I just got word from our hospital administrator that we will be required to survey patients before and after treatment. We're supposed to find out who gets better and analyze why. This will help us improve our treatment and make it more specific for each patient. The goal is to get the best outcome possible. The problem is that we already have three long pages of information we collect from everyone. How can we streamline this task?

You are facing a problem that many clinics, doctor's offices, and hospitals are trying to get a handle on. Time, cost, and the use of paper are all matters of economics and efficiency. Third party payers want to know that treatment offered and paid for is benefitting the patient.

One tool to help with this is the electronic medical record (EMR). The EMR is quickly becoming a reality in many practices. Inputting data is fast and easy. Patients can use a tablet personal computer with a touch screen to complete the surveys required. High-speed Internet access relays the information collected to the right person or people for analysis.

The software is designed to use the answers to questions in order to determine the next question to ask. This avoids asking patients questions that aren't needed or have already been answered another time.

The same survey can be taken before, during, and after a treatment procedure or protocol. The computer can compare the results each time the survey is taken. Other data can be included to help look for predictive factors of success or risk factors leading to failure.

Although converting to an EMR is expensive, economic analysts predict it will save millions of dollars in the long-run.