Document Management and EHR

Electronic Health Records are becoming the norm in American medical facilities, but what about digital document management programs? There is an excellent article on AdvanceWeb today discussing why the two should go hand in hand, and assessing if practices are willing to invest in both at once. The author makes a strong case in favor of those that feel the that electronic document management is and should always be an integral part of transitioning to electronic health records.

From AdvanceWeb:

The avalanche of paper documents produced from electronic clinical systems has caught many CIOs off-guard and under prepared. Furthermore, when patient information is entered, viewed and stored in a variety of systems, users cannot review the complete record in a single, central place. CIOs must find a way to bring all the information together, regardless of format or originating department. Electronic document management systems (EDMS) solve these problems. They are a building block for EHR success and an important component to achieving a financial return.