Content Management in the Healthcare Industry - Old News or New Innovation?

Very recently, a growing number of hospitals have been adopting document management systems as a solution. The phrase “document management system” has come to mean a broad array of possibilities. The concept has come a long way since just five years ago when it typically involved only scanning and storing documents—often using common office equipment such as photocopiers that have scanning capabilities. Today, document management systems do a great deal more.

Several factors in the last couple of years have contributed to the industry’s demand for document management solutions. First, and foremost, is the growing multimedia nature of documents. HIPAA has also become a factor. Document management vendors, such as Hyland Software, are creating systems that assist in compliance efforts related to HIPAA’s complicated privacy and security regulations. Systems can help assist in meeting regulatory reporting compliance for not only HIPAA, but also CMS, Joint Commission, and collection histories.

Document management systems that affect the revenue cycle are often seen as the first step toward a wider rollout of electronic capabilities. Directly introducing a document management solution in one area of a hospital often leads to a desire to apply that technology in other areas (such as medical records and back office).

- compiled from Stop the Paper Chase! Document Management for Today’s Hospitals, a collaborative effort by Hyland Software, Inc. and the Healthcare Financial Management Association.