‘Paperless’ ENT Practice Featured in Washington Post

The Washington Post yesterday reported on the Washington ENT Group, a "paperless" private medical practice that relies almost exclusively on wireless technology. The doctors use handheld computers that communicate wirelessly with practice servers to access medical records, take notes and notify the doctors of completed lab results or phone messages. The system also handles insurance claims and can automatically file with Aetna and Cigna, the only insurers in the nation that can handle electronic claims. Because a computer crash or power failure could shut down the office, the office backs up its records on tape and has battery-powered auxiliary units that will bring the system down safely within 15 minutes. The Post reports that because of the practice's high number of elderly patients -- who "tend to be less computer-literate" -- and concerns over patient confidentiality, patients sign in with pen and paper, and first-time patients complete medical records on paper (Squires, Washington Post, 5/15).