For health's sake, trash those paper records

This story is from Canada, but the same holds true here in the US.  Granted, there are many questions still not answered, but records in a practice office can easily be converted to electronic records.  I still the see the fax and paper chase alive and well in so many offices.  Even "baby steps" for this are a step in the right direction.  Turn the computer on, there's the records instead of illegible paper charts that you have to pay staff to fetch for each patient visit.  It is very obvious as an outsider when you walk into an office that is organized versus those who are still doing the paper chase 100%.  All you have to do is watch the staff for a few minutes and see the trail to the fax machine with the stressed staff tripping over each other racing to get the fax they need.  BD

One of the most poignantly pathetic images in health care is that of the patient lying on a gurney in a hospital hallway in a paper gown, bare bottom hanging out.

Nobody looks good in paper.

Same goes for health systems: None of them look good when they are dependent on paper records.

Source:  globeandmail.com: For health's sake, trash those paper records