In the beginning there was the hand written chart.  It was simple and the tools were inexpensive (pen & paper). However, the hand written chart has many disadvantages.  It is both time consuming & tedious.  Furthermore, hand written charts are often illegible. The common belief about doctor’s handwriting is not only a cliché but is all too often a fact.  Illegible handwritten charts not only waste time producing and interpreting, they can lead to more serious problems such as errors in diagnoses, treatment and billing.

Another major problem with handwritten charts is their inaccessibility. They must be stored and retrieved manually.  The data in these charts is difficult to access. .  As a result, these charts are inefficient and thus not very useful to those delivering care.  Furthermore, the same data has to be entered repeatedly, which wastes even more time and increases the chance of errors.

Clearly there had to be a better way...

Transcription is not "real time" – Documents are transcribed and returned hours, or more often, days after the health care was delivered.  Important data is often lost/changed before, during  and after transcription.  The inherent time delays in this method of charting increases the likelihood of missing any errors created during the transcription process.

Transcription can be very costly, with transcription services charging by the page or line. 

Although the transcribed files can be saved and  retrieved on the computer, they are just plain text files and do not have the power of a true database.

Keying in data can be time consuming, depending on the typing skills and fatigue level of the writer.

Specific medical data is not easily retrievable or searchable.  With a word processor you cannot generate Q A reports or provide much useful data beyond a paper document.  .  In this regard they are similar to charts generated by a transcription service.  Word processor produced charts just don't have the power and convenience of a true database.

What is the ideal solution?  One that provides the following:

• Easy, legible chart generation
• Reduced burden on the physician to produce HCFA compliant charts
• Charts generated "real time" while the patient is still in the facility - not hours or even days later
• Improved billing by documenting all procedures & tests
• Expert computer & typing skills not required
• Consistent quality charts, no matter what the patient load is
• True database record keeping, with all of it's advantages ( reporting, searches, comparisons, etc.)
• The ability to automatically bring in past history, saving time & reducing errors
• Easy retrieval of prior records for review
• Storage of digital multimedia data (photos, video, EKGs, and sound files)

In short, the ideal solution for charting is Medamation MD

Medamation MD was developed as an affordable Electronic Medical Record (EMR) creation/storage & retrieval system for Emergency Departments at small hospitals, clinics and physician practices. It was specifically designed by a team of doctors and programmers to address all the shortfalls of other types of charting systems Using Dragon NaturallySpeaking (the premiere voice recognition program) it allows the doctor to easily & quickly generate professional, accurate charts in real time.  These records are stored in database format, so the doctor has a powerful tool at his disposal, yet one that is easy to learn.

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