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If you put all the questions about scanning medical records into one bucket, few managers would ask the most important question: Why do you do the things you do?  Reevaluating scanning processes, setting benchmarks, and analyzing real time measurements give health information management (HIM) department’s very valuable insights into the scanning process. If you aren’t currently measuring success using the following benchmarks, now is the time to start the discussion.

Key scanning benchmarks

1. Errors per 1,000 pages – A measurement of quality that is consistent over time will drive quality improvements and improve patient care.  The number of errors per thousand pages scanned when categorized will show trends and identify repetitive issues.  The root cause of issues should be acted upon quickly.
2. Loaded cost per image – Scanning is often a very costly activity without a full understanding of the total cost by the hospital.  It is difficult to break the cost down of the entire scanning process, but it is a necessary step to identify areas where efficiency can be improved and costs reduced.

To understand the loaded cost per image, look at each step in the process, and consider the following:

1. The number of employees currently scanning, and their annual salary including benefits.
2. The cost to label, print, prep, scan, index, and quality check the medical record.
3. When completing each of those steps, ask your team why they are performing the task in that way.  Too often, legacy processes are in place and team members are primarily concerned with getting the job done, increasing costs and slowing the revenue cycle.

In our experience, efficient HIM departments with years of scanning experience can scan at a rate of 8–10 cents per image.  Often, hospitals that have been scanning for a few years or less experience costs of 15–20 cents per image or higher, and the turnaround time on the chart exceeds 24 hours. Per image costs add up quickly. Often this cost is unknown to the facility.

What is your cost to scan per image?  For free help getting started on the analysis, contact EDCO^® Health Information Solutions.