Colour code filing has been the preferred patient record retention tool for over 50 years. This time and cost sensitive file systems method has withstood the test of time and technological updates by being reliable and user-friendly. A significant number of medical offices still use traditional filing, many relying on ELECOMPACK Datafile Compatible Medical File systems. Types of medical offices that are using colour code filing include:
- General practitioners
- Family physicians
- Obstetrician/Gynecologist
- Urology/Urologist
- Walk in clinics
- Pediatrician/pediatrics
- Hematology
- Ear Nose and Throat (ENT)
- All forms of surgical specialty
Organizing records in a numeric or alphabetic colour code end tab file system will save time and money, eliminating misfiles and increasing the speed of retrieval.
Electronic medical records (EMR) have had an impact on the use of colour code filing but in most cases the expense of EMR outweighs the practical benefits of the electronic information storage option.
Things to consider...
COST
On average, EMR costs 45 times as much as colour code filing, or approximately one million dollars per practitioner over the course of their career compared to 15,000 dollars for a proper records management system.
Liability
One problem with EMR is that signed original documents can become extremely important in court cases or other instances where legal proof is required, it is not yet acceptable for all forms of Scanned Signature Documents to be presented as evidence. When using EMR, all original documents are scanned and uploaded, and the electronic copy is often the only one saved.
Although EMR provides some excellent opportunities, it does not easily replace the filing system and medical filing systems will remain a valuable tool for many years to come.
