The outsourced company installed hardware and software, redesigned workflow in the health information services department, collaborated with the health information management professionals to redesign standardized patient record forms, and worked with IT staff to develop interfaces that would allow for scanned images to be fed into the EHR system. The outsourced company also managed the preparation, scanning, indexing and quality control activities associated with the actual paper conversion process.

Discussion Questions

As the healthcare system prepares to select an outsource company as its vendor for this project, what types of information should it give to and gather from each vendor under consideration?

What are the potential benefits a healthcare system could gain from implementing a document imaging and management project prior to implementing an EHR system?