The world is moving more towards a “Work from Home” jobs culture in the recent years and the changes the world has undergone due to the occurrence of Pandemic like the Coronavirus made the situation more demanding for such a change. Transforming data into digital format is a must for creating such an environment. In this article, I am trying to explain the advantages and disadvantages of converting medical records into its digital form citing the example of NHS hospitals in the U.K.

Converting data into digital format is a must for Medical records not only show the health status of the patient, but they also help to predict what is likely to happen in the future. Health practitioners rely on past medical records of patients before recommending the right treatment. The efficiency of any treatment plan largely depends on the availability of accurate medical history. If proper medical records are not available for a patient, the medical practitioners have to depend on the patient’s memory to determine their past medical record. This is dangerous because the patient may not remember or may give a wrong medical history.

Many cases of misdiagnosis and issuance of wrong medication occur when documentations are not done properly. Digitising medical records will not solve all these issues but it has its own advantages and disadvantages of its own. We are all aware that the process of digitising medical records in the NHS has already commenced, and it is expected to be completed by as soon as possible. According to some relevant sources, going paperless will help improve service delivery in the health sector. Moving away from hard copy documents to soft copy documents has its benefits and setbacks. Below, we are going to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of digitising medical history.

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Advantages

• It helps to save time

One of the most significant benefits of digitising medical documents is that it helps to save time. The number of people seeking medical attention in the UK has nearly doubled over the last ten years. As a result, patients have been forced to queue for a long time before getting medical services that they are looking for. It is estimated that each patient takes about 20 minutes of filing paperwork at the doctor’s office. This means that if there are ten patients in the queue, then the tenth patient will wait for about two hours before being attended to.

A report published at digitalhealthage.com about healthcare in England revealed that medical practitioners are having a hard time managing a large volume of patient documents. According to the report, the number of patients seeking medical attention has nearly doubled since 2008. As a result, they are having a complicated time managing patient documents, waiting times, and appointments using paper dairies.

Going paperless will help to drastically reduce the amount of time that the patient takes to seek medical attention. This is because it will be much easier to retrieve medical records. Patients will also not be forced to fill in their details every time they check into a hospital.

• It reduces the chances of making errors

The number of cases of patients suing medical practitioners for issuing wrong treatment in hospitals is on the rise. This is largely attributed to overreliance on paper diaries. We have all heard of jokes on how terrible a doctor’s handwriting is. Sometimes you may not be able to decipher anything from their report. This problem not only affects patients but also affects other medical practitioners who need to review those records later. This shows how serious this problem is.

If a physician or other medical staff cannot comprehend the medical report that they are reading, then it will slow the treatment process because they will be forced to look for someone who can accurately decipher the information written. This is dangerous because it could lead to the issuance of the wrong medication that can harm the patient.

Going paperless will help to reduce costly medical errors. Digital medical records are usually entered in simple and clear language that any person, including the patient, can easily understand. They are also written in proper grammar. This is important because it reduces the chances of errors significantly. For instance, if the pharmacist gives the wrong medication, the patient can quickly notice before he/she gets out of the hospital.

• Orders are processed with higher speed

With a paperless system, medical practitioners can place orders in real-time. For instance, if the patient needs to take drugs in the chemist, the doctor will send that information to the pharmacist in real-time. This means that before the patient gets there, all drugs needed could potentially be ready. This is important because it helps to save time. Paperless documents also enable medical practitioners to move with speed when attending to patients because they can access patient documents much faster.

• It gives patients better access to their medical records

Going digital will also enable patients to have better access to information. One of the main complaints that the NHS has received from patients is their inability to access their medical records. Digitising medical records will enable patients to access their medical records in real-time. Creating an online portal where patients can log in to access their medical history whenever they wish will solve many issues related to their treatment. This is important because it allows patients to reference their treatment plan. If patients can access their medical records freely, then they are more likely to make informed decisions when seeking medical attention.

• It makes billing more accurate

Lack of accountability is one of the main problems affecting the public health sector in the UK. According to NHS, digitising medical documents will help enhance accountability. The digital record will capture the billing of all patients accurately. This is important both to the patient and third-party players like insurance companies because they will have an accurate record of all activities and charges. It will eliminate cases of fraud and errors in the billing system, which is currently rampant.

• Enhanced security

A study conducted in 2017 by Software Advice found out that staff in hospitals spend about six hours a week searching for misplaced documents. Digitalising medical documents will help to enhance the security of crucial data presented by patients. Cases of loss of files will become a thing of the past. Electronic records can be backed up on multiple systems, making it hard to lose the data. They are also encrypted, making them full proof. When the digitisation process is completed as promised by NHS, then cases of documents getting lost or falling into the hands of wrong people will not occur again. With cloud hosting, records are encrypted and stored on offsite servers where authorized persons can only access them. Tight security features that have been put in place can track unauthorized person IP, show their unique ID, and also reveal what they did. The electronic document can even be locked to prevent duplications or edits. It is indeed the best way to secure medical records.

• It reduces cost

Dealing with paper documents is very expensive. You have to factor in the price of printing, the cost of buying papers as well as postal expenses. However, when all medical records are fully digitised, then all these costs are scraped off. Just by going paperless, the NHS will cut operational costs by about 3%. This is a welcome move considering the many challenges that NHS is facing, such as constricting budget and growing cost of treatment.

• Traceability of information

Any data that is stored digitally can be traced. For instance, if a medical staff edits a document of a patient, then that particular staff can be discovered. His/her intentions will also be known. The NHS is currently marred with many cases of fraud. Going paperless will help to reduce these cases because everyone will be held accountable. Any instances of fraud will be detected fast, and the person behind it can be traced easily. If information is maliciously deleted from the system, then that particular information can also be located and retrieved. Losing paperless information is very difficult, especially if stringent security measures have been out in place.

• It helps to improve patient experience

The NHS has been on record, saying that it always strives to improve the patient experience. Going paperless will help to reduce cost, improve the speed of communication, enhance the security of data, and also allow patients to access their medical records any time they wish. All these will help to improve the patient experience.

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Disadvantages of medical documents becoming paperless

• Violations can hamper the quality of medical care given to patients

One of the main setbacks of digitising medical records is that it can lead to court cases that can attract hefty fines. Patients data is sensitive and needs to be secured. It also needs to stay confidential all the time. If a medical staff access patient information without their permission, then that is a violation of the patient’s right and will attract hefty fines if detected. Medical practitioners are not supposed to take advantage of their privilege to share patient information with their friends or family members. Going digital means that medical practitioners can easily access client’s information. This can be a huge problem, especially if they don’t manage patient medical data professionally.

• Lack of good strategy may render the project useless

Going paperless is indeed a good move. However, if the NHS does not have a good plan on how to sustain this project after rolling it out, then it will not be of yield any fruit. If the implementation goes wrong, then it can cause more harm than good. For instance, if patients cannot access their medical records via their online portal because the system is experiencing downtime, then they are less likely to trust the system.

• The system can be hacked

We have all heard of health care systems that have been hacked. If tight security measures are not put in place by the NHS, then the system can be hacked and information stolen or deleted. Medical records are very sensitive and can cause a big crisis in the health sector if it gets hacked or corrupted.

• The system needs regular updates

Just like any other system, a digital health record platforms need regular updates to make it function properly. If the NHS miscalculates and chooses a software developer who does not give regular updates, then the system may not be functioning effectively No software is perfect. Regular updates are a must to help fix problems that may arise. It also helps to add new features that enhance the user’s experience.

• Shifting from paper to paperless is expensive

Digitising medical health records is not possible with a minimal budget. The NHS needs to set aside a considerable amount because the project can cost millions of pounds to implement. After the system is set, the NHS needs to train staff on how to use the system. It also needs to set aside some budget to be used for maintenance and updates. NHS also needs to hire or outsource IT specialists and other technical experts to maintain the system to ensure that it is running as smooth as possible.

What to do when the paperless system fails

Just like any other system, the digitisation of health records may fail to work as expected. According to a report published on Forbes, 84% of companies fail at digital transformation. So, what should NHS do if the paperless system fails? Below are a few things that the NHS should do to prevent a crisis just in case the paperless system fails. First, they need to have a proper backup. A backup means that they should not destroy the soft copy once they are done digitising all medical records. Instead, they should store them safely. In addition to that NHS should have professionals on standby ready to handle any issues that may arise. No system is perfect. If a professional team is not on standby, then the system is more likely to fail.

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