Paperless medical records: measuring success

North Shore Magnetic Imaging Center (NSMIC) underwent a major transformation of the patient process through an 18-month "Reinvention Project." The project began in October 2002, with an assessment of systems in place. A complete review of each stage of the patient process--scheduling, registration, insurance verification, screening, scanning, transcription, and billing--resulted in the discovery that the paperwork for a single patient examination could go though as many as 20 sets of hands. The project was supported by the formation of an internal team comprised of staff members from all departments (support, patient accounts, and technical), radiologists, and members of the center's senior management team. The team had 2 goals: increase the level of patient care, and create a paperless environment. External teams were formed to address specific areas targeted to support the process. The transformation for all involved--patients, staff, radiologists, and referring physicians--has proved to be very positive. The work, however, was not finished. Upon the project's completion, NSMIC recognized the importance of identifying successes and areas for improvement. These included ongoing reviews of the project's impact on all stakeholders and looking for new technologies and programs to enhance the new systems in place. There are plans for a project "sequel." Strategies are being developed for "Reinvention, Phase II." Elements of these strategies include enhancement of the scheduling programs to create more checks and balances for the staff and investigating an online scheduling option for the center's referring physicians. The purchase and implementation of a voice recognition system--tabled during Phase I--is scheduled for the first quarter of 2005.