Paperless Offices

In class we discussed the CareMedic article, and the possibles of sharing and accessing health records across the nation.

I know newer hospitals are going paperless and putting all files and information onto computer systems. This should make things faster for both the doctors and the patients. But is it going to better things in the end? Is it worth the extra expense to IT?

"Approximately 90 percent of the more than 30 billion healthcare communications that occur in the U.S. each year are currently by fax, paper, mail or phone."

With doctors office's and hospitals going paperless it will make changes for the better for everyone. The employees have quick and easy access to patients files when something is needed, including the secretaries scheduling the appointments to the doctors and nurses writing the files. It also helps that we no longer have to try and read the doctor chicken scratch. The only problem people are having with this is that it might make things too easy to access, fearing that personal information could end up in the wrong hands.

I recently went to the doctor and they pulled the monitor right off of the computer and just started writing on it. I think it's a great improvement, and might potentially speed things up in the waiting room. I personally am not worried about the computer trend. In fact I had to go to my old doctor's office before I went to this new one to get my files transfered, and had they all been computerized, there wouldn't have been any worry on when the files would get to the new doctor. What do you think?