For healthcare organisations, maximising patient value guides nearly every process, from managing internal files to delivering care services. However, if the technology management at a care facility doesn’t reach a high standard of reliability, efficiency and effectiveness, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to meet this objective.
Leveraging a compatible print solution that integrates with your existing systems is a critical step. Learn how a Managed Print Services (MPS) provider will help you to create a print strategy that works for your unique organisation and your patients.
Best print practices for healthcare providers
Although print management has recently begun to take a more prominent role within the healthcare industry, the concept has been around for nearly 50 years.
The first Electronic Health Record (EHR) system was developed in 1972 as hospitals started modernising clinical data management. Back then, the cost to create EHRs was too high, and the process of data entry was too inconvenient for physicians so the technology didn’t fully catch on.
In the years since, the rapid digitisation of sensitive patient data has made the benefits of going paperless clear: it lowers the risk exposure for both care facilities and patients, improves accessibility and increases efficiency.
Becker’s Hospital CFO report outlines three primary steps for healthcare organisations who hope to capture the advantages of effective print management and improve their care delivery systems:
- Find your printing needs: By establishing a baseline of enterprise-wide printing activity, healthcare providers can better understand their current expenses and find opportunities to improve. This can include striking the right balance between printing and digitising as well as eliminating double handling
- Identify the print-intensive workflows: This data will help your team determine which documents and workflows are critical to operations while also finding others that could be managed more efficiently or entirely eliminated
- Make it an organisation-wide effort: Best print practices need to be encouraged throughout your care facility. Inform all employees about the effort and its significance to your organisation as well as your patients
The right print management solution will help your organisation throughout every step of this process, making it simple for all users to quickly adapt to better print practices. No matter how technology evolves, printing is here to stay — and this continued reliance creates new opportunities for organisations across every industry to capture new cost savings.
Obtaining cost savings
Printing is often an overlooked cost centre for healthcare providers, but an organisation-wide approach to print management can help to minimise waste and unnecessary expenses.
Enterprise-wide reporting and a stronger print policy gives hospital systems new opportunities to create value through improved revenue cycle management, clinical informatics and Health Information Management (HIM) processes. By prioritising digital transformation efforts, one healthcare provider was able to save approximately 30% of their printing costs, while also generating hundreds of millions in additional revenue, says Forbes.
A 2019 survey by Quocirca, a leading source of market insight in the print industry, found that 43% of global organisations considered MPS providers to be a critical component to the success of their own digital transformation strategy in the years to come. Finding more effective ways to scan documents and integrate physical files with workflow applications offer some of the most significant printing cost savings.
By adopting an MPS solution, healthcare organisations can not only improve their financial well-being but also enhance security and gain operational efficiencies, improving overall patient outcomes.
Improving security through print management
Care facilities manage a massive volume of data, most of which is highly-sensitive patient information. In one report from HIT Infrastructure, it was found that healthcare organisations have seen data grow by 878% in just four years.
Although patient records are being increasingly digitised, the move toward EHR systems hasn’t decreased the role of physical documents in the healthcare industry. Instead, it’s now more important than ever to have a secure print management policy in place. Paper is a reliable, easy-to-use bridge between medical workflows and patients, explained Health Tech Zone. Creating hard copies of important documents such as prescriptions, medication and after-care instruction is a practice that isn’t going away.
One way MPS providers can help healthcare organisations maintain data security is by deploying pull printing technology. In this secure workflow, employees print as they normally do — from a Word or Excel document, for example — but instead of going to a specific device, the file is sent to a secure network queue. This not only reduces the costs associated with unnecessary printing volume, but by requiring employee authentication at every printer, a sensitive document can never fall into the wrong hands.
By finding ways to improve security through stronger print policies, healthcare organisations can protect their patients while also minimising the risk of non-compliance and any negative financial, legal or reputational damages.
Partnering with an MPS Provider
Healthcare organisations of every size can benefit from working with an MPS provider who helps them to manage costs and enhance security. The right MPS provider will work with you to find the products and print services that align most closely with your organisational goals. The technology you deploy should seamlessly integrate within your existing systems, minimising downtime as well as the learning curve for the end users at your care facility.
At Brother, we understand that maximising patient value is at the heart of care delivery. Our at your side philosophy guides us to create products and solutions the healthcare industry can rely on to achieve its goals while continuing to create the best possible outcomes for every patient. Just some of our solutions include:
- Cerner-certified devices ensuring interoperability, compatibility and security
- Patient wristband printing with bespoke solutions to meet your patient ID requirements
- Digitisation of patient records with award-winning desktop and portable scanners
Explore our services and learn how Brother can help your healthcare organisation take the necessary steps to reduce unnecessary print expenses and achieve better patient outcomes. Get in touch today.
