The ease in which protected health information (PHI) is shared, accessed, and analyzed has a direct impact on clinical productivity, patient care coordination, and health outcomes. Today, clinicians still spend a considerable amount of time typing in, clicking through, and editing electronic health records (EHR). Manually keying-in patient data into fields is not only time-consuming and inefficient, but it can also lead to medical errors if any of the information is typed incorrectly.
This is a huge concern. Data must be accurate and up to date in order to be reliably used. Any delay in accessing, extracting, and exporting patient data can also prevent test results, prescriptions, and insurance information from being processed efficiently. Failure to submit clinical documentation in a timely manner to support authorization requests could result in insurance claim denials and delayed treatment.
Healthcare organizations searching for an innovative solution to enhance workflows and clinical decision-making should consider utilizing cognitive services for automated data extraction.
Benefits of Automated Data Extraction
Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) technology, automated data extraction enables organizations to quickly transform content locked in unstructured documents such as PDFs and paper-based forms into structured, searchable data ready to be integrated into workflows, applications, or EHRs. Extracted data can then be mapped to third-party systems, allowing tasks such as indexing patient records, scheduling, and referrals to be automated. This virtually eliminates error rates associated with manual data entry and improves data quality throughout the entire organization.
Keep in mind – any time data is stored or moved, security vulnerabilities mount. As healthcare is more affected by data breaches than any other industry, it’s vital to utilize a solution that provides end-to-end encryption and HIPAA compliance to guarantee the secure, digital transmission of medical information. To mitigate external security vulnerabilities, all applications should be safeguarded with defense-in-depth strategies such as two-factor authentication (2FA).
With the ability to quickly and accurately extract data from a physician’s EHR and automatically share it with third-party applications, organizations can reduce administrative burden and eliminate human transmission errors. As staff no longer has to spend valuable time unlocking unstructured data trapped in form images such as a patient’s name, date of birth, and insurance information, they can focus on more value-added items and care initiatives to improve patient health outcomes.
Overall, automated data extraction solves a major problem for organizations that need to process high volumes of business-critical documents and healthcare information fast and accurately. Form recognition and data extraction turn content locked in unstructured forms into usable, structured data and fields. This allows organizations to improve operational efficiency, automate workflows, and drive data interoperability. With less time spent on data entry, doctors, nurses, and staff can spend more time providing high-quality care to patients.
About Paul Banco
As CEO of etherFAX, Paul Banco is responsible for the strategic direction of the company and leads technology development, including the patented etherFAX and etherFAX SEN intellectual property. In 2009, he identified the need to leverage the cloud for secure document delivery and co-founded etherFAX with fellow telecom industry veterans.
