Case Study: Electronic Forms Turn Paperwork Into Working Papers

No matter what the latest software package, Meditech update or quality assurance initiative, nurses at the Mercy Medical Center of the Affinity Health System still find drawers full of preprinted forms, sliding slowly into obsolescence. These forms had to be imprinted with patient information via embossed plastic cards on a credit card-type machine. It was time consuming and the imprint wasn't always readable. This type of patient identification system has survived at Mercy and other hospitals for over 30 years. Now, exciting new tools are available to enable the paperless medical record.

The system was piloted under the leadership of Connie Campbell on the medical telemetry unit. Connie says the nurses were initially allowed to use either the old card system or the new laser form system. The transition was easy because the new laser system was a "hands down winner," according to Connie.

Since the pilot, the system has been expanded to the other six nursing stations at Mercy. The next phase will be to expand the use of the system to print blank forms on demand on the laser printers, thus eliminating another 500 forms.

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