Translating the Hype: How to find an ECM Solution that is right for your Healthcare Organization

By Sylvia Feldman, Optical Image Technology, Inc.

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The medical field has made groundbreaking advancements in the past decade. Enhancements in engineering, technology, and biology have all contributed to improved patient care and a higher success rate for medical procedures. Nonetheless, the patient experience has often failed to evolve along with our advances in medicine. Patients are still subject to long waits in admissions; repetitive inquiries for medical histories; coding, billing, and reimbursement errors; delayed responses to telephone inquiries; and inconsistencies in privacy.

We often assume that the implementation of electronic health records (EHRs) will automatically improve patient care. However, according to a recent study, for fourteen of seventeen quality indicators that were measured, “EHRs were not associated with better quality ambulatory care.” (Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 167, No. 13) What measures, then, can organizations take to counteract this trend? And how can a facility ensure that it is able to provide quality care that is consistent with patients’ expectations?

Management of patient information throughout a healthcare enterprise is a vital component to the ability to optimize patient care. Whereas EHR systems enhance patient care on the clinical side, they often fall short when attempts are made to integrate the scanning and storage of paper documents that can be an essential component of a patient record. Document management and workflow software, used in conjunction with an EHR system, can serve as the missing link for organizations that are looking for ways to optimize patient services. With the ability to connect clinical, administrative, and back-office processes, enterprise content management (ECM) software has the power to transform healthcare organizations—no mater what their size. It can be a challenge to wade through countless ECM vendors and their offerings. Below are some considerations that can help ensure a good fit.

1. Choose software that can communicate with clinical and back-office applications

Undoubtedly you’ve heard all of the industry buzzwords: vendors love to tout solutions that are “flexible” and “interoperable.” What does that mean for your organization? Ideally, ECM software should be able to connect your enterprise. It should give authorized users—at any level—access to any programs or records that they need in order to process their work. For healthcare professionals on the front lines—doctors, nurses, diagnosticians, etc.—patient records are complete and available with the click of a mouse. They can be accessed from any Web browser, and can even be viewed from different locations simultaneously.

Ideally, a good ECM solution should also offer the ability to optimize your back-office processes. Adjusters can gain immediate access to HCFAs, UBs, invoices, and other claims documents. Staff can connect to line-of-business applications that they need in order to process work more efficiently. HR, accounting, administration, billing, credentialing, and other departments that make your operations run smoothly can be more efficient with ECM software. As you narrow down your choices, consider an ECM solution that will have broad-spectrum applications throughout your enterprise.

2. Consider scalability

What is your plan for software implementation? Some facilities implement ECM software in one department before introducing it to the rest of the enterprise. Others might initiate a transition across the entire enterprise simultaneously. A collective that is made up of several different practices might implement ECM incrementally, throughout individual practices. Another option might be to use ECM software in conjunction with EHRs, and then slowly implement it throughout the rest of the enterprise.

The difference between success and failure in your implementation often relies on your willingness to expend time, effort, and resources to evaluate your current system. Do you have plans to expand your infrastructure? Can a prospective solution grow along with you? The implementation that would best suit your needs and budgetary constraints may differ dramatically from a solution that is adopted by a similar organization.

3. Service after the sale

Organizational size used to be a consideration when talking with vendors—not of a healthcare establishment, but of a prospective vendor. In the past, a mindset existed that larger vendors had more to offer the healthcare profession than smaller vendors did. Advances in technology within the past decade, however, have leveled the playing field.

In terms of service after the sale, larger vendors are often at a disadvantage. They might be forced to sell their products through Value Added Resellers (VARs), who often carry multiple (and even competing) product lines. VARs may specialize in multifunction devices such as printers and copiers, and not have the expertise needed to address technical issues. Worse yet, a VAR might not have a high level of business experience regarding a specific ECM solution. Healthcare organizations might experience delays in issue resolution if they have to use a VAR to address technical difficulties. Organizations should carefully assess prospective vendors and make inquiries—before the sale—regarding customer service after implementation.

Many vendors offer professional service staff who are willing to evaluate your existing system and make recommendations regarding a prospective ECM implementation. Partnering with these service teams can be extremely beneficial. Hospitals, clinics, and practices can gain a wealth of experience by taking advantage of such an opportunity, and do not have to go through the difficulty of reinventing the wheel when it comes to an enterprise software implementation.

4. ROI

The return on investment of an ECM implementation impacts your entire enterprise. When patient records are complete and accessible at all times, information is no longer lost or duplicated. Administrative processes are streamlined and completed in a fraction of the time. The patient experience is improved dramatically. Although it may take several years to completely pay off an initial investment in ECM financially, it starts paying for itself in some areas immediately upon installation, such as accounting, billing, compliance, system monitoring, and others.

Workflow: If your solution includes a strong workflow product, you can automate processes and experience dramatic increases in efficiency. The ability to electronically route patient and staff information eliminates your organization’s lost files and folders, and reduces the potential for keying errors. With workflow, lab results, patient demographics, risk factors, and other records can all be electronically captured, routed, and used to update patient assessment records in every department.
Web access: Web access to documents and records ensures that diagnoses are completed in a timely manner. Geographical constraints are no longer a challenge when information is needed for consultations—authorized personnel can access images and records securely over any Web browser. Medical professionals are able to have more information at their fingertips, which leads to better decision-making and improved patient care.
Compliance: By eliminating paper records, an ECM solution helps to ensure the privacy and accountability measures that are mandated by federal regulations. ECM software even has the ability to audit user activity for HIPAA and SOX reporting. It can collect names of people who had accessed documents, and the exact times and dates at which they were accessed.

An ECM solution can work with your EHR software to radically improve patient and staff satisfaction, regardless of the size of your organization. Before installing ECM software, however, take some time to ensure that your implementation will be a success. Assemble a team with members from every level of your organization, and determine what each department is hoping to gain from the transition. Evaluate your existing system, and make sure that your paper processes are as efficient as they can be before you convert to electronic document management. Prioritize your back-office needs as well as your clinical needs, and choose a software system that can address each of those areas. The right ECM system, in conjunction with your EHR software, can positively impact your business needs and at the same time, allow your organization to exceed your patients’ expectations.

Optical Image Technology offers a complete line of document management and workflow software. Learn more about our solutions for healthcare organizations, or contact us at 814.238.0038 or email info@docfinity.com for more information.