Exploring the Practicality of PDF Healthcare
One unnecessarily-assumed problem that continues to make healthcare professionals avoid using PDF Healthcare tools is regarding the ease with which medical information can be saved or communicated in the form of a PDF file. However, it can now be stated that these apprehensions are truly ungrounded. For starters, it is recommended to gain an insight into using PDF as a medium of medical information exchange by reading the Best Practices Guide. This Guide endorses PDF specifications that are available, cost-free, as a part of the Adobe Acrobat, Version 9. Those who are still wondering if the PDF files will present a certain degree of functional difficulty should note that:
• PDF files can be directly produced by using standard application programs that are available in standard PC configurations
• PDF files can also be created by converting other files into the PDF format without using complex softwares
• PDF files can be even created from a file that produces printed information in formats like PostScript/PCL/DVI/HPGL, as they can be converted into a PDF file by using easily-downloadable translation programs
Decimating Myths about PDF-based Medical Record Retention
There seems to be a certain degree of misunderstanding in the healthcare industry about the PDF files being demanding in terms of technological applications. However, this is a misplaced notion since PDF files are the easiest to use and require elementary operational knowledge. The only real issue that has been associated with using PDF files is concerning active charts that are quite demanding to insert and adding new pages to a scanned file seems tedious. Further, it has been noted that PDF charts are often difficult for navigation or searching for some particular bit of information. However, these are trivial issues when compared with the convenience offered by viewing medical records in the PDF format. Further, simple techniques like bookmarking the files or using OCR in order to make the text more searchable can enhance the utility of the PDF format and solve these insignificant issues.
Similarly, even basic Document Management Systems (DMS) used for creating electronic medical patient records are able to organize PDF files through an automated process, ensuring that addition of new pages is not an operational problem. In most DMS configurations, one simple search made regarding a patient will highlight all the health records, including PDF files, which are related to the patient’s case. Every PDF file has a caption to it in the form of Meta Data that is clearly displayed and this helps in specifically choosing the required files. PDF files are highly recommended for Backfile Conversion of charts that are in the paper form for loading them into the Electronic Medical Records system being used within a healthcare facility. In cases of terminated contracts, once the charts have been saved in the PDF format, they can be either disposed through in-house shredding or stored temporarily in the establishment’s storage facility.
