguide.com/v4n2/tech101.html
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Here is another interesting article that might help.
http://clients.arterburn.com/u...
So you've finally decided to computerize your office. After much research and conversation, weighing the pros and cons, you've realized that it is, after all, the right thing to do.
And in making that right decision, you suddenly discover an 800 pound gorilla, sitting inside your clinic, staring you right in the face: shelf after shelf after shelf of paper charts, those dreaded Old Medical Records.
At this point you perhaps have the following choices:
1. A great big bonfire. Though certainly the most fun choice, and no doubt wonderful memories that you and your staff can share with the grandkids; both your lawyer and the local fire marshal would probably have some reservations.
2. Box them all up, put them in storage, and forget about them. A better choice than 1) above, but probably not the best choice.
3. Hire someone to scan all of your Old Medical Records into the computer. Then cart the paper charts off to storage.
4. Keep the Old Medical Records in your clinic, at least for now, and scan them into your computer on an as needed basis, that is based on upcoming Appointments. It is usually not a good idea to try to scan in charts alphabetically.
The steps to implement choice 4) might be as follows:
Step 1. A patient calls to make an appointment.
Step 2. Add the Patient's name and address into the Team Chart Concept (if not already there) and then create the Appointment.
Step 3. Find the patient's Old Medical Records.
Step 4. Using a high-speed scanner, scan the patient's Old Medical Records into the Team Chart Concept.
Step 5. Put the patient's Old Medical Records in storage or in a different location in your clinic reserved for Old Medical Records that have been scanned in.
Step 6. From this point on, this patient's record is maintained electronically within the Team Chart Concept.
A good rule of thumb is to attempt to stay 2 weeks ahead on scanning in your Old Medical Records. Eventually, you'll have the paper charts scanned in and you'll wonder how you ever managed to see patients with paper charts in the first place.
If you do not want to scan in your Old Medical Records, yourself, there are services that will scan in your Old Medical Records for a fee (typically on a per page basis).
Please understand, that the actual mechanics of scanning in the Old Medical Records is only half of the battle. Before you can scan in a paper chart, someone has to 'prep' it. That is, organize it in such a way that it can be quickly scanned in for fast access within the Team Chart Concept. For example, all lab results may need to be grouped together and sorted chronologically. All dictation done by the provider(s) should be grouped together and sorted chronologically as well. This way, when seeing that patient again using the Team Chart Concept, the provider will be able to quickly find scanned in information for the paper chart based on date and/or information type (e.g. EKG, Dictation, Labs, etc.) Someone in your office will probably have to do the chart 'prep'.
