Patient medical record storage is incredibly important for medical practices and healthcare organizations, even if you keep electronic records.
Desert River Solutions recognizes the paramount importance of effective electronic medical record (EMR) storage. EMR storage isn’t just a digital necessity—it’s a cornerstone of patient care, compliance, and operational efficiency. If you do not protect patient privacy, you could be at risk for legal consequences.
This guide delves into the integral aspects of electronic medical record storage and its role in safeguarding sensitive patient information.
Benefits of Electronic Medical Record Storage
Switching to electronic medical record storage (EMR) from traditional paper-based systems marks a significant leap in healthcare data management. Storing records in an electronic database, as opposed to physical file cabinets or offsite facilities, offers numerous advantages:
- Enhanced Accessibility: EMRs facilitate swift and easy access to patient records. This accessibility is crucial for seamless information transfer between healthcare providers and expedites patient care processes.
- Cost-Effective Storage: The transition to EMR eliminates the need for expensive off-site storage, particularly vital for practices with extensive medical records. It’s a financially savvy move that streamlines record-keeping within your practice.
- Patient Convenience: EMRs allow for the digital dissemination of forms and vital information, saving patients and healthcare providers precious time. This efficiency enhances the overall patient experience.
How to Choose an Electronic Medical Record Storage Solution
EMR can be created by scanning and uploading a physical record to the database or creating a new record directly in the database. EMR can also be extracted and migrated from one database to another electronically. But no matter how you create an electronic record, there are several factors to consider when choosing which solution is best for you. For example:
How much storage space do you need? Each EMR software has a different storage capacity level and often different prices for each level. If you have a plethora of medical records, you will need to be sure that the solution you choose can safely store all of them and that you can afford the level of storage you need.
What kind of security does the software have? Patient privacy is a serious concern, and your EMR software needs to have barriers and conditions in place to protect it. We recommend choosing a software that has encrypted servers, authorization levels to ensure only the patients and their providers have access to their records, a security monitoring system to track who accesses patient records.
Do you need to scan and upload existing physical documents? Document scanning can take quite a bit of time. You need to prepare documents for scanning by removing staples and paper clips and repairing creases and tears. You also need to use high-quality scanning equipment to ensure the accuracy and quality of each record. We recommend working with an outside document scanning company that will have the time, equipment, and knowledge that is needed to securely scan your records. While this may add an extra cost, it will save you time in the long run, especially if you have a large number of documents.
Do you have existing electronic medical records that need to be migrated? If you have existing EMR that you need migrated to a new storage solution, you need to ensure that you are doing so securely. You may be able to utilize migration services from your new software, or work with a third-party EMR extraction company. In either case, you need to review the extraction and migration process with the company and get a complete understanding of their security measures. They should have encrypted servers and authorization processes to protect your patients’ information.
Electronic Medical Record Storage from Desert River Solutions
At Desert River Solutions, we know how important it is for providers to have quick access to medical records when they need them. We offer Document Scanning and Electronic Medical Record Extraction services to help you relieve the stress of EMR storage. Contact us today to get started and streamline your office processes.
