How long have you been meaning to “get around” to digitizing your records? You know it would make you more productive as a doctor, and it would help you comply with regulations for retaining patient records. But maybe you feel like you’re too busy to deal with it.

Don’t let the time and hassle scare you away from experiencing the benefits of digitizing patient records. Here are just a few of the reasons to outsource your patient record digitization:

Benefits of Outsourcing Records Digitization

1. More efficient, more accurate and less expensive

Experts in digitization, like us, know and follow all standards of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) and Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA). We have many years of experience in fine-tuning the process so that there are no mistakes. We also know how to deliver the service efficiently, therefore reducing the cost for the medical practitioner.

2. Eliminates all capital costs, and license and maintenance fees

There can be many costs associated with getting a digitization process up and running that you don’t need to deal with.

3. Financing options

If you are worried about what outsourcing digitization might cost, there are options to spread out the cost to make it more manageable.

4. Costs are identified up front and can be compared on either a per page, per box or service-specific basis

You get flexibility with how to make payments, and there is transparency so that no costs are hidden.

Checklist for Outsourcing Digitization of Patient Records:

When you get your digitization outsourced, ensure that these important steps are followed by the company you’re working with:

✓ Written procedures for scanning are developed and consistently followed
✓ Appropriate safeguards are used to ensure reliability of digital copies
✓ A quality assurance process is established, followed, and documented (e.g., comparing scanned copies to originals to ensure that they have been accurately converted)
✓ Scanned copies are saved in “read-only” format

Know the Regulations and Requirements for Retaining Medical Records

The law requires that physicians in Ontario safely retain their medical records for the following time periods:

Adult patients:

Records must be kept for 10 years from the date of the last entry in the record.

Patients who are children:

Records must be kept until 10 years after the day on which the patient reached, or would have reached, the age of 18 years.

Physician ceases to practice medicine:

Records must be retained for the periods outlined above unless:

Complete custody and control of the records has been transferred to another person who is legally authorized to hold them,
or each patient has been notified that records will be destroyed two years after the notification and that they may obtain the records or have them transferred to another physician within the two years.

Notwithstanding the above legal requirements, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and the Canadian Medical Protective Association recommend that patient records be maintained for a minimum of 15 years to match the Statute of Limitations, should any legal proceeding arise from the care provided to a patient.

Why Digitize your Patient Files with Bay Area Records

Of course, at Bay Area Records Conversion, we hope that you will outsource your work to us! We may be biased but we believe there are many good reasons to trust us with your medical record digitization, including:

• Comprehensive, end to end digitization of paper records, specializing in health records – we have 15+ years of experience in digitizing large volumes of hospital health records
• Each and every scanned image is reviewed for quality and accuracy
• Documents can be scanned in colour and/or b/w and can be over/undersized
• Digital files and search fields can be customized
• Files can be delivered on encrypted memory sticks or directly into office EMRS
• Destruction of original documents is supervised and Certificates of Destruction are provided
• Full back up and disaster recovery for our facility and all projects
• Local provider of choice by The Hamilton Academy of Medicine

Now that you know how easy it is to digitize patient records through outsourcing, you have no excuses. Go experience the benefits of fully digitized patient records![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]