As the technology becomes better and better over the years, the debate of whether medical record storage should be electronic or paper grows, as well. The debate is favoured by different persons from different standpoints given that both electronic and paper storage means have their share of pros and cons. As a medical facility with decades of paper medical records, it can prove challenging to transition into electronic storage means.
Storage
Medical record storage is one area in which the electronic medical records seem to be better placed. Medical institutions and hospitals often have warehouses filled with paper records. Despite the pallet storage in Kitchener taking up a lot of space, the paper records are also not eco-friendly. Electronic medical records have the benefit of being stored in computer drives requiring less space and reduced resources to make.
Paper records stored in pallet storage in Kitchener, on the other hand, naturally break down with time. This is irrespective of how well they are taken care of. With excessive handling, the paper decays. Computer records will remain intact and accessible forever without ever degrading in quality.
Legibility
Most people complain about the handwriting of most doctors, if not all. Their penmanship, for lack of a better word, is the worst. But the thing is, there are few individuals in any industry or profession that can write as clearly as the Word Processors on computers can.
Paper medical records can prove difficult to make heads or tails of. When medical professionals are presented with a case they have to join hands to solve, this problem becomes all too clear. It is worse for individuals who are not in the medical profession to decipher the writings.
The major benefit of electronic record storage is that the typeface is standardised and clear on all records. But, on the other hand, some doctors and medical personnel who are unfamiliar with the word processing technology may have a problem with these records at first.
Access
Another benefit of electronic medical records is that they can be shared by several professionals instantaneously through direct access to the storage systems or by electronic transmission. With paper records, on the other hand, for the medical records to get to other professionals partaking in the medical case, they have to be mailed or scanned and emailed. Whichever the case, electronic storage is best in this regard.
Security
Both electronic and pallet storage in Kitchener have their fair share of vulnerabilities. Electronic methods are susceptible to hacking and other unscrupulous individuals with the ability to manipulate loopholes in the system defences. Additionally, electronic records an be rendered inaccessible when the system crashes or suffers a malfunction
Paper records, on the other hand, are safe from hacking. But they are not safe from those breaking into the storage warehouse.
Both of these storage systems are susceptible to floods, fires and other natural disasters. However, most facilities will only have a single copy of paper records but multiple copies of electronic records.
All in all, choosing a single storage method is not a good idea. The two should be incorporated and used to complement each other.