Integration of Paperless System in Healthcare Administration Research Paper

Integration of Paperless System in Healthcare Administration - Research Paper Example This paper's aim is to introduce the definition of a paperless environment, its meaning, requirements and components, advantages and benefits, specifically for the medical settings and the healthcare administration. This paper will be focusing on these main topics of interest: 1. Introduction to the paperless workplace 2. Benefits of the paperless workplace A. Environment-friendly impact B. Communication versatility C. Security D. Productivity and effectivity 3. Components and requirements of a paperless workplace in the medical setting 4. Conclusion Introduction to the paperless workplace The idea of a paperless workplace has been around for quite sometime, but its transition from being an idea to actually being implemented took quite some time. According to articlesbase.com in their article â€Å"A Brief History Time â€Å"paperless Office ", the idea of the paperless office â€Å"was introduced in the year of 1975† but the article also stated that it was not until 1993 th at a major software company started to actually introduce the idea and provided tools in order to make it doable in the workplace. In an article by ehow.com, called â€Å"Definition of a Paperless Office†, they described a paperless office as â€Å"Instead of paper, the paperless office would use modern technology to accomplish all of the same goals.† This means that a paperless office would make it so that functions such as internal or external communication, memos and reminders, bulletins, notes and reports would all be done electronically. This means that there would be little to no paper used in such an office setting; only when absolutely necessary. This type of situation has both benefits and adjustments that need to be made on the part of both the business and the employees, which will be detailed in later parts of this paper. The thing to remember is that this type of work environment presents many advantages for all types of workplaces, even healthcare environ ments. In a paper called â€Å"Synthesis of Data from Alabama Board of Nursing† they described that the healthcare industry still relies heavily on paper for documentation. This shows us how much the healthcare industry wastes on paper. The basics of the paperless office or workplaces are quite simple in concept. According to inc.com in their article â€Å"How to switch to a paperless office†, going paperless has lots of advantages, one of them being that the business could potentially save money. The article goes on to say â€Å"Anyone working in the office of a lawyer, accountant, or health care company can tell you: the paperless office is still for many elusive, buried under ever increasing stacks of paper. â€Å" but it does provide steps to follow in order to help a business to go paperless. We must be aware that going paperless is not without cost, but we can think of that initial cost as an investment that will eventually have a return. The next part of this paper will discuss the benefits of a paperless office and break them down into specific benefits and their effects on the healthcare setting. Benefits of the paperless workplace Before we look at what benefits can be gained from converting to a paperless workplace, we must first look at how using paper as a main source of communication and documentation can affect a workplace negatively. Some people feel that new