Let me preface this blog by saying a few things:

a) I’m going to keep this very healthcare specific because we’re a practice management software, after all

and

b) I’ll be outlining how going paperless will help you as a practitioner with the day to day running of your business. I’m not necessarily going to speak about how a paperless business is good for the environment (although it certainly is, and is a huge bonus).

So, if you’re still using paper, pen, and a filing cabinet, know that I’ve written this with you in mind.

Compliance

Other than delivering quality healthcare, storing client details securely is a critical part of your work. In fact, you’re held legally accountable for it. There are so many compliance standards that you need to adhere to, and stepping away from paper and pen into the technological world can really help you meet the required standards of security surrounding patient information storage.

coreplus helps you be compliant with the Privacy Act 1988, and our Secure Messaging integration allows for the safe, seamless and secure transmission of patient information to other providers.

Organisation

Efficient record keeping can take up a lot of your time when you’re paper based. It requires extremely good organisation on your part to ensure that records are stored not only securely, but also in a way that allows you to find exactly what you need, when you need it.

Depending on your profession, it’s likely that you need to hold on to your clinical notes for between 2-7 years, or even longer for your patients who are under 18. If you’re writing your notes onto paper and filing them using manila folders, chances are they’re taking up a huge amount of space (or they will in years to come).

A practice management software eliminates the need for manual filing. All patient data is stored under the relevant client file within coreplus for you to access and add to whenever you need. Clinical notes are stamped with the date, time and the practitioner’s name at the time of finalisation adhering to medico-legal standards. If you’re ever subpoenaed, it’s extremely straightforward to retrieve all the information you need.

In addition to this, our Secure Messaging integration also means that you can ditch your fax machine and all the headaches and risks that come with it. All documents and information received through Secure Messaging is contained in your coreplus account for you to access anytime you need to. You’re able to easily assign a Secure Message to the appropriate client’s file and action it accordingly, without ever having to handle a physical document or sheet of paper.

Watch our video all about Secure Messaging

Your patients 

You might think that your patients won’t feel the impact of you using a practice management software over pen and paper, this is a gross underestimation. People are expecting more and more from the services they engage with. Using coreplus helps you create a digital health experience for your patients for things like:

• Automated SMS appointment reminders
• On the spot Medicare claims processing
• An online booking option on your website directly linked to your availability
• A quick email invoice option instead of downloading or printing
• and more

In addition to this, their information is being stored safely and securely. Imagine being a patient and knowing that your information is safe and that your treating provider is compliant with Australian standards. Perhaps it isn’t something they think about often, but if a patient ever asks you, you’ll know exactly how to answer them and feel confident in doing so.

Growth

Going digital simplifies your workflows leaving you more time to do what you do best: treat patients, and treat more of them. Taking up digital health interoperability through coreplus means that you’re appearing in multiple vendor directories, increasing your visibility to a myriad of potential referrers. A referrer is then able to send you referrals which are received directly into your coreplus account through our Secure Messaging integration, making it a platform that allows for client acquisition at an extremely low cost.

This connectedness to other Australian healthcare providers facilitated by Secure Messaging is a crucial step in growing your business.

Paper based methods of capturing, sending and storing patient information are being phased out, for the better of the Australian healthcare system and its patients.

…and it’s better for the trees.