Paper medical records have been a staple in the medical field since the early 20th century, so, understandably, many clinics find it difficult to embrace the change to an Electronic Health Record (EHR) software system. 

With reimbursement rates steadily declining, it’s more important than ever to maximize your clinic’s profitability. 

Simply put, paper charts are costing your clinic time and money. 

Here are the key limitations of paper medical records and how switching to an EHR software system can solve each. 

Less Efficient

Let’s be honest. You became a Physical Therapist because you want to help people. And paper medical records are costing you valuable time with your patients. 

From redundancies to clerical errors, inability to share files across departments, and inability to dig up that chart from 2014 in the back closet, paper medical records are downright inefficient. 

These inefficiencies lead to greater administrative costs and decreased provider satisfaction.

Perhaps the best feature of an EHR system is the improvement in your clinic’s operational efficiency.

Expensive

Estimates reveal that 30–45% of each PT clinic's revenue is spent on operational costs associated with paper medical records. These costs include 1) supplies, 2) storage facilities, and 3) full-time employees (FTE) responsible for managing charts. 

With insurance reimbursement rates continuing to dwindle, it’s more important than ever to maximize your clinic’s margins. 

The administrative costs of managing paper medical records alone should be enough to want to switch to an EHR. 

Non-Secure Medical Records

When it comes to the security of paper medical records, there is one fatal flaw. 

They are easily accessible and at higher risk for data breaches, which could lead to your clinic paying fees associated with privacy violations and HIPAA penalties. 

Those fines range from $100 per unintentional violation to $50,000 for neglect. 

If hit with a larger fine, many clinics do not recover. 

Last Thoughts

There are numerous deficiencies with paper medical records, including higher administrative costs, costs associated with data breaches and HIPAA violations, and costs for unnecessary FTEs. 

Switching to an EHR system is a complex problem. Change is difficult. 

But the driving factor for each clinic should be this: with reimbursement rates continuing to dwindle, maximizing profits is more important than ever. 

Switching to the Phoenix Go PT EHR system can help you achieve this. 

If you want to be more efficient, reduce paper costs, eliminate the security risks of paper, AND add significant time back to your day Phoenix Go EHR is your Choice.

With the help of the compressive nature of Phoenix Go PT Day Sheets, you can now access and view multiple days’ worth of chart notes all on one screen. No more flipping and digging through multiple bins and drawers to compare chart notes. Talk about efficiency!

Let’s talk about billing for a moment. The lifeblood to the longevity of your clinic. Traditional manual billing is long and tedious. You find yourself correcting too many billing codes, leading to more claim denials. And this is costing your clinic precious time and money.

With the built-in and fully automated coding tools of your EHR system, you will receive more accurate data entry, leading to faster reimbursement and fewer claim denials.

Discover today the Phoenix Go PT advantage and take the first step toward a more efficient, effective, and satisfying EMR experience.