> Given that most households > move house once every four years and that Practices are becoming more > electronic, the days of handing over a paper file are almost over.
Hi Chris, I think that's a bit optimistic, as I'm not aware of many practices that have scanned and destroyed their paper files. Further, while computerisation levels in GP land are high, a lower percentage of GPs actually input their progress notes into their clinical software. Because of these two factors, I therefore assume a fair bit of paper hand over must still occur. > So if a > patient goes to another practice how are records transferred now In terms of patient file transfers between competing packages... Print -> Post/Fax -> Scan/File > and what will > this look like in the future? Print -> Post/Fax -> Scan/File Or maybe... PDF -> Unencrypted email -> Import/Link Perhaps later... PDF -> Secure transmission -> Import/Link Later still... CEHR (with data loss) -> Secure transmission -> Import (possibly with more data loss) In the absence of data standards, widespread adoption of secure 2-way communication technology, and the requisite expertise at the practice level, paper is a relatively cheap and easy way of getting a stack of unstructured information from one place to another. As you are well aware, fortunately the secure electronic transmission of discrete pieces of clinical information is far more easily achievable. Regards, Simon -- Simon James Publisher Pulse+IT M: 0402 149 859 F: 02 9475 0029 E: [EMAIL PROTECTED] W: http://www.pulsemagazine.com.au PO Box 7194 Yarralumla ACT 2600 _______________________________________________ Gpcg_talk mailing list [email protected] http://ozdocit.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gpcg_talk
