LANIER WORLDWIDE SURVEY REVEALS DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT COSTS ARE UNACCOUNTED FOR BY MOST HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS
ORLANDO, FL,- According to a Recent survey commissioned by Lanier Worldwide and
conducted by Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), nearly three-fourths of
healthcare managers indicated they do not actively track and manage costs associated with document
management. The survey clearly shows that the burden and costs associated with the management of
documents and related processes are often unaccounted for by many organizations.
The findings, presented by Lanier Worldwide in a report titled, “The Paper Crisis in American Hospitals,” define
document management issues facing hospitals, healthcare systems, and other facilities nationwide. A key finding
from the survey revealed that almost every respondent identified medical records management as being
problematic and cited the Medical Records Department within organizations as having the greatest challenges
with paper management.
“A paper crisis exists in today’s health system, yet document management costs are unaccounted for by many
hospitals and healthcare systems,” said Debra Williams, healthcare marketing manager for Lanier Worldwide.
“Lanier’s research underscores the importance of medical records management and is intended to increase
awareness about the significant cost savings that can be realized through better document management and
control.”
The Lanier survey uncovered what solutions are most desired and would be most practical in health organizations.
Approximately 70 percent of respondents are looking for solutions that address efficient document distribution,
secure access to patient information, and ease of finding patient charts. When asked about the key criteria for
selecting document management solutions, respondents rated reliability higher than anything else. Service and
support rated second highest for buying document management solutions.
Forty-eight percent of organizations that participated in this survey were companies with over 200 million dollars
annual revenue. CIOs and IT Directors represented the majority of respondents.