5 Reasons to Index Old Medical Records

Posted by Adrian R. Douthit on March 12th, 2018

With the growing technological advancements, there have been significant developments in the healthcare industry. From best medical billing companies in Arizona to automated systems, various services and devices have made work easier for hospitals.
 
With the increasing number of patients, your hospital will need to file a large number of documents. If you have a library of paper-based records from previous patients, you may consider indexing them. From preservation to security, here are some of the main benefits of getting medical records indexed.
 
Safety and Security
 
There are times when natural disasters could happen near your hospital. If you have not indexed your medical records beforehand, it may destroy necessary information about your patients. To prevent this major mistake, you should file all documents as soon as possible.
 
Once you have a backup for files and documents, your clinic will be ready for any natural disaster that can strike.
 
Easy Access
 
Whether it is a patient or an organization that is looking for a medical record, you will have a hard time searching for them if you do not have a prepared archive. This is especially apparent in files that are at least five years. If you do not have a clear list of indexed records, you may use up hours or even days when you need to look for files that were made several years ago.
 
Make sure that all information can be stored in an accessible database. Your staff and clients will all be thankful to have an organized library for data collection.
 
Time Conservation
 
Have you ever encountered a patient who comes looking for an old record at your hospital? If you did not manage to index it beforehand, you might spend a long time searching for the document. It will not only present a poor impression for your hospital, but it can also waste valuable hours for your staff.
 
If you do not have the old records in your hospital database, you will use up your time whenever an old patient is looking for their previous documents. You can prevent this from becoming a regular occurrence by ensuring that both old and new files are indexed as soon as you can.
 
When you already have an archive for the indexed data, searching can be done in a few minutes. This is important because you can save more time you organize every file.
 
Legal Requirement
 
For most states and countries, it is a legal requirement for hospitals and related institutions to archive all of their old medical documents. While there is an open period, there is usually a maximum period for the indexing process. Most states require hospitals to preserve records within seven years.
 
If you want your clinic to avoid future legal repercussions, it is vital that you index the records as soon as you can. With the advancing technology, it will be a quick and easy task that you can assign to your professional team.
 
Necessary Evaluation
 
There are times when a hospital and the best medical billing companies in Arizona will need to evaluate the records of a patient. When you index an old file, it will be easier to have an accurate and proper evaluation. From insurance information to the medical certificates, these records will be able to serve as legal documentary evidence when necessary. If you index these documents beforehand, they will make writing reports and conclusions more manageable for the hospital.
 
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Adrian R. Douthit

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Adrian R. Douthit
Joined: November 18th, 2017
Articles Posted: 5

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