Going digital for documentation has been proven to assist customers in the healthcare sector, according to Foxit product marketing manager Deboshree Sarkar.
Writing in Healthcare Technology magazine, the Foxit executive outlines several areas where digital can make a difference -- including adopting PDF editing and management applications like Foxit's that can streamline workflows.
Sarkar says a Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) survey points to an adoption lag.
"Despite efforts to fully digitise the healthcare landscape, paper and other means of legacy documentation persist in many organisations," she confirms.
"While most respondents said they incorporate some PDFs and digital documents in their workflows, only 8% reported being entirely digital in 2020."
The HIMSS survey says that respondents agree that PDF editors are essential and beneficial to their organisations. However, issues such as ease of use and cost remain key barriers to adoption, with some 92% of respondents indicating an ongoing reliance on paper documents.
The survey suggests that patient education materials and patient information documents are generated, reviewed or edited digitally in about half of organisations, writes Sarkar.
"In light of these findings, I have highlighted five areas where using digital documentation can make a difference to healthcare workflows -- forms processing, security and compliance, approvals and signatures, systems integration, and review and collaboration.
"Healthcare organisations process countless forms daily, which not only amasses a considerable amount of data, but also often involves accumulating sensitive patient information," Sarkar notes.
"Whether it’s a patient onboarding form, insurance verification, release of information document, patient health history or patient referral form, clients have described a more effective and patient-friendly experience after switching to a PDF solution -- because they’ve removed multiple opportunities for user error."
Read the full Foxit article on Healthcare Technology's website.
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