Paper VS. Electronic

(Paper)- Patient calls the medical office to schedule an appointment. (Electronic)- Patient accesses the Internet, enters patient portal.

(Paper)- charts are located and pulled the night before and organized by provider and appointment slot. (Electronic)- No charts need to be located, pulled or organized. Electronic charts are available immediately in the EHR.

(Paper)- Patient arrives at the medical office and verifies personal demographics and insurance information. (Electronic)- An existing patient verifies and updates personal demographics and insurance via the patient portal.

(Paper)- New patients, photocopies of the patient's ID and insurance card are made and placed in the paper chart. (Electronic)- A digital photo is taken on the patient using a digital camera or webcam and stored in the EHR. The patients insurance card is placed in a device that scans both sides of the card and stores the image in the patients chart.

(Paper)- New Patients sigh a privacy notice and medical release authorization, all forms are placed in the paper chart. (Electronic)- Patient signs his or her digital signature on an electronic pad after reading the privacy notice and medical release authorization, digital signature is stroed in the patients EHR.

(Paper)- Patients CC and VS are recorded and placed in the front of the paper chart. (Electronic)- Patients CC and VS are transmitted wirelessly from the measuring devices directly in the patients EHR.

(Paper)- Clinician reviews the patient's completed healthcare questionnaire and makes handwritten notations. (Electronic)- Clinician reviews patients healthcare information, entered by the patient through patient portals, and modifications can be keyed in.

(Paper)- Physician enters exam room, greets patient, reads clinicians notes in chart. (Electronic)- Physician opens electronic chart and reads clinicians notes before entering the exam room.

(Paper)- Physician reviews the patient's body systems with the patient, conducts physical exam, and documents on paper chart note. (Electronic)- Physician reviews the patient's body systems with the patient, conducts physical exam, and documents in EHR using templates and pick lists.

(Paper)- If tests or procedures that can be performed in the office are requires, the physician will document the order for the required test or procedure in the chart note and assign a clinician to perform the test. (Electronic)- If tests or procedures that can be performed in the office are required, a physician selects the test(s) in the electronic chart and signals the assistance of a clinician via the electronic tracker.

(Paper)- If a prescription is required, the physician notes this on the OV report, handwrites the prescription on a prescription pad, and gives it to the patient. (Electronic)- If a prescription is required, the physician selects the medication from the drug database within the electronic chart, prescription is run through a clearinghouse, and then sent to the patient's pharmacy of choice.

(Paper)- Physician completes the examination report and may dictate the examination, assessment, and plan in a private area after the encounter. (Electronic)- Physician creates the OV note in real time with the patient using templates and text selected in the electronic chart.

(Paper)- Order forms are completed for diagnostic tests and procedures that need to be conducted at other facilities, copy is given to patient and a copy is put in the paper chart. (Electronic)- Diagnostic tests and procedures that need to be conducted at other facilities are selected from a database within the electronic OV note, printed out and given to patient.

(Paper)-Physician notes the diagnosis(es), procedures, testes, and other billable items on the paper slip, selects E&M code, and notates f/u visit. (Electronic)- Physician closes the electronic OV note, a superbill window is displayed with all billable items, E&M code is recommended through EHR.

(Paper)- Clinician carries the routing slip and paper chart to the check out desk, return visit is manually looked up and recorded. (Electronic)- Staff member at the checkout desk opens the electronic encounter in the EHR and views charges for the day, electronic note sent from physician indicates time for next visit.

(Paper)- Paper chart is filed, routing slip is passed to the billing clerk who enters the charges and other necessary data. (Electronic)- Billing clerk receives the billable charges from the electronic encounter in the PMS portion of the EHR program, has access to all necessary documents in patients EHR.

(Paper)- Results from the patient's lab tests and other medical tests and procedures are sent to the clinic by either fax or mail. (Electronic)- Results from the patient's lab tests and other medical tests and procedures are sent to the clinic via a secure Internet interface.

(Paper)- Medical Clinic receives a request from a patient to send their records to another physician, staff member must find appropriate documents in paper chart, photocopies documents, refiles originals, mails or faxes copies to the patient or medical facility. (Electronic)- Via patient portal the patient requests that certain documents be sent to another physician, staff member opens patient's EHR, selects boxes next to appropriate documents, sends letter with information selected to facility and a copy to patient electronically.