Ready to Go Paperless?

While many practices fear switching from paper records to an electronic medical record software due to security fears or implementation concerns, electronic charting is the most efficient way to optimize your practice operations. 

Today’s Veterinary Business lists three of the top reasons why you should make the switch:

• “The simple efficiency of having all the information at your fingertips. No more searching for misplaced files.
• Data protection, the most important part of going paperless. With proper electronic protection, data is safe from natural disasters and system failures. The sprinkler system going off above the file cabinet is no longer a fear.
• Clients who expect digital access to their pet’s information and who expect the practice to utilize technology.”

In addition, making the transition to an EMR can also save your practice money. Paper charting, while it may same cost effective, has many hidden costs and factors that reduce revenue. For example, creating a new paper chart costs an average of $7 per chart, and storing charts could cost $1.75 per sq.ft. each year. In addition, up to 10 percent of paper charge slips are lost and never billed to the patient. With an EMR, you’ll gain back valuable office space and reduce operating costs associated with storing paper charts. All of patient your records will be stored securely in the EMR, ensuring each client is billed for the necessary services.

Paper charting also wastes something even more valuable: your time. Pulling and refilling a chart costs anywhere from $5 to $11 in labor, and staff may waste time tracking down misplaced physical paper records up to 30 percent of the time. Using an EMR helps reduce supply costs and maximize your time.

If you consider the cost of paper charts, the time spent locating, creating and storing paper charts, and billing issues, the hidden costs of paper charts add up. If your practice sees three new patients each day and a total of 25 patients each week, you could be wasting $7,000 annually on your paper chart system.

Switching to an electronic medical records system can be a seamless process for your practice. You’ll save time and money, allowing you to get back to doing what you love most – being a vet.

To learn more about switching to an EMR, read our Knowledge Drop here.