Documenting H1N1
For the past 2 months, I've been collecting entries for our 2009 HIM Team of the Year contest, and it can be...inundating. (Not that I wouldn't love to see a dozen more entries!) A copy for each judge, plus one for our files-it's a whole bunch of printing and stapling, and it gives a computer junkie like myself a new appreciation for all you form-juggling professionals.
Now, as much as I pride myself on a well-coordinated contest, it's not quite the caliber of, say, reporting H1N1 data. With health experts predicting another spike in swine flu cases this fall, hospitals are scrambling to keep tabs on who's at risk. Scientists have developed a two-step H1N1 vaccine, and administration is expected to begin soon. Before each shot, patients will be required to sign a medical consent form, and that means a whole lot of paper swirling about. HIM departments will have to stay on top of those forms and put them into electronic format for reporting to government agencies and insurers.
Electronic health records (EHRs) usually give HIM departments an advantage, but they'll still have to integrate the paper forms into the system. Recognizing this need, one Maryland-based document management company is already stepping into the new niche. Through its H1N1 Flu Vaccine Forms Processing Service, Quality Associates Inc. will design forms, scan completed sheets and send the information back to providers for reporting purposes. No doubt other scanning and imaging companies are looking for ways to capitalize on H1N1 prevention, but hey, when life gives you swine flu, look for the bacon.
Paperless hospitals may have to go old-school with consent forms, but they'll be all-electronic for flu tracking. According to Government Health IT, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will use its HAvBED online system to monitor the H1N1 outbreak. HHS will collect data weekly to determine the number of beds available at hospitals across the U.S., so officials won't be caught off guard if facilities reach capacity.
Now, I'm not convinced the outbreak will be that bad, but I'm certainly part of the "better safe than sorry" camp. So monitor away. And if you're the one stuck managing those consent forms, let me know how it's going.