Benefits

=Cost / Benefit Analysis of Digitizing Medical Records=

Cost is always a concern in any business, especially a relatively low margin business such as healthcare. However, any prudent decision will balance the cost / benefits for the particular institution, the scope of technology necessary, the start-up and training costs (usually the highest associated costs), and the eventual offsetting savings that may be realized. Here are some case studies that have done such an analysis.

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The video below is a discussion of utilizing technology to provide for safer dispensation of medication via a Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) system. This technology has the capacity to integrate with a patient's medical record, thus providing a safer environment for the patient, and a potential decrease in medication error liability for the caregiver and/or hospital. The video mentions the savings that Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston, MA) realized by implementing the CPOE system. A study of the BWH case was published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association in 2006. The study's conclusion was the BWH realized a net gain of over **$16 million** in the 1993-2002 time frame. In addition, the study found that there was over **$9.5 million in operating budget savings** over the same ten year period.=====

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