Going paperless: An investment that pays off
What you may pay and what you can save
John Nosek, MPA, CMPE, of Greensboro (NC) Orthopaedic Center, knew taking his office paperless would not be cheap. He needed to purchase 17 PCs, "and not just the $900 model," he adds. "We needed color monitors and optical cards." He ended up spending just under $3,000 for each unit. Because physicians need to see lab results and radiography reports, he also needed an optical server and scan station. That cost another $30,000. There were also laser printers that had to be purchased at a cost of $18,000. All told, Nosek spent $140,000 on computer equipment needed to take his practice into the 21st century technologically.
But Nosek also knew that there would be great savings. For example, there was one file clerk whose main role was to retrieve, deliver, and refile charts working for every two physicians. The salary and benefits for each clerk cost $23,000 in Nosek's market, and the practice was expecting to hire at least one more. There was also $2.70 spent on each chart, and with 650 new patients per month coming into the office, that was a cost of nearly $1,800 per month or $21,600 per year.
There are more potential savings down the road, Nosek says. For instance, once the practice finishes scanning old charts into the computer, this should free up about 3,000 square feet of office space that could be a revenue producer in the future. It will take about three years to complete that project. And in the coming year, Nosek hopes he can cut one of the file clerk positions, saving another $23,000.
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